Which stage of autoimmunity are you? Can you reverse it? There are three stages, as explained by Datis Kharrazian…
1. Silent autoimmunity: Antibodies are positive but there are no symptoms or tissue loss.
2. Autoimmune reactivity: Antibodies are positive and there are some symptoms, but no noticeable tissue loss.
3. Autoimmune disease: Antibodies are positive, symptoms are pronounced, and there is a measurable loss of tissue.
I find it important clinically to distinguish between these three stages.
Why?
Because most patients are not diagnosed or treated until they are well into stage 3. However, if autoimmunity is identified earlier, people have the opportunity to make diet and lifestyle changes that can prevent them from ever getting to stage 3.
This can also help lower the risk of developing additional autoimmune diseases.
When the average autoimmune patient goes to their doctor with complaints, the doctor runs a blood chemistry lab. This test does not screen for autoimmunity. So patients are told they are healthy and nothing is wrong. They may be prescribed drugs such as antidepressants, or misdiagnosed with an entirely different disorder (for instance, some Hashimoto’s patients are diagnosed as bipolar).
It takes the average patient about 10 years and visiting 20 different doctors before they are diagnosed with autoimmunity. In the meantime, their condition continues to deteriorate and their symptoms worsen — they may have to reach stage 3 before their autoimmunity can be recognized in an insurance-based healthcare model.
Autoimmunity is incurable, but it can be put into remission through various everyday strategies so you can feel and function your best.
Datis Kharrazian
Note that – it can be stopped from ever getting to tissue damage stage if you find it early enough, it can be put into remission, and finding clues early can often prevent multiple autoimmune disorders from developing – because they never come as singles, unfortunately.
Only this week, I’ve found several positive markers on a Cyrex 5 Autoimmunity test where we suspected something was up. Early stages and low levels, thankfully, but positive – in time for us to do something about it. If not, 10-20 years from now, that person could well develop several AI diseases. We definitely don’t want that!
Check my Autoimmunity Factsheet out here for more info, tips and where to start. For autoimmune tests, see the Cyrex 5 here.