Unraveling the Mysteries of Immune Dysregulation: From Chronic Infections, to Allergies and Cancer
- drjensofie
- Mar 18
- 7 min read
What is Immune Dysregulation?
Immune dysregulation occurs when the immune system loses its ability to maintain a balanced response. This imbalance can appear in various forms, leading to excessive inflammation or a weak immune response. Immune Dysregulation is anytime the immune system gets disrupted, be it someone that is prone to chronic infections, an actual “diagnosed autoimmune disease”, or cancer.
The immune system is designed to defend the body against harmful pathogens but also to recognize and tolerate its cells. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to a range of health issues, including allergies, autoimmune diseases, and chronic inflammation. It's crucial to know that immune dysregulation is not always obvious; subtle dysfunctions can exist, impacting overall health and well-being.
When you start to understand how the human body is connected, you realize that many of the health issues so many of us face, actually have a cause. Many, if not all, immune issues are linked to things like infections. Remember when you got mono in high school? Well those that have mono have a 5 x higher risk of getting Lupus. Or how about when you got cold sores in your mouth/lips. That is often caused by something called herpes or Epstein bar virus infection. These are infections that by the time most of us reach the age of 20, we have been exposed to and most likely had. These along with infections like strep throat can years latter tax our immune system through rather complicated ways and up-regulate the immune system. These environmental and viral/bacterial infection exposures act as a primer in genetically susceptible individuals. They can cause molecular mimicry, epitope spreading, or bystander activation which ultimately = autoimmune like symptoms and disease. For some of us, due to genetic issues and environmental exposures, these can be the impetus that then leads to immune issues.
The Mechanisms Behind Immune Dysregulation
Understanding how immune dysregulation works is key to effective treatment. Many factors can affect immune responses, including genetics, environmental factors, and existing health conditions.
Genetic Factors
Genetics are significant in how well the immune system operates. Some genetic variations can make individuals more likely to develop autoimmune diseases. For example, people who have specific variation patterns in immune-related genes can produce too many inflammatory substances (cytokines), leading to health issues.
Research has identified over 100 genetic regions linked to autoimmune conditions. For instance, people with the HLA-DRB1 gene are at a 3-5 times higher risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis. Understanding these genetic factors can guide personalized treatments that target specific immune dysfunctions.
Environmental Influences
Environmental aspects also play a big role in immune health. Infection, lifestyle choices, and exposure to harmful substances can all impact the immune response. Chronic stress, for example, has been shown to elevate inflammatory markers by as much as 30%, contributing to immune dysregulation.
Additionally, certain viral infections like the Epstein-Barr virus can trigger autoimmune conditions by confusing the immune system. This showcases the complex relationship between pathogens and immune responses.
The Impact of Immune Dysregulation on Health
The repercussions of immune dysregulation are extensive. Individuals may face a higher risk of infections, chronic inflammation, or the development of autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis develop when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body. These conditions can severely impact quality of life and often lead to additional health issues. For example, about 15% of people with rheumatoid arthritis also develop cardiovascular problems due to the chronic inflammation associated with the disease.
Ongoing research is looking at new treatments aimed at correcting the immune balance. Innovative approaches may potentially help reset immune systems to restore health.
Allergies and Hypersensitivity
Conversely, immune dysregulation can cause overly aggressive immune responses, leading to allergies. Approximately 10-20% of the global population suffers from allergies, which occur when the immune system reacts too strongly to benign substances.
Understanding the pathways that lead to allergic reactions is essential for developing effective treatments. Allergen immunotherapy is one approach that aims to retrain the immune system to tolerate allergens, reducing symptoms in many patients.
Strategies for Addressing Immune Dysregulation
The pathway to combating immune dysregulation is complex, requiring a multifaceted approach. Implementing lifestyle changes, medication, and innovative therapies can significantly improve outcomes.
Lifestyle Modifications
Making healthier lifestyle choices can have a major impact on the immune system. Diet, exercise, and managing stress are crucial components. For instance, research indicates that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation by 20%.
Moreover, physical activity can boost immune responses and lower inflammation. Stress management methods, such as mindfulness and yoga, have also been shown to improve immune health and reduce stress-related inflammation.
Why do some people get autoimmune disease while others don’t?
That is a complicated question. What we do know is that over the past 3,000 years there has not really been a “change” in our genes. So what that means is that it is environmental exposures that are the trigger leading to immune issues. Some people may for example get mono or strep throat or a GI illness (like Coxsackie virus, you probably did not even know that is a common cause of a viral GI bug) and these infections then latter in life can trigger autoimmune issues. Environmental exposures like toxins, chemicals that are put on or our foods, the air we breathe, living near a power generator, etc can then all contribute to a dysregulated immune system. On top of this we add stress- the loss of a pet, a car accident, a new job, a marriage, a divorce, birth of a child, birth of a grandchild- be it welcomed stress or not, these also impact the way our bodies are able to fight off immune dysregulation.
How common are autoimmune diseases?
Currently there are 52 million AMERICANS that have autoimmune diseases/conditions. 1:4 Americans has some sort of immune condition and they seem to be on the rise. Did you know that 70% of people with celiac disease (a genetic autoimmune disease that causes gluten sensitives) are undiagnosed. In fact, only about 8-15% of those with celiac have diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, etc. The majority of people with celiac disease do not have ANY gastrointestinal symptoms. I remember about 10 years ago diagnosing a 15 yo that came to the clinic suffering from chronic, unrelenting headaches. Nobody could figure it out. This patient even went to see the neurologist but it turns out she had undiagnosed celiac disease. I knew there had to be a reason/cause of her issues. When I checked her blood work her vitamin B12 and vitamin D were extremely low. This prompted me to run further tests and low and behold, we now had a reason/cause for her headaches.
I know when I was growing up I think I knew 1 kid that had a peanut allergy. Now it seems like almost everybody has some sort of food allergy or food intolerance. How about cancer? Do you know someone that has had cancer? My stars, seems like every month I hear of another friend that has come down with cancer. Young, old, and everywhere in between we are being bombarded with friends, family and acquaintances that have some sort of immune dysregulation. And it seems to only be accelerating. In my neighborhood alone, I know of 5 people that have had cancer, me included.
What does it mean to “Eat Clean”
Most of what we in the American diet is not real food. If you are opening a box, can, package, etc there is so much “stuff” in our food. Fillers like corn starch, corn syrup, sugar, artificial colors, “natural seasonings”, soy, wheat, and so many chemicals we can’t even pronounce. All of these act as foreign to the human body. We no longer go to our back yard to harvest our own vegetables, kill our own animals to eat, etc etc. We are at the mercy of the American supermarket. Even “natural” and seemingly healthy foods, might not be that healthy for you. Did you know that “organic” vegetables from Mexico are held to a different standard that “American” organic foods. So for example, lettuce from Mexico that is labeled as organic might have all sorts of foreign chemicals on it (pesticides, herbicides, etc, animal feces). American “organic” food is held to the highest standard and truly is free of chemicals. So just buying even “organic” has gotten complicated. In general, you want to keep your presence at the super market to the outside edge of the store- that means the fruit, vegetable, meat sections. You want to avoid the frozen food, chip, cracker isles as most of these items are really not the type of “food” that your body really needs. Check out the EWG Dirty Dozen as a place to start if you want to try and clean up what you put into your bodies.
What about supplements?
The supplement market in the USA is a billion dollar industry. It is a money-making scheme for the most part (think BIG PHARMA). We consume more supplements than anywhere else in the world. Most of the supplements we buy over the counter do not even contain what the label says is in it. Most have corn, wheat, random “natural” fillers, and very little of the actual ingredient we were hoping for. Watch the PBS special called ***. It will blow you away. Instead opt for what we call Neutraceticals. These are prescription quality/strength supplements that guarantee quality and ingredients. Do they cost more? Yes, of course, but just think, you won’t need to buy as many and will actually get what you are hoping to from the supplement.
What can we do to prevent/get over autoimmune issues?
Each and everyone of us as such a great ability to change the trajectory of our health. We can work on 1) stress reductions (at minimum of 5 minutes of prayer, meditation, relaxation each day), 2) move (walk, ski, hike, take the stairs instead of the elevator, get a stand up desk at work, ride a bike, swim, do some pilates, etc) 3) watch EVERYTHING we put into our bodies. Each time you eat, swallow, injection anything into our bodies we need to ask if this is something that helps provide nutrition, restore health, prevent disease etc. We need to be more mindful of what we are eating or any medications/supplements we are taking.
Where do you start?
Check out EWG- Dirty Dozen as a place to evaluate your food. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
Get in touch with a functional medicine provider. These are people that have very specific training to help look at the bigger picture and get to the root cause of your health issues.
Check out what the Institute of Functional Medicine says about this type of medical care/practice- https://www.ifm.org/functional-medicine.mmThey have a special focus as well on disease prevention and also getting to the root cause of things.
We at Jenny Lake Functional Wellness would be happy to partner with you to focus on health, wellness, and getting you feeling fantastic again.
References
Chu K-A, Ou T-Y, Hung W-H, Sung J, Chen W, Lin C-L, Hung Y-M and Wei JC-C (2022). Mycoplasma pneumonia infection is associated with and increased right of system lupus erythematosus: A nationwide retrospective cohort study. Front. Microbal. 13:815136. Doi: 10.3889/fmicb.2022.815136
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