How is autoimmune disease treated in Western medicine?
Now you can appreciate why Western medicine has such a difficult time treating autoimmune disease. It is a delicate balance to try to block the immune system just enough to prevent it from attacking its own body. At the same time, to allow it to function well enough to be able to recognize and eliminate potential cancer cells and pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria.
Western medicine attempts to balance the immune system by using immunosuppressants. This is a group of medication that suppresses or blocks the function of the immune system.
A very serious side effect of this medication is a poor immune response. For example, a person taking immunosuppressants can get very sick from the seasonal flu because their immune system is blocked by medication.
Therefore, immunosuppressants should be a last resort medication.
How is vasculitis diagnosed?
Most commonly, vasculitis is diagnosed by a Western medicine doctor. Typically, a patient will go see their medical doctor when they are having some symptoms. Sometimes a patient will not have any symptoms but get diagnosed with vasculitis based on test results.
Some diagnostic tests that are used are inflammatory markers such as ESR, CRP and WBC. Imaging methods such as MRI scans can be used as well.
At YATAN Holistic Ayurvedic Centre, we take these test results into account. However, we treat according to the principles of Ayurveda.