Autoimmune Diseases Explained: A Holistic Approach to Understanding and Managing Autoimmune Disorders

Foreword

by

Professor A. Mosahebi

In today’s world, where medical advancements often dominate headlines, there remains a critical need for awareness about autoimmune diseases—an area of health that affects millions but is frequently overlooked.

This book, Autoimmune Diseases Explained offers an in-depth exploration of autoimmune conditions, shedding light on their complex triggers and the profound impact they have on individuals' lives.

It is with great admiration that I highlight the work of Asal Shirazi BEM, whose dedication to raising awareness about autoimmune diseases is both inspiring and essential. Through her commitment, ASAL has become a beacon for many, advocating for greater understanding, compassion, and action in the medical community and beyond. Despite her own daily struggles with eight autoimmune conditions which are debilitating, she maintains a very positive outlook. She uses every opportunity to bring awareness and as a result has made a substantial difference in this area of disease.

Autoimmune diseases, which occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, can manifest in various forms—from lupus to multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis to type 1 diabetes and autism to dementia and Alzheimer’s.  These conditions often go misdiagnosed or undiagnosed for long periods, leaving sufferers grappling with confusion, frustration, and a sense of isolation.

Often these conditions cause disfigurement, affect mobility and impairment of physiological functions, as well as depression affecting all aspects of the sufferer's life, especially if left undiagnosed or untreated for a long time.

The importance of increasing public and medical awareness about autoimmune diseases cannot be overstated. Asal's efforts remind us of the pressing need for early diagnosis, improved treatments, and, most importantly, empathy for those navigating these invisible battles. Her voice echoes a call for better resources, research, and policies to support those living with these conditions. By fostering understanding, we can help improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.

Autoimmune Diseases Explained not only offers insights into the medical intricacies of these diseases but also stands as a tribute to the resilience and strength of individuals like Asal Shirazi, who tirelessly work to ensure that autoimmune conditions are recognized, understood, and treated with the seriousness they deserve.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Asal Shirazi BEM is a British humanitarian, entrepreneur, Medical physiologist, scientist, lawyer, and skincare innovator who has made significant strides in the wellness industry. She is the founder of Jeunvie, a multi-award-winning natural skincare brand, and Essentiel Vie, a skincare line focused on mothers and babies. Both brands use botanical ingredients and are designed for sensitive or allergy-prone skin.

Asal established the Autoimmune Support and Awareness Foundation in 2022 after a decade of being a nonprofit and helping the vulnerable.

Diagnosed with Diffuse Systemic Scleroderma in 2005, a rare and life-threatening autoimmune condition affecting the skin and organs, Asal was initially given six months to live. Despite these challenges, she rebuilt her life, channelling her medical and scientific background into developing skincare products that help others with similar skin and health issues. Her work in the field of natural skincare earned her a British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2019, among other prestigious international awards.

In addition to her entrepreneurial success, Asal is a public speaker, mentor, columnist, Aromatherapist, nutritionist, and Skincare Practitioner sharing her health, wellness, and skincare insights through various media outlets.

Despite her own extensive knowledge and experience, she is still coming across so many challenges in convincing the authorities and those who meet her that she suffers from life-limiting conditions that are debilitating. This includes medical staff and authorities set up to give support to sufferers like her.

She decided to use her own experience and knowledge as well as extensive research, to write a book that would help the public in their own management of the conditions. She feels it's important to understand how the immune system works and what triggers it. Using external triggers as a benchmark, we can help ourselves by limiting triggers and hence being more in control of our immune responses.

Allowing empowerment through awareness and knowledge is an important step in the fight against such conditions.

Autoimmune disease awareness is crucial for several reasons:

1. Early Diagnosis and Treatment:

Raising awareness helps people recognize early signs and seek timely medical advice, leading to better outcomes through early treatment.

2. Reducing Misdiagnosis:

Misdiagnosis is common in autoimmune diseases due to their complexity. Awareness educates both the public and healthcare providers and reduces the incidence of Misdiagnosis.

3. Improving Quality of Life:

Understanding triggers of autoimmune disease, symptoms, and possible treatment options can significantly increase the quality of life for people with such diseases. Awareness encourages patients to manage their health proactively with adequate and relevant knowledge.

4. Advancing Research and Treatment: Increased public attention brings more funding towards research, leading to the development of new targeted treatments and potential cures for autoimmune diseases.

5. Reducing Stigma:

Many autoimmune diseases are invisible (invisible disabilities) or misunderstood, leading to stigma or lack of support. Awareness promotes empathy and more support.

6. Encouraging Prevention:

Some autoimmune diseases can be triggered or exacerbated by environmental factors, stress, or diet. Awareness gives empowerment towards informed lifestyle choices, helping to reduce the risk of flare-ups or disease onset.

Increased awareness promotes society to better support individuals with autoimmune diseases and contribute to better health outcomes.

Overall, public education fosters greater understanding, compassion, and action to improve outcomes for those living with autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases in the UK, as well as globally, are on the rise, leading some experts to describe them as reaching near-epidemic levels. However, they are not typically referred to as an ‘epidemic’ in the same way as infectious diseases, since they do not spread from person to person. Instead, the increasing prevalence suggests a significant public health concern.

Autoimmune diseases are at high levels in the UK and increasing by 10% annually.

This increasing prevalence of autoimmune diseases is a great source of concern and is reflected in the environmental and lifestyle factors that are ever-changing in society, in particular Western society.

Awareness and diagnostic tools are improving yearly, thus more cases are being identified, contributing to the perception of a rise in cases. However, the impact of the rising number of cases generally, is a challenge for the Public Health sector. These conditions need long-term management and treatment affecting the sufferers and their immediate families.

While autoimmune diseases may not be the single biggest killer in the UK, their rising prevalence and the serious complications they cause—often contributing to other major causes of death like cardiovascular disease and infections—make them a growing public health concern. Addressing this challenge requires greater awareness, early diagnosis, better treatment options, and more research into the causes and management of these diseases.

Asal is hoping that this comprehensive, yet simple explanation of triggers and the workings of the immune system can help bring awareness to allow more self-help and lead to a better outcome for many sufferers, their families and friends.

https://www.autoimmuneinstitute.org/resources/autoimmune-disease-list/

1. Introduction

This comprehensive, simplified guide aims to provide valuable insights and practical advice for individuals navigating the complexities of autoimmune diseases.

Whether you have been recently diagnosed or have been living with an autoimmune condition for years, this book aims to empower and support you on your journey. It is important to explain such conditions' overall cause and effect to help the sufferer control the largely environmental triggers.

Autoimmune diseases encompass a wide range of conditions where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its tissues, leading to various symptoms and complications. The immune system, which typically protects the body from infections and foreign invaders, loses its ability to distinguish between ‘self’ and ‘non-self’. This results in damage to various organs and systems.

Understanding autoimmune diseases requires exploring the immune system, the mechanisms leading to autoimmunity, the types of autoimmune disorders, their causes, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing research efforts to uncover new therapeutic approaches.

We will be focusing on the environmental triggers of autoimmune disease, mainly dietary influences which are factors most easily controlled by ourselves.

1.1 The Immune System and Its Role in Autoimmunity

It is essential to first grasp the fundamental workings of the immune system. The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs working together to protect the body from harmful invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The immune system is divided into two main components: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.

Innate immune system: The innate immune system is the body's first line of defence and consists of physical barriers, such as the skin and mucous membranes, as well as specialized immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils. These components are non-specific and respond quickly to pathogens.

Adaptive immune system: The adaptive immune system provides a more targeted response and involves the activation of lymphocytes, such as B cells and T cells. B cells produce antibodies that can neutralize pathogens, while T cells recognize and destroy infected or abnormal cells. The adaptive immune system has a memory component, allowing it to respond more effectively to repeated exposures to the same pathogen.

In healthy individuals, the immune system can distinguish between the body’s cells (self) and foreign substances (non-self) through a process called self-tolerance. This process is primarily managed by a set of proteins called major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, which present antigens (pieces of

pathogens or cells) to immune cells. When the immune system fails to maintain self-tolerance, it begins to attack the body’s own tissues, leading to autoimmune disease

1.2. Mechanisms of Autoimmunity

Autoimmunity arises from a combination of genetic, environmental, and immunological factors. The exact mechanism that causes the immune system to turn against the body’s tissues is complex and multifactorial. Several mechanisms are thought to contribute to the development of autoimmunity:

Loss of self-tolerance: Central tolerance occurs in the thymus and bone marrow, where developing lymphocytes that recognize self-antigens are eliminated. However, some self-reactive cells may escape this process and enter the peripheral tissues. Peripheral tolerance mechanisms, such as regulatory T cells and checkpoints like CTLA-4, further suppress the activity of self-reactive cells. A breakdown in these tolerance mechanisms can lead to autoimmunity.

Molecular mimicry: In some cases, the immune system may mistake a foreign antigen for a self-antigen due to structural similarities. This can result in an immune response against both the pathogen and the body’s tissues. An example of molecular