An autoimmune disease occurs when our immune system misreacts to our own body tissues. Our immune system has a highly sophisticated system to keep us disease-free. It identifies all foreign substances that enter our body and everything we come into contact with. If our immune system deems something dangerous, it produces antibodies to ward off the harmful invaders. Autoimmune diseases arise when our body is working hard to defend itself against potentially harmful substances, such as allergens, toxins, infections, or food, but can't distinguish between the invaders and our own cells. Because the body perceives certain cells as harmful, it sends antibodies to them. This leads to significant physical symptoms. Ayurveda describes this in a slightly different way. Ayurveda states that the immune system doesn't accidentally attack its own cells, but rather does so to defend the body against a form of harmful metabolite called "Ama." Ama is produced in the tissues that are being attacked. There are several reasons for the development of Ama (these will be discussed in the following sections). Likewise, there are various causes for the various ways in which Ama manifests. In fact, Ama is also responsible for a number of other conditions, ranging from occasional diarrhea to chronic diseases such as diabetes, and from everyday indigestion to the incurable systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The reason behind this wide range of disorders caused by Ama lies in its ability to attack various body cells and deeply penetrate biological systems. Autoimmune diseases are usually caused by large amounts of Ama penetrating certain body tissues or physiological systems. In addition, prolonged exposure to poorly digestible foods, pollutants, allergens, toxins, synthetic chemicals, and drugs is another cause of autoimmune diseases. Poor treatment of the disease and repeated suppression of symptoms without addressing the underlying cause also accelerates the progression of the disease.
Pathophysiology
Ama does not manifest itself directly physically, but rather through its effects on the body. The presence of Ama and its presence in the body's cells is easily determined with a questionnaire and a clinical examination. Laboratory testing may be inconclusive due to the complex nature of Ama and the fact that Ama is not fully characterized by a biochemical composition. Strictly speaking, Ama consists of incompletely digested metabolic substances. This can arise for various reasons. Just as a fireplace, where a lack of air and too much moisture produces relatively little heat and a lot of smoke, our metabolism can malfunction in a similar way. Through our metabolism, toxins and other incompletely burned and incompatible substances are then formed in the body, known as Ama. Ama production can occur in the internal digestive organs, but also at the physiological system level, tissue level, cellular level, or molecular level, affecting the digestion of the corresponding organs. In its early stages, Ama can be easily cured, but if the condition persists over a longer period, much like a blocked chimney, Ama obstructs the body's physiological channels, slows metabolism, prevents the absorption of metabolites, and produces toxins that, in turn, lead to increased Ama production. If the body doesn't correct this condition itself, or if medical attention isn't sought, a vicious cycle develops.
In the initial stages, when Ama is present in the larger bodily channels, our body attempts to rid itself of the toxins through alternative means. This is achieved by utilizing other bodily channels, such as purging, vomiting, errurite (through the nose), sweat, saliva, urination, etc. However, in chronic conditions, or when there is repeated suppression of Ama, the toxins lodge deep within the cells. The Ama then becomes a threat to our health, and because it has now penetrated to the tissue level, our immune system begins to attack the affected cells. This causes inflammation or allergic reactions that, without proper treatment, lead to autoimmune disorders. Once the disease manifests, it is difficult to combat the condition as a whole.
Depending on the body area affected, there are different symptoms and different organs involved in autoimmune diseases. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), Addison's disease, agammaglobulinemia (Bruton's disease or also called XLA), alopecia areata (patchy baldness), ankylosing spondylitis, atopic dermatitis, autoimmune aplastic anemia, autoimmune cardiomyopathy, autoimmune hepatitis, autoimmune peripheral neuropathy, autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura, Berger's disease, chronic relapsing multifocal osteomyelitis, Crohn's disease, Cushing's syndrome, diabetes mellitus type 1, eczema, Graves' disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis (MS), myasthenia gravis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever, systemic lupus erythematosus, ulcerative colitis, etc. are some of the autoimmune diseases that occur in various tissues and organs.
Etiology
The following factors, individually or in combination, may contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases:
A. The penetration of Ama deep into tissues. The causes for this are as follows:
1. Weak digestion
Digestion performs the body's most important metabolic function and forms the basis for all other macro- and micro-metabolic processes that regulate the conversion and breakdown of all biological substances. Poor digestion leads to the accumulation of incompletely processed metabolites at a coarser level. This, in turn, affects all metabolic processes, increasing Ama production at both superficial and deeper levels.
2. Vitiation of Dosha
The doshas are the bio-humors that regulate all physiological processes in the body. When the doshas are negatively affected for any reason, they cause all sorts of diseases. Dosha disturbance, which disrupts the normal physiology of metabolism, also leads to ama.
3. Accumulation of metabolic waste products
Suppressing the natural urge to eliminate metabolic waste leads to obstructions in the body's physical purification channels. The resulting accumulation of waste at various levels of the metabolism increases the number of toxins, ultimately leading to an increase in Ama in the body.
B. Long-term exposure to incompatible substances
1. Food
Some foods are naturally incompatible and unhealthy for everyone. Other foods are only tolerated by people with a certain constitution, while still others are harmful to only a few individuals. Normally, many foods are safe to eat, but when combined with other foods, this can sometimes be unsafe. Toxic substances are easy to recognize because they pose an immediate danger. However, many people are unaware of the incompatibility of some foods they regularly consume, due to the mild symptoms. In short, every individual has different sensitivities and incompatibilities.
2. Addictions
Addiction to alcohol, nicotine, drugs, and so on makes the body completely dependent on unhealthy chemicals. In addicted individuals, toxins accumulate, damaging vital organs and paralyzing the immune system.
3. Medicines
Several medications used for symptomatic relief suppress the superficial symptoms of illness, but this incomplete treatment of the underlying cause actually complicates the condition. Furthermore, excessive use of antibiotics suppresses the body's natural defenses, and steroids reduce our immunity. When used improperly or for extended periods, all these medications lead to metabolites that may be incompatible with our body's cells.
Treatment
Treating the underlying cause, resolving the symptoms, and rehabilitating by stimulating the body's vitality together constitute the Ayurvedic treatment for autoimmune diseases. A thorough examination of the current course of the disease and its past manifestations is essential to identify the cause of the condition. In more advanced stages of the disease, the Ama pathology is homogenized with the body tissue and cannot be easily separated from these cells. Vigorous extraction of Ama can then cause serious damage to vital cell tissue. In this case, Ayurveda recommends a special bio-purification method. Swedana therapy gradually releases the Ama from cells and tissues. Snehana then causes loosely distributed Ama and Dosha to aggregate and also releases these substances from the cell tissue. Depending on where in the body this process occurs, the Ama is expelled through nearby physical channels, such as the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, bile, respiratory tract, etc. With special treatments, including therapeutic vomiting, therapeutic cleansing, enemas, and therapeutic errhine (via the nose), the Ama, Dosha, and other metabolites are released from the body. To prevent recurrence of Ama accumulation in the body, special Ayurvedic supplements and herbs exist to enhance digestion and metabolism. To restore the body's vitality, rejuvenation therapy called Rasayana is recommended, depending on the patient's condition. Rasayana therapies help restore the vitality and strength of damaged body cells.
Ayurveda is based on a holistic approach to treating ailments. Without restricting normal bodily functions, Ayurveda supports the body during recovery. Thanks to the use of natural herbs and supplements, Ayurvedic treatments are completely safe. Treatments may require a little more patience than conventional treatments. However, the major advantage is that the results with Ayurveda are permanent and almost always promising. Never rely solely on the effects of pharmaceutical products and avoid taking medications on your own. It is strongly recommended to consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner and to undergo Ayurvedic treatment only under their direct, expert supervision.