So there's this new theory floating around amongst microbiologists about the cause of autoimmune disease (and allergies): we are overly hygienic. We're too clean. We don't have enough germs and parasites living in our body, so we are out of balance. It's an interesting theory, and I will certainly entertain the idea (although I'm not about to swallow a pound of tapeworms).
The part I disagree with is *why* we have an imbalance. Autoimmune diseases are most rampant in "developed" (a.k.a industrialized, or Westernized) countries. The microbiologists posit that what those countries all have in common is lots of hand washing, caution about germs,etc. and they think that's the issue: Kids don't play in the dirt enough, we wash our hands too often, etc.
Let me just say- I ate plenty of dirt as a kid. I played in a sandbox (where the cat sometimes pooped). We had recess at school twice a day, and no one washed their hands after. We shared a water fountain through my senior year. As soon as we got home, our parents sent us outside to play. I went to summer camp where we used a latrine. I am sure I ran into *plenty* of germs. And my mom was not hysterical about wiping them off me. And yet, I've still got not one, but 4 autoimmune conditions.
However, I will still entertain the idea that I don't have enough parasites, or microorganisms in my system because I also had *plenty* of exposure to antibiotics. And that is what I think is causing the imbalance, not soap.
Sadly, doctors were, at least in 1992, when i first got sick with lupus (but didn't yet have a diagnosis), indiscriminately giving out antibiotics, and i had 4 rounds of them in a row while they were trying to figure out what was wrong with me- and every single batch of them made me sicker. Full body rashes, vomiting, and escalation of the lupus.
I've taken them for bronchitis a bunch of times, I took them when I got my wisdom teeth cut out. I think it's pretty safe to say I've taken antibiotics between 12 and 20 times in my life, and I'm probably not unusual in that respect.
So if you're looking for a culprit, look past the bar of soap, which I will continue to use (though not antibacterial soap, just plain old normal burt's bees chemical-free soap- because I don't want e coli, thanks!), and look in the medicine cabinet.
Yes, antibiotics save lives, but there's such a thing as too much of a good thing.
Now, tell us how to rebalance our systems. will probiotics do the trick, or do we need something more gross?
Can I just go back to the playground?
PS would someone please study the connection between allergies and autoimmunity? Please?
7 comments:
I know for sure I've had antibiotics way over 20 times in my life, and I have a whole list of autoimmune diseases! I think they are grasping at straws blaming it on not enough germs. If I didn't have much faith in doctors, I may have even less now!
We definately need someone to study the allergy/autoimmune connection! Anybody out there??
Yeah, the thing about antibiotics sounds much more like a culprit, rather than dirt- I was never that clean!!
You know, this is a very interesting issue. I actually talked to my doctor about this too recently.
As I understand it, it might be related not only to how many pathogens we're exposed to but also which ones. To make things more complicated, it also seems that it might be related to *when* we are exposed to these pathogens. The immune system is a very complicated process, but it is supposed to learn and adapt to what is presented to it. It keeps the antibodies around and so on. Unfortunately, it's definitely not perfect. (As those of us with autoimmune disorders can attest to.) Sometimes it fails to kill off cells that will hurt our own bodies. Other times it overreacts to substances thinking that they are pathogens when they actually aren't.
While (as far as I know) we still don't know what triggers autoimmune conditions, we do know that while allergies can develop later in life they usually don't. They tend to be figured out early in our lifetimes. Presumably due to exposure at a very early age - i.e. infancy when the mother's antibodies that were acquired via the placenta or breast milk have now worn off and the infant is slowly building up it's own immune system by fighting these pathogens itself. Part of this is how the immune system regulates itself. One set of cells will deregulate another set of cells. So if we don't stimulate one set with pathogens, it never downregulates set two (which causes allergies).
Ever so complicated. I really hope someone does more research into this!
http://gradstudentwithlupus.blogspot.com/
@ Delia
i'm just saying they could be right- not enough germs. but not because we weren't exposed to enough germs- because the germs were all killed off with all the antibiotics.
but i second your opinion. i do not blindly put my life in the hands of doctors. i've seen what happens to patients who do that. not pretty.
Have you ever heard of the book "The Maker's Diet"? It talks about what you blogged today and has an easy laid back approach in explaining. It is a great book to read!
Allergies and autoimmune diseases go hand in hand. Both are inappropriate responses in the body by our immune system.
I have had lupus for nearly 15 years...and I have severe allergies...only in the last 6 years...I am allergic to everything...all the environmental allergens, all stinging insects, nearly all food and a good chunk of medications.
My immunologist and rheumatologist agree that the two are connected but no one has really studied the entire immune system.
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