Stress and Autoimmune, In case you didn't already know

[collagastritis84]

Stress as a trigger of autoimmune disease.
Stojanovich L, Marisavljevich D.

Bezhanijska Kosa University Medical Center, Belgrade University, Serbia. Ljudmila_Stojanovich@yahoo.com
Abstract
The etiology of autoimmune diseases is multifactorial: genetic, environmental, hormonal, and immunological factors are all considered important in their development. Nevertheless, the onset of at least 50% of autoimmune disorders has been attributed to "unknown trigger factors". Physical and psychological stress has been implicated in the development of autoimmune disease, since numerous animal and human studies demonstrated the effect of sundry stressors on immune function. Moreover, many retrospective studies found that a high proportion (up to 80%) of patients reported uncommon emotional stress before disease onset. Unfortunately, not only does stress cause disease, but the disease itself also causes significant stress in the patients, creating a vicious cycle. Recent reviews discuss the possible role of psychological stress, and of the major stress-related hormones, in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. It is presumed that the stress-triggered neuroendocrine hormones lead to immune dysregulation, which ultimately results in autoimmune disease, by altering or amplifying cytokine production. The treatment of autoimmune disease should thus include stress management and behavioral intervention to prevent stress-related immune imbalance. Different stress reactions should be discussed with autoimmune patients, and obligatory questionnaires about trigger factors should include psychological stress in addition to infection, trauma, and other common triggers.

[tex]

Thanks for that abstract. I have long maintained that stress plays a much larger role in this family of diseases than the mainstream medical community realizes. Personally, I believe that it goes much farther than simply making symptoms worse. It appears to me that stress can create an environment in the body that predisposes it to the development of certain diseases. IOW, IMO, if the stress did not exist, the disease would never develop.

Tex

[Zizzle]

Hmmm...I've never considered myself to be highly stressed, other than what goes into being a grown-up, having kids, a job, a house, etc. No major trauma (unless it's something from childhood I have no memory of), and I wasn't particularly stressed at disease onset. I do always feel stress in my gut though. What concerns me about this type of study is that it favors blaming the victim and their inability to handle stress, instead of blaming the environment and the medical community for failing to uncover the remaining triggers. Everyone in our society could benefit from "stress management and behavioral intervention." Of course lots of disease states are aggravated by stress.

But I think MC is entirely organic in origin, a function of gut bacteria, genes and bacterial/viral/toxin-related triggers. I would argue that the stress we don't feel - the stress on the body caused by environmental toxicants, pesticides, PCBs, heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, EMF, cell phone radiation, vaccines, GMO food, etc, etc, etc is what is causing our cells to go haywire, and confusing our immune systems.

There is a reason autoimmune diseases, allergies, autism, etc. are reaching epidemic levels in the past 10 years. Are we more stressed now as a people than we were 10 years ago? No (economy notwithstanding).

Talk to an environmental medicine specialist at CDC/ATSDR - I did last week at a conference - there is much they know and suspect, which may never reach the average person, because too many special interests spend lots of time and money suppressing research that could expose multinational corporations, polluters, the cell phone industry, etc.

Call me a conspirary theorist if you must. All I am saying is MC is not our fault!!

[ant]

Dear Zizzle

I agree with you. Yes, stress was around when I got MC, but I believe the trigger was biological and genetic. Of course, the vicious circle can then kick in, but I am underwhelmed if/when any doctor passes the buck and say "it is just in your mind". The last time I looked my "bum" was not my "mind"

Best, Ant