Autoimmune Disease
According to the National Institute of Health, autoimmune diseases affect over 24 million people in the United States.
At COEM, our physicians are experts at treating autoimmune diseases. We bring together the skills and expertise of our physicians and environmental medicine to provide multidisciplinary care that brings quick relief to our patients with autoimmune diseases.
We offer new ways to diagnose, monitor, and treat autoimmune diseases quickly and accurately. At our treatment center, we provide a pleasant, comfortable, and safe environment that will help you maintain your health at the optimum level.
What Are Autoimmune Diseases?
An autoimmune disease is a condition where your immune system mistakes healthy tissues of your body as foreign cells and releases proteins, called autoantibodies, that destroy your cells. When tissues are under autoimmune attack, they may get inflamed and cause redness, pain, swelling, and heating effect depending on which part of the body is affected.
Some common autoimmune diseases include endometriosis, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.
Risk Factors for Autoimmune Diseases
The exact cause of autoimmune diseases is not known; most researchers believe that an overactive immune system attacking the body after an infection or injury may trigger it. These are certain risk factors that can increase the chances of developing an autoimmune disorder.
Genetics – Certain diseases, like lupus and multiple sclerosis, run in families. If you have a family member or relative with autoimmune disorders, you are at a higher risk of developing an autoimmune disease.
Weight – People who are overweight or obese are at a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis. This may be because more weight puts greater stress on the joints or fat tissue releases substances that can encourage inflammation.
Smoking – According to many research, smoking is linked to a number of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, hyperthyroidism, and multiple sclerosis.
Certain medications – Certain antibiotics and blood pressure medications can trigger drug-induced lupus – which is a milder form of lupus. Certain medicines to lower cholesterol, like statins, can trigger statin-induced myopathy, which is a rare autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness.
Autoimmune Diseases and Your Health
Having autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis and lupus, increases the risk of heart disease. While taking steps to prevent heart disease is a good idea, it is even more important to take preventative measures if you have any of these autoimmune diseases.
Consult your doctor to learn how to keep your heart healthy and strong. For example, keeping your cholesterol level within a healthy range can help maintain normal blood pressure and eating a nutritious diet or exercising regularly can be lifesaving. These steps can also help reduce the symptoms of autoimmune diseases.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Autoimmune diseases are difficult to diagnose because sometimes they imitate other diseases and there is no single test to identify this type of medical condition. Therefore, it is important to see a healthcare provider who has experience in diagnosing and treating autoimmune diseases.
At COEM, we offer our patients the following diagnostic and therapeutic procedures:
- Blood tests
- Arthrocentesis (fluid analysis of the joints)
- Closed synovial biopsy
- Arthroscopy (minimally invasive surgery that uses a scope to examine and repair the damaged joints and muscles)
- Synovial fluid analysis
- X-rays and ultrasound
We will take your medical history to analyze the pattern of disease symptoms and use the information gathered from these tests to prepare a customized treatment plan for you.
Top Autoimmune Disease Treatment Clinic Serving Nationwide
COEM is considered to be the nation’s top autoimmune disease treatment center. We have successfully treated many patients with autoimmune diseases that have helped them to control the overactive immune response and reduce the pain and inflammation.
No matter which autoimmune disease may affect you, we provide treatment for more than 80 different types of autoimmune diseases.
Our autoimmune disease treatment can significantly improve the symptoms by suppressing the overactive immune system and help you maintain a positive self-image and enhance the quality of your life.
If you want to learn more about our autoimmune disease treatment program and how we can help you, contact us at 843-572-1600.