Hearing the words autoimmune disease can be frightening, to say the least. Unfortunately, these immune disorders leave us frustrated and without concrete answers. Let’s look at what they are and how to cope with an autoimmune disease.
What Is an Autoimmune Disease?
When affected by an autoimmune disease, a person’s own immune system attacks their body’s cells. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, which means getting a diagnosis takes a while since doctors must narrow down what’s going on. Usually, a diagnosis consists of bloodwork and the presence of certain symptoms.
While no cure exists for autoimmune diseases, they are now manageable thanks to modern medicine and many natural methods. In fact, they can slow symptoms and even halt a stage completely. In this article, we’ll discuss some ways to cope with an autoimmune disease.
See Your Doctor
Don’t skip doctor’s appointments because you think you’re feeling fine. Autoimmune issues come and go; however, feeling fine doesn’t mean the disease is gone. It’s wonderful that you’re feeling great, but always attend your appointments and get your bloodwork done.
Stay Fit
Staying fit is important for everyone, especially when dealing with an autoimmune disease; it’s a critical factor in feeling better and handling the bad days. Depending on your symptoms, there are days when getting out of bed is tough. Stay fit to make up for those days when you can’t.
For many with autoimmune issues, movement becomes a daily problem, and staying fit is difficult. In this case, physical therapy is helpful. Hippotherapy, which uses the natural gait of a horse to get patients moving, has shown hope for many autoimmune sufferers. Cases of diseases that affect the nervous system and muscles—such as Multiple Sclerosis—show exceptional progress with hippotherapy.
Eat Well and Rest
Just as with staying fit, stay ahead of the game with healthy eating habits. Sometimes with an autoimmune disease, you don’t know what each day will bring. Take advantage of the days where you can eat well, so your body stays strong to fight the disease.
Rest is sometimes unavoidable with an autoimmune disease because of the forced exhaustion. Still, make rest a priority every day to allow your body to heal. If you want to clean the house, but your body says it needs a nap, take a nap.
Support
The physical aspects of autoimmune disease are wearing, but the emotional and mental aspects are as well; there is a lot of unknown and fear involved. Find a support group online or near you so that you can talk to others.
You shouldn’t have to allow your autoimmune disease to take over. Fight back all you can and care for your body. Chariot Innovations believes in fighting with you. With the design of our MiraColt, a therapeutic medical device, everyone can experience the benefits of hippotherapy. Contact Chariot Innovations, and let’s discuss how we can keep you moving as you fight the autoimmune disease.
