#autoimmune-disease

#autoimmune-disease

Last year, building my career and staying focused on my profession mattered the most to me. I didn't have time for really anything else. I'm used to powering through things. I'm a military spouse and I'm raising kids, but over the course of several months, I noticed my health was declining in ways that didn't feel like typical burnout. I found out I was suffering from the effects of two undiagnosed autoimmune conditions: rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto's disease.

I frequently meet patients with lupus whose disease has caused severe neuropsychiatric symptoms, and watching them emerge from their cognitive cocoons after immunosuppressive treatment is always breathtaking. Other autoimmune neurologic phenomena can present in equally bizarre ways. Some people with antiphospholipid syndrome-a condition associated with the formation of blood clots-can experience chorea (involuntary muscle movements)or acute changes in cognition (one of my patients was diagnosed after becoming markedly confused).

Why do 80% of patients with autoimmune diseases, like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis and multiple sclerosis, report that their symptoms first appeared after a period of extreme stress? On first blush, this association seems counter intuitive. When one is stressed, large amounts of the stress hormone cortisol are pumping through your body, and cortisol is amongst the most potent anti-inflammatory hormones your body makes. Logically, when you are stressed, your immune system should be tuned down - not turned up as in autoimmune diseases.

In the ever-evolving landscape of wellness, inflammation has emerged as the latest term du jour, becoming a focal point in conversations about health, beauty, and longevity.

I, all of a sudden, got alopecia and I knew nothing about it. I'm still learning about it.

With so many people across Ireland living with undiagnosed coeliac disease, it's important that we amplify the conversation and help the public understand the symptoms.