Environment and Autoimmune Disease

​When someone with a genetic predisposition encounters an environmental trigger, it can lead to an AID.  Figuring out the specific environmental cause can be challenging.  It is often a toxin exposure, infection, or dietary trigger.  There may be some steps you can take to improve your symptoms and take control of your autoimmune disease.

Can Your Environment Be the Cause of Your Autoimmune Disease?
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are a type of health condition where your immune system attacks its cells and tissues.  Autoimmune disorders are common, and they may even affect you or someone you care about.  According to Johns Hopkins Medicine (Department of Pathology), about 3% (10 million) of the people in the United States have an autoimmune condition, which varies by gender, ethnicity, and geographic location.  While autoimmune conditions vary widely in symptoms and severity, they all have the same underlying problem: Your body’s immune cells attack your body.
Common types of AIDs include:

• Addison’s disease
• Celiac disease
• Graves’ disease
• Hashimoto thyroiditis
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Myasthenia gravis
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Type 1 diabetes

AIDs can be hard to diagnose, treatment can be a challenge, and identifying the underlying cause is often difficult.  Though many genes are connected to AIDs, scientists still do not know for sure exactly what causes these disorders.  While we know that genetics and family history play a role, environmental factors may cause up to 70% of autoimmune diseases.  Environmental factors can include:

• Diet
• Exposure to toxic chemicals
• Infections
• Lifestyle

 
What environmental triggers are associated with autoimmune diseases?
In people with a genetic predisposition (where their genes put them at risk), specific environmental exposures can trigger autoimmune disease.  These include toxins, infections, diet, and more.
Yes.  Multiple environmental toxins are linked to autoimmune diseases.  For example, cigarette smoking may increase your risk of:

• Graves’ disease
• Lupus
• MS
• RA

Additional toxic exposures linked with AIDs include:

• Heavy metals like mercury
• Pesticides
• Silicone breast implants
• Ultraviolet light

Not all people with these exposures develop AIDs. There are other factors involved, like epigenetics and your family history.
 
Can your diet cause autoimmune disorders?
Yes. Dietary factors and the gut microbiome may also contribute to the underlying causes of autoimmune conditions.  There are changes in the gut microbiome in people with certain autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes and RA.  In some people, eating gluten can lead to an abnormal immune response and the development of celiac disease.
Again, not all people with dietary risk factors will get an autoimmune condition. Just like other exposures, diet is only one possible contributing factor.
 
Can an infection cause autoimmune disease?
Yes.  Infections are a known trigger for AIDs in people with a genetic predisposition.  Infections have been linked with many autoimmune conditions, including:

• Lupus
• MS
• RA
• Type 1 diabetes

Infections connected with AIDs include:

• COVID-19
• Cytomegalovirus
• E. coli
• Mono (Epstein-Barr virus)
• Scarlet fever
• Strep throat

 
Can mold cause autoimmune disorders?
No. While there has been concern raised that mold in the environment could be a trigger for autoimmunity, there is currently no scientific evidence that mold can cause AIDs.
 
Other possible triggers
There are some other possible triggers of AIDs, including:

• Emotional stress or trauma - stressful life events or trauma may increase your risk of developing an AID.
• Pregnancy - AIDs often present within the first year after a pregnancy.
• Medications - many medications have been linked to the development of AIDs, particularly lupus.

 
How do environmental factors cause autoimmune disease?
It can be hard to know why environmental factors trigger autoimmunity in some people but not others.  A combination of genetics, the immune system, and other factors such as diet and the gut microbiome likely play a role.  It is possible that when people with an increased genetic risk are exposed to certain environmental factors, the immune system can turn on itself.
 
Can you “cure” yourself if you remove the environmental cause of your AIDS?
No.  You cannot cure yourself of an AID after the disease process has started.  But changing your life may help improve your symptoms and keep your disorder from worsening.
 
What can be changed in your environment to improve your AID?
You cannot control every part of your environment.  But there are steps you can take to improve your lifestyle and diet to help you feel more in control of an AID.  Some environmental changes may even help your symptoms get better.
 
Improve your diet and vitamin levels.

• Diet may play a role in autoimmune conditions.  There is evidence that special diets like the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) could help with autoimmune symptoms and inflammation levels.  It could have to do with improving the strength of the intestinal lining and the health of the gut microbiome.

• Vitamin D plays a vital role in the healthy functioning of our immune system, and low levels are associated with both cancer and autoimmune conditions.  Keeping your vitamin D levels at a reasonable level may help with AIDs.

Exercise can help improve the following in autoimmune conditions:

• Fatigue
• Mobility
• Mood
• Quality of life

The amount and intensity of your exercise regimen will depend on your condition, but moving your body and getting your heart rate up daily is helpful.
Improve sleep - fatigue can be an issue for many people with autoimmune conditions, and sleep is essential to keeping your immune system healthy.  Practice good sleep hygiene and get at least 7 hours every night.
Consider your climate - weather changes or extremes can trigger symptoms in some people with AIDs.  Because of this, some climates may be better for autoimmune diseases than others, like milder climates with minimal temperature variability.
Manage stress - working on stress reduction is essential.  High stress can harm your immune system.  It can lead to the development of autoimmune conditions and affect treatment effectiveness.
Quit smoking - if you smoke, quitting is essential.  Not only can it trigger AIDs, but it can make your symptoms worse and weaken your immune system.