Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a term encompassing two conditions: Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis. Both involve chronic inflammation of the GI tract. The immune system is heavily involved in IBD. Both Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis are considered autoimmune conditions. The infographic below has been sourced from Crohn's & Colitis UK. Primary Conventional Medical Treatments for IBD may include: Anti-inflammatory medications Immune medications (E.g. Biologics or TNF-al

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition involving chronic inflammation of the joints (Araki et al 2016). Symptoms of RA include: joint stiffness particularly worse in the morning, joint inflammation (red & hot & swollen joints) leading to severe joint pain and fatigue. We know that genetics may or may not play a role in autoimmune disease. RA may require biologic medications such as DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs) to help modulate inflammation, re

What is autoimmune disease? An autoimmune disease is defined as a condition in which the immune system acts as though it's own healthy cells are foreign. In other words, the immune system is acts on itself. Although autoimmune conditions may have genetic tendency, they may also be acquired over one’s lifetime through epigenetic factors. An endless number of autoimmune conditions have been identified; some more common than others and some with medical treatment options and som