If you’ve been living with multiple sclerosis, you might have noticed that you don’t feel as sharp as usual. Maybe you’re having trouble remembering information or concentrating on certain tasks. You may even feel like your brain is constantly in a fog. If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Although many of the …
There are over 100 autoimmune conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, but experts still aren’t sure what causes them. Autoimmune conditions occur when your immune system mistakenly attacks the body instead of protecting it. Certain factors increase your risk of getting an autoimmune condition, such as smoking or having a family member with an …
What is the Impact of Obesity on Autoimmune Conditions? Read More »
If you’ve been living with rheumatoid arthritis, you know that the symptoms can be unpredictable. You may feel good one day and have a flare-up the next. It’s not possible to eliminate RA symptoms, but several treatment options are available that can help you manage them. The first line of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis …
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune condition that impacts the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. It affects nearly one million people in the United States and more than 2.3 million people worldwide. MS is a progressive disease, meaning it can get worse over time without treatment. However, treatment can’t always slow the progression of the disease. There are four types of multiple sclerosis: clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting MS, primary progressive MS, and secondary …
4 Types of Multiple Sclerosis (Plus Two You Didn’t Know About) Read More »
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis, affecting 1.3 million adults in the United States. It’s an autoimmune disease, meaning the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body instead of protecting them. A healthy immune system protects against germs and sends fighter cells to attack them. But with autoimmune diseases, the immune system treats normal cells like foreign cells and releases autoantibodies that attack healthy cells. Autoantibodies are …
Although there is currently no cure for multiple sclerosis, there are several medications that can help improve the quality of life for MS patients. Medications can help ease symptoms, keep the disease from progressing, and reduce the frequency of a relapse. Medications for multiple sclerosis include pills, injections, or infusions. Finding the right medication to …
As the seasons change, you may notice your Parkinson’s disease symptoms getting worse. You may be more sensitive to temperature, experience more fatigue, and movement may become slower. Though it’s not often talked about, extreme changes in weather can exacerbate symptoms. Many patients with Parkinson’s disease report greater stiffness and pain during the winter months, along with more freezing …
Everything You Need to Know About the Weather and Parkinson’s Disease Read More »
Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is more than joint pain. It’s a chronic pain, accompanied by many other symptoms, that often gets worse over time. Symptoms can come at inconvenient times without any warning which makes them difficult to manage. But what people think RA feels like and what it actually feels like are often two different things. How does rheumatoid arthritis really feel? Rheumatoid arthritis isn’t “just” arthritis. When you have RA, it affects your body or one part of …
What Does Rheumatoid Arthritis Really Feel Like? Read More »
As the weather gets colder and days become shorter, you may notice you have less energy, feel a little less optimistic and spend more time alone. While this may not be a cause for concern, about 5% of the U.S population experience seasonal depression during the fall and winter months. Seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a subtype of depression that begins and ends around the same time every …
If you’re living with multiple sclerosis, you probably have a lot of questions about your diagnosis. You might be wondering how you developed the disease and what your outlook is. While the course of the disease will vary from person to person, an exact cause has yet to be identified. Scientists have found that a combination of factors often causes multiple …
