What is an Autoimmune Disease? 

Autoimmune disease takes place when the function of your immune system has made antibodies against self tissue. This is often due to an antigen that enters the body. Our immune system gets fooled into making antibodies against self tissue, working against itself in the process. 

There are 3 Phases of Lyme disease: 

Phase 1 — Acute Stage Lyme 

Phase 2 — Chronic Lyme

Phase 3 — Autoimmune lyme

During autoimmune lyme is when one’s immune system is making antibodies against one’s own cells. Managing Lyme is different in this stage, as we must look at it like a true autoimmune disorder. 

Understanding the Immune System

Th1 & Th2 cells play an important role in immunity. Th1 cells stimulate cellular immune response, participate in inhibition of macrophage activation & stimulate B cells to product IgM, IgG1. Th2 stimulates humoral immune response, promotes B cell proliferation & induces antibody production. The balance between these two are so important for proper immune reaction.

Now remember, your immune system does not escort toxins out of the body. The immune system kills toxins & things that are foreign, like pathogens, viruses, bacteria, fungi & parasites. Other things like pesticides, chemicals & heavy metals are taken care of through your detoxification pathways. For an autoimmune disease, we see antigens that fool the immune system & therefore create the failure to destroy the antigens. 

The balance between the Th1 & Th2 systems are so important for proper immune reaction. This is why immune suppression may be dangerous & could lead to further disorders & disease, like autoimmune Lyme. Problem strikes when pathogens get inside a cell & confuse the immune system into attacking self tissue where that pathogen is hiding. This is where we see the creation of autoimmune disease in the body & symptomatic changes.

In The 3 Phases of Lyme COURSE, Dr. Conners discusses the complexity of Lyme & how to manage the disease. Visit Courses.ConnersClinic.com to view & purchase our new courses!