Modern medicine has given us many new technologies that have brought better health and longer lives to many. However, modern medicine has also increased our reliance on the latest drugs for our diseases. Instead of finding the root causes of our diseases, we simply treat the symptoms with pharmaceuticals.
Chronic pain and autoimmune diseases are among the top health problems that we often treat with medication instead of looking for the underlying cause. These medicines do not make diseases go away. They simply mask the symptoms and can have serious side effects of their own that lead to more medications to treat those symptoms. And the cycle goes on and on. It seems there must be a better way to tackle chronic pain and autoimmune diseases than the rows and rows of pill bottles stacked in our medicine cabinets.
Fortunately, there is a better way. Gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, malt, and rye, may be to blame for your chronic pain and autoimmune conditions. You can easily treat them simply by eliminating gluten from your diet.
Gluten and Autoimmune Diseases
Many people have undiagnosed gluten intolerance, which triggers an autoimmune response. If you are gluten intolerant, your body cannot digest this protein. Your body sees it as a pathogen and begins to attack itself in an effort to eradicate the pathogen from your body. This can lead to a wide variety of autoimmune-related health problems, including inflammation, thyroid problems, psoriasis and eczema, Hashimoto’s disease, a wide range of digestive problems, and fibromyalgia, among others.
In addition to triggering an autoimmune response, gluten also causes other health problems. As gluten passes through your body and reaches your intestines, the gluten protein damages the villi in your intestines. The main function of the intestinal villi is to absorb nutrients into your body. When your villas are damaged, you don’t get what you need from your food. This can cause more health problems like anemia and chronic fatigue.
The traditional medical community generally responds to these chronic pain, autoimmune, and nutrition-related health issues through medications that treat the symptoms. Thyroid medications for thyroid malfunction. Anti-inflammatory drugs for inflammation and chronic pain. Iron supplements for anemia. Steroid creams for eczema and psoriasis.
However, if you are gluten intolerant, these medications and treatments will not be effective because every time you eat gluten, you simply perpetuate the cycle. Drugs wage a constant battle against an ever-present poison in your body, and drugs will never win.
a better way
Forward-thinking doctors and scientists have shown the clear link between gluten, autoimmune diseases and chronic pain. However, too many doctors in the traditional medicine field still do not adequately test or even look for signs of gluten intolerance in patients with autoimmune diseases. Many doctors still think that the only indicators of gluten intolerance are related to celiac disease, just one of the ailments caused by gluten intolerance.
However, we live in an age where patients can and do advocate for themselves. If you’ve struggled for years with an autoimmune disease or chronic pain, tried every medication and more, and still don’t know the underlying cause of your health disorders, then it’s time to start asking about gluten intolerance.
Gluten antibody testing has progressed in recent years, and more and more doctors are beginning to understand the nuances of gluten intolerance, thanks in part to the current gluten-free diet trend.
Modern medicine has given us a lot, but sometimes, traditional doctors can’t see the forest for the trees. Chronic pain and a medicine cabinet full of drugs that don’t work don’t have to be your destiny. It’s time to find out the cause of your pain and take steps to heal your body.