Autoimmune Disease

At least 50 million Americans have an autoimmune disease today. Because autoimmune diseases affect the entire body, a whole-person medical approach makes sense—and that’s exactly what you’ll get with holistic medicine specialist Christopher J. Fischer, ND, at Natural Health Specialists LLC. Dr. Fischer offers compassionate autoimmune disease care, helping you treat the root causes of your disease starting from the inside. All appointments are via telehealth, so you can get the complete personalized care you need without leaving home. Call the East Northport, New York, office or book your appointment online today.

What is autoimmune disease?

Autoimmune disease is a group of diseases that occur when your immune system attacks your body. The immune system usually defends you from harmful germs and bacteria. But, with autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakenly perceives your body’s normal healthy cells as harmful and launches an attack. 

A few of the most common autoimmune diseases include Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and lupus. Although not autoimmune, Lyme disease causes an autoimmune response in the body and leads to similar symptoms.   

About three-quarters of people with autoimmune diseases are female. 

What are the signs of autoimmune disease?

There are more than 100 types of autoimmune disease today, each with unique triggers and characteristics. But, most autoimmune diseases cause inflammation, leading to pain, joint swelling, skin redness, and skin warmth. 

Additionally, many people with autoimmune diseases experience digestive health issues, like abdominal pain. For example, 20% of people with rheumatoid arthritis have irritable bowel syndrome, and up to 70% of people with lupus experience digestive health issues. 

If you have an autoimmune disease, you could also experience issues like recurrent fever, chronic fatigue, swollen glands, and skin rashes.

What causes autoimmune disease?

There’s no single cause of autoimmune disease known at this time. Experts believe certain genes may increase your risk of autoimmune disease, and environmental factors can then trigger the disease.

Some of the specific factors that might trigger autoimmune disease include:

• Leaky gut
• Heavy metal toxicity
• Hormone imbalance
• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Nutritional imbalances
• Food sensitivities and allergies
• Severe stress
• Certain drugs 

Dr. Fischer evaluates both your genetic and environmental risk factors when treating autoimmune disease.

How is autoimmune disease treated?

Holistic medicine focuses on reducing inflammation and relieving symptoms using natural methods. Dr. Fischer typically recommends testing to identify the underlying problems that triggered your disease (toxins, nutritional imbalances, hormone imbalance, or other issues).

He then recommends approaches such as dietary changes, lifestyle changes, research-based targeted nutritional therapeutics, and custom herbal formulations. This approach can ease your autoimmune disease symptoms while correcting the root of the issue. 

Natural Health Specialists LLC offers a subscription-based service (6-month commitment required), giving you ongoing access to the best holistic autoimmune disease support. You’ll meet Dr. Fischer once a month via telehealth (virtual) appointments from the privacy of your home. 

Call Natural Health Specialists LLC or book your appointment online now.