How do we recover from illness when our immune system works against us? Autoimmune conditions contribute to disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, heart disease, and some types of cancer. Autoimmune health problems are rapidly on the rise, especially among young people ages 12 to 19.

Ongoing studies attempt to track the rise of autoimmune conditions and examine possible underlying causes. Genetics, environmental factors such as pollutants and toxins, and lifestyle issues such as diet, sleep, stress, and lack of physical activity are all considered.

Inflammation is a helpful response that the immune system initiates when it recognizes something as a potential threat, such as a small cut on a finger. Properly working, our immune response turns on its protective measures when needed and turns off when not.

An inflammatory disorder is different from a normal immune response. When our immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissue, we........

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