The Naturopathic Co.
You're using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.
If you live with an autoimmune condition, you’ve probably noticed that flares don’t happen randomly. For many people, symptoms become noticeably worse during periods of high stress, poor sleep or emotional overwhelm.
This connection between the nervous system and immune function is well recognised, and understanding it can be an important part of managing an autoimmune condition alongside appropriate medical care.
The nervous system and immune system are in constant communication. Chronic stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to sustained changes in cortisol and other stress-related signalling molecules.
In the short term, cortisol has an anti-inflammatory, immune-dampening effect. However, with chronic or repeated stress, immune cells can become less responsive to cortisol’s regulatory signal – a phenomenon sometimes referred to as glucocorticoid resistance. This can result in a paradoxical increase in inflammatory activity, which is particularly relevant for autoimmune conditions.
Many people with autoimmune conditions describe a clear pattern: a stressful few weeks, followed by a flare in symptoms — joint pain, skin flare-ups, digestive symptoms, fatigue or other markers of inflammation.
This isn’t “in your head.” Chronic nervous-system activation can influence:
Each of these can, in turn, influence autoimmune activity.
A significant portion of the immune system is located within the gastrointestinal tract, and gut health plays a meaningful role in immune regulation.
Conditions such as increased intestinal permeability (sometimes called leaky gut) have been studied in relation to several autoimmune conditions, on the basis that a compromised gut barrier may allow greater immune exposure to bacterial and dietary components, potentially contributing to immune dysregulation.
This is part of why gut health and the gut-brain axis are relevant even for autoimmune conditions that don’t primarily affect the digestive system. Digestive symptoms such as bloating, constipation or food reactions are also worth investigating in their own right – some autoimmune conditions, such as coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, directly involve the gut.
The vagus nerve is involved in what’s sometimes called the “inflammatory reflex” – a pathway through which the parasympathetic nervous system can help modulate inflammatory activity.
When someone is chronically stressed and the sympathetic nervous system dominates, this regulatory brake on inflammation may be less effective, which is one proposed mechanism linking chronic stress to worsening autoimmune symptoms.
Poor sleep and chronic stress frequently occur together, and both independently affect immune regulation.
Sleep disruption has been associated with increased inflammatory markers, and for someone already managing an autoimmune condition, this can compound existing symptoms. Read more about our approach to sleep problems and insomnia.
Autoimmune and inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis are particularly well documented as being sensitive to stress, with many people reporting new flares or worsening symptoms during stressful periods. Read more about the broader gut-skin connection.
Fatigue is one of the most common and disruptive symptoms across autoimmune conditions, and it can be difficult to separate disease-related fatigue from the fatigue of chronic nervous-system activation and poor sleep.
Read more about our approach to fatigue and low energy, including adrenal fatigue, which can compound the exhaustion many autoimmune patients already experience. Chronic stress can also contribute to weight changes via the same cortisol pathway – read more about stress, cortisol and weight gain and stress and hormonal imbalance.
Naturopathic support for stress-related autoimmune flares is never a replacement for appropriate medical management, but may complement it by addressing:
Depending on your history, we may also discuss functional testing, including gut microbiome testing, to better understand what may be contributing to your flares.
At The Naturopathic Co., we work alongside your medical team to help identify and address factors – including stress, sleep, gut health and nervous-system regulation — that may be contributing to autoimmune flares. Read more about our broader approach to autoimmunity.
We offer consultations from our South Yarra, Melbourne clinic, as well as online naturopath consultations Australia-wide, including Sydney.
If your flares consistently follow stressful periods, addressing the nervous system alongside your existing treatment may be a valuable next step.
Book a consultation with The Naturopathic Co. to start investigating what may be contributing to your symptoms.
With 180+ verified five-star Google reviews, our naturopaths and nutritionists offer comprehensive 60-minute initial consultations, in person in South Yarra, Melbourne, or via telehealth across Australia. Book your consultation with The Naturopathic Co. today.
