Autoimmune disorders are on the rise over a couple of years. They present themselves in many different ways making the road to recovery long, drab and agonizing. Did you know that around 700 million people suffer from autoimmune diseases globally? An astounding 1/10th of the population, given that it is very much related and attributed to gut and mental health.
There are over 70-80 illnesses that have been classified under the autoimmune category and are known to affect practically any part of the body, skin, eyes, joints, or any organs. Some of the most common autoimmune diseases that we encounter in our clinics are Psoriasis, Vitiligo, Mitral stenosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, IBS, Crohn’s Disease, etc.
The fact that modern medicine does not have any cure is gruesome. Corticosteroids have been largely used to treat flare-ups but unfortunately without any relief, leave alone cure. A lot of our patients come with major side-effects of steroids like weight gain, swollen face, lethargy, and interestingly absolutely no effect on their original autoimmune disease. Conventional treatment is usually just an add-on to the existing woes of the patient.
What are autoimmune diseases?
The immune system is a complex network of special cells and organs that defends the body from germs and other foreign invaders. It has the ability to tell the difference between self and non-self: what is self [you] and what is not-self [foreign].
Normally the immune system’s white blood cells help protect the body from harmful substances, called antigens. In patients with an autoimmune disorder, the immune system can’t tell the difference between healthy body tissue and antigens. The result is an immune response that destroys normal body tissues.
Some autoimmune diseases are trickier to diagnose than others, presenting symptoms that appear suddenly and cross many medical specialties. These symptoms often come and go with unpredictable “flares” or spikes and are not always present and so may take extra time for accurate medical assessment.
Apart from vague symptoms, autoimmune diseases also present differently in each individual case. Lupus can show up as hair loss in one person and as joint pain in another. Because of this, doctors can’t rely on symptoms alone to determine the nature of the disease. This can drastically extend periods of observation.
Why does the body turn against you?
It is widely approved that autoimmune diseases are stress-related and that distress is a major factor for flare-ups and acute attacks as well. But is stress the only reason?
Renowned cardiologist, professor, scientist, and Padma Bhushan recipient, Dr. B. M Hegde, while speaking on autoimmune diseases, say,
“My own hypothesis of the origin of the many autoimmune diseases has its root in our mind. Whereas every cell in the human body, of which there are more than one hundred trillion in all, loves one another and also the cells of others in the world, our hostility toward our fellow human beings confuses our cells. If that mental attitude deepens further into a trait, a time will come when our own cells start hating our other cells, auto-immune disease. I call this the ‘you-me’ concept.”
By and large, human relations have now become even more shallow, superficial, and based just on some give-and-take relationship. Humans are now becoming even more self-centered, and everything is just about oneself. Relations are based on material benefits instead of love, jealousy has replaced compassion, and hate has replaced love.
The divine, one-to-one connection is no more, and all that remains is, an “I really don’t care attitude”. Your life is yours, mine is mine. Period. No emotions attached.
This is absolutely unhealthy. While autoimmune diseases are linked to long-term stress, it is more than that. “Our greatest stress today is to acquire mundane things in life. In that rat race where the world is too much with us, we spend most of our energy getting and spending. We have no time to see the good things in nature that give us tranquillity and pleasure. We seem to have sold our soul to the devil.” (Dr. B. M. Hegde).
So, to speak, stress is the reason for autoimmune diseases, but living in the world without compassion, empathy, kindness, and love for others is an open invitation to auto-immune diseases. Because the universal energy does not differentiate between you and me. It is a divine force that connects each and every cell, organ, body, plant, or animal, the rivers and the mountains, the earth below, and the skies above. This divine energy knows to heal, love, and unite. If our thoughts go in the opposite direction, there is a definite spiritual, emotional, and physical imbalance. What thoughts you create for others, are created for yourself.
At Healing Harmony, as we see countless patients with autoimmune diseases being treated by Dr. Preety and Dr. Prajakta, we see that healing within. We have seen the turmoil come down. As they approach these patients with this energy medicine Homeopathy, these patients come back to life, to vigor, to positivity, to compassion, and love. They become more capable of giving as well as receiving love. With the power of Homeopathy and other integrated approaches, Health restores holistically.
How autoimmune diseases can be treated?
- When the root cause is the mind, the treatment has to be naturally related to the mind.
- Homeopathy is the only science that deals with the mind of the patient and eliminate the root cause that exists there. It is potentially capable of bringing a healthier alteration in the thought and emotional processes that have deviated from normal to abnormal.
- Homeopathy is invariably the best possible and natural treatment for autoimmune diseases like vitiligo, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, etc.
- There have been hundreds of thousands of patients getting completely treated of autoimmune diseases with Homeopathy.
- Although flare-ups are common, Homeopathy makes them less intense, less frequent, and bearable.
Dr. Preety Shah and Dr. Prajakta Vaidya have collaboratively worked on many autoimmune diseases and have remarkably managed and treated them holistically and naturally. Their Integrated Approach to treatment makes them unbeatably outstanding in their work as therapists and healers. (Read more about our integrated approach and the power of 5, at https://www.healingharmony.in/ for more insights)
Some quick tips and easy approaches to treat autoimmune disorders from their desks:
- Track your symptoms:
Since symptoms of autoimmune disorders are unpredictable, it’s important to track the changes noticed in the body as precisely as possible. Make note of activities that lessen the symptoms and help you feel better. Prepare for your next doctor’s visit by bringing a detailed list of your symptoms, which will help your doctor narrow down diagnostic testing.
- Watch out for triggers:
Diet and lifestyle play important roles in autoimmunity as triggers for its initial development as well as for ongoing symptom severity. An obvious example of a food trigger is gluten which causes a dramatic immune reaction that leads to intestinal inflammation and malabsorption in people with celiac disease.
- The list of potential triggers for people with autoimmunity other than gluten includes dairy, kale, avocados and, tomatoes. Other factors like viruses, sleep, stress and even toxins in your environment may also be triggers, leading to autoimmunity-related symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and skin rashes.
- Think holistically:
Autoimmune disease treatment is not just about popping steroids and some anti-inflammatory drugs. Think and act holistically about your health. Appreciate the mind-body-connection. Live mindfully, pray, meditate, and live a meaningful life. Love. Appreciate. Observe. Breathe. Accept. Embrace. Deal with negative things positively.
- Adopt a healthier lifestyle:
A healthy lifestyle helps keep the immune system in balance, while less healthy practices may cause the immune system to overreact. Exercising regularly can help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid risk factors like obesity or blood sugar imbalances, which have been linked to conditions like RA, psoriasis, and multiple sclerosis.
- Diet modifications, sleep hygiene, and stress reduction may offer a safer alternative to support your health.
The road to an autoimmune diagnosis may not be short or clear cut, but taking measured, proactive steps will help to ease your journey along the way.
Here is case of Rheumatoid Arthritis treated by Dr. Preety and Dr. Prajakta, with Homeopathy and their Holistic Approaches.
Case of Rheumatoid Arthritis: https://hpathy.com/clinical-cases/rheumatoid-arthritis-in-a-woman-of-61/
We have another case of Ulcerative colitis. Her main complaints were constant urge to pass motions, and pain before passing stools. She feared even eating or drinking something as she had to rush to pass stools immediately after that. After a complete history of other complaints and her mental symptoms, we prescribed her Sygnus Sygnus and she was perfectly fine and on a road to recovery shortly.
Autoimmune diseases remain one of the biggest challenges for conventional medicines, but the answer to this rising threat to life lies in the 200-year-old science called Homeopathy, where the master Dr. Hahnemann has laid the principles and laws, explained how the mind affects the body and how that can be treated.
Although, in theory, the mind-body connection is a new concept, in practice it has existed ever since evolution has come into place. And hence treating the mind means treating the body which can be seen in homeopathy and is therefore successful in autoimmune diseases too.
