Rheumatoid Arthritis - an Auto Immune Disease

Rheumatoid arthritis is classified as an autoimmune disease. But what exactly does that mean?

An auto immune disease is when our immune system turns against our body and systematically tries to destroy it by attacking healthy body tissue such as the joints (rheumatoid arthritis), muscles (fibromyalgia), pancreas (type 1 diabetes) or nervous system (multiple sclerosis).

Picture the immune system as a willing army of white blood cells ready to defend us from outside attack by natural predators, for instance viruses, bacteria, and parasites (also known as antigens). This army produces proteins called "antibodies" which defend us against these external invaders.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is just one example of our immune system going "haywire" and mistakenly seeing our joints as external parasites (antigens), which causes it to attack and destroy our joints and cartilage. This is what causes the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis.

What causes auto immune disease?

The main cause is our modern lifestyles putting ever-increasing stress on our poor old immune system! Infections, hormone imbalances, smoking, drugs, stress and lack of exercise all play a part. Our diets are full of preservatives and empty calories and do nothing to help. No wonder our immune systems are struggling to cope!

A healthy immune system is vital for a healthy and vigorous life. Every day we are hearing of the increase of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, guillain-barre syndrome and type 1 diabetes. If medical science has taken such great strides in the research and discovery of breakthrough knowledge and medicines, how come we seem to be getter sicker by the year?

It's because conventional medicine focus more on treating the symptoms of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, than focusing on it's prevention and possible cure. The long term side effects of mainstream drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis can be dangerous.

Is there any way out? Alternative medicine and natural cures for arthritis can help cure rheumatoid arthritis at the source.

A weak immune system is amoung the  main causes of auto immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Of course there are also many options in alternative medicine for alleviating pain, but the main aim is to deal with the cause of this disease. So how can we best strengthen our immune systems?

Here's a few suggestions...

Make sure you're getting enough sleep - A sleep deprived body is a huge drain on your immune system. Although everyone has different sleep needs, make sure you're getting enough sleep for you.

Pay attention to your diet  - This is the best way to give your immune system a break! Much of our immune energy can be wasted in digesting the foods we eat. Eat plenty of fresh foods and cut down on junk and processed foods.

Take extra supplements - Conventional medicine is fond of telling us that food alone can give us all the nutrients we need. Well it probably could if we knew exactly what to eat and in what quantities. Those of us who are interested in healthy eating read so much conflicting information that we become confused about exactly what's healthy & what's not! One thing we can be sure about is that our soils are depleted of natural nutrients because of chemical fertilizers, over-cultivation and pesticides. Then it's sometimes stored for months in cold storage, allowing nutrients to leak out.

So...  Just be sure and take a supplement!

Get plenty of exercise - Ugh! I hear you say. But our bodies were designed to move! Exercise increases oxygen in the bloodstream, releases "feel-good" hormones called endorphins and helps to build the muscles that support your joints. Walking and stretching every day are safe and pleasant ways to get the exercise we need.

This has been a very brief look into the ways to boost our immunity to heal or prevent autoummune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. The benefits are fewer diseases like colds and flu and increased energy to do the things we love.

If you're suffering with arthritis but are worried about the pain killing drugs you're currently taking, whether it's the cost or the side effects, visit http://www.rheumatoid-arthritis-secrets.com to find out about natural arthritis remedies and pain relief for all types of arthritis. The author, Wendy Owen is a health author & reseacher.

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