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Possible causes of my autoimmune disease
How many of these factors contributed to me developing autoimmune disease? Below is a much thought about list of causes after much reflection.
Constantly swimming in chlorinated pools (once or twice a week for many years) Dying and perming hair regularly from the age of 14 to now (age 44) X-rays every three weeks from age of 12 to 17. Using lots of Beauty products from a young age. Sunbeds Having repeated viruses, including stomach viruses, colds and severe sore throats during childhood and teenage years. Extreme use of antibiotics during childhood and teenage years. Long periods of stress much of the time due to high parental expectation, scoliosis, family illness, deaths, marriage difficulties and divorce. Having occasional head to toe fake tanning treatments Lots of dentals amalgams, tooth abcesses and generally being run down on many occasions from teenage to early thirties. Constant mouth ulcers and boils in the armpit and groin and recurrent attacks of Bartolin abcesses in groin area for over 15 years. Irritable bowel syndrome throughout adult life. Smoking from the age of 15 to 30, then again from 38 to 42. Very poor diet, appetite and below average weight throughout childhood and teenage years. Premature birth and low birth weight. Mother on lots of medication for high blood pressure other medical conditions and depression as well as general poor health and being under weight when expecting me. Mother having a thyroid condition for many years before being diagnosed Members of family with autoimmune disease Regular prescriptions of anti depressants Radio active dye injection to check for thyroid nodules Being in regular contact on many occasions with dangerous chemicals like asbestos, pesticides (Home flea treatments due to having cats, and spraying of fruit trees with pesticides when I was a child and fruit being given to me unwashed), paint, varnish fumes and other hazardous substances due to occupation of members of family. Overuse and unnecessary obsession with household cleaners such as bleach and antibacterial sprays. Eating fast food more often than average and high consumption of sugar from an early age. Contaceptive pill for many years from the age of 19. Head xrays Use of fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated water from childhood Traumatic 3rd pregnancy resulting in miscarriage and traumatic 4th pregnany due to gestational diabetes, stress, high blood pressure and 22 hour labour resulting in epidural. 2 surgical operations. Looking back I see that many things could have contributed, triggered or even caused my autoimmune disease, either genetically, environmentally, dietary, stress, medical procedures or other. If some or all of these factors could be changed or removed, would I still have developed Hashimoto’s. Doctors just can’t answer this question. It makes sense, however, that because my mother had a thyroid condition, I in turn developed one. My mother was exposed to many hazardous chemicals throughout her working years as she was a cleaner. Could exposure to chemicals trigger autoimmune conditions in those susceptible? Members of my family who have autoimmune conditions were also over exposed to cleaning products and pesticides. What makes some people so much more likely to develop one? Scientists are really only just beginning to confirm that long term exposure to certain chemicals can cause endocrine disruption. Their toxic effects are also causing cancer and infertility. I have friends who were hairdressers who also developed autoimmune conditions. Was this due to constant exposure to hair and perming chemicals? What about people exposed to sodium nitrate due to high consumption of ham, bacon, sausages, cured meats etc who then go on to develop pancreatic cancer? Who is at fault? What about the hormone factor? Does it stand to reason that oestrogen dominance due to synthetic hormones contributes to thyroid disorders due to the complete out of balance situation? Is this why such a high percentage of women develop autoimmune conditions and thyroid disorders than men? Also the ability of man made chemicals to mimic thyroid hormone, oestrogen, testosterone and other hormones which then in turn disrupts the entire endocrine system. The same chemicals are responsible for causing cancer, birth defects and many more serious illnesses. These chemicals are in household products, pesticides, beauty products, food additives and much more. So many chemicals everywhere and nothing is known about them or their detriment to health. The most frightening fact of all is that levels of exposure to chemicals and the link between this and many illnesses and debilitating autoimmune diseases is only just being realised and scientists are discovering that they may pose a much greater threat to our children and grandchildren. Do constant candida infections and the presence of this bacteria, once out of control in the body then contribute to immune system shut down? Are people with autoimmune conditions more likely to develop cetain cancers due to their impaired immune system? What effect does chemotherapy and radiotherapy play in developing autoimmune disease? Research has shown that people have gone on to develop autoimmune disorders after treatment such as these. Basically, all these questions and probably many many others need to be answered and the root cause of thyroid and autoimmune disease discovered so that steps can be taken towards prevention, be it in the form of a vaccine or another method, which in turn will then culminate in a cure.
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