Are Autoimmune diseases becoming more common these days?

[aussie mum]

My family have been traveling to the same camping spot on the coast for nearly 20yrs. Over the years we have made some great friends and we've enjoyed watching all our kids grow up.

We come from many different places on the East Coast of Australia and I am amazed how many people in a group of 10 families have some sort of autoimmune disease.

We have 2 people from different families with Lupus (aged 49 & 21), 1 with SJS (my daughter 22), another 2 from different families with type 1 Diabetes (23 & 21), another with type 2 Diabetes (is that autoimmune? 49) and 3 with Thyroid issues.

I wonder if there is something in these modern times that causes the AI issues, is it that the medical profession are better at diagnosing illnesses or could it be just a bizarre co-incidence ?

[Joe S.]

Type 2 is not considered AI. There are a number of things credited with the up surge in AI that I have heard of.

Some have decided that there is a link to Radio frequency pollution.

Nexus magazine from Australia a couple of years ago reported on it as biological warfare that was being tested on citizens by their own governments. (The issue was banned in the USA after it was released) The article was detail with the development starting in Japanese POW camps, migrating to China, then to the USA in 1963 and to the rest of the free world from their. They also spoke to needing two nano bacteria to get one AI. One additional nano bacteria would give you another AI.

[slccom]

I believe that they are at least being more commonly diagnosed these days. People don't just live with aches and pains like they used to, but ask for help.

Personally, I think it is linked to more vaccinations (which unequivocally save lives, and are greatly instrumental in extending our lives and quality of life) and many more occult infections that insurance companies choose not to try to identify because then they might have to treat them. Research grants to characterize these organisms are not available, so there is little research going on. ("Occult" in this case means not causing obvious symptoms, like fever and other standard symptoms.)

Apparently, it doesn't occur to the insurance companies that if they treated the underlying disease causing the symptoms, it might be cheaper....

[irish]

I think that there are a myriad of issues involved with autoimmune diseases. First of all there is the increase in the use of chemicals to grow foods. Many of these chemicals contain products that affect our body and in many way. Some of the chemicals contain chemicals that cause an allergic response to occur in our body.

All the antibiotics have clamped down on our bodies ability to produce the cells that will kill off the bacteria. The handwashing liquids all over the place have a chemical in them that cause a response by the autoimmune system.

Walk into Menards and walk down the aisles. Look at all the products that contain chemicals that are harmful to us. Many of them are necessary but a whole lot of them weren't around 30 years ago and we still managed to live our life.

The more chemicals we place in our bodies the more our autoimmune/immune and allergic responses are interfered with. Sometimes I think it is a wonder that we are all still alive. I feel better when I am in my own home and sometimes I use a chemical to clean the toilet, etc., and know that my body is responding to it negatively.

I find that being in traffic in large cities, blocked freeways, just about kills me. The fumes from those pollution devices on the cars are killers. They put out sulfur dioxide. I have read that in New York City on certain days the sulfur dioxide combines with the moist air and forms sulfuric acid that causes the womens nylons to have little holes eaten in them.

All I know is that the world is becoming sicker from all the chemicals and the autoimmune diseases are on the increase. Also, be aware that we live longer and people are getting diagnosed early. Believe it or not.!!!! Irish

[Nancy60]

I read somewhere (I forget where) that researchers feel the increase (they confirm there has been significant increases in autoimmune diseases) is due in part due to increased recognition/diagnosis, but also feel there are environmental/lifestyle factors and possibly other factors not yet identified.  I have wondered if the whole greenhouse effect and environmental warming is allowing more UV light and all of it's impact.  There are no doubt many factors contributing to this.


Nancy