Autoimmune Diseases in Jacksonville and Serving Ponte Vedra Beach & Jacksonville Beach, FL
Autoimmune Diseases occur when the body recognizes its own cells as “foreign” and attacks as if there were an “invader” present. This is an important function of our immune system when there is an actual “invader” such as a virus, bacteria, or cancer cell, but we certainly don’t want our immune system attacking our normal cells. Unfortunately that is occurring and increasing at an alarming rate in young individuals. Common autoimmune diseases in young adults include JIA (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis), Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Celiac Disease, and Type 1 Diabetes. There are over 80 other autoimmune diseases that have been identified including Crohn’s Disease and SLE (lupus).
Children can present with generalized symptoms of auto immune diseases such as:
- Low grade fevers
- Brain fog
- Unexplained rashes and skin changes
- Early hair loss/changes
- Joint swelling and back pain
- Gut problems such as chronic diarrhea or constipation
- Diabetes
Often their labs will show abnormalities including:
- elevated inflammatory markers such as Hs CRP and ESR
- high liver enzymes
- abnormal thyroid studies and thyroid antibodies
- positive ANA (anti-nuclear antibody)
- positive RF (rheumatoid factor)
- positive Celiac profile/antibodies
- abnormal glucose/insulin levels
If you’ve never been to Happy Minds Healthy Bodies, you might wonder what to expect during your first visit. Your provider will ask about the timeline of your symptoms to try and identify potential triggers or toxic exposures. A thorough head to toe examination will be performed. Additional lab testing may be ordered and after those results are back, recommendations such as limited-ingredient diets, supplements, and lifestyle changes may be recommended. A thorough gut investigation may be indicated and if you gut health is improved, your symptoms may also greatly improve.