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Help make a difference in the lives of those with autoimmune disease.

What is Autoimmune Disease?
- AUTOIMMUNE VS AUTOINFLAMMATORY DISEASE
  
  A Comparative Look
  
  Autoimmune disease (AD) and autoinflammatory disease (AIF) are two categories of illnesses that occur when the immune system mistakenly damages healthy cells. Although these inflammatory disorders share many commonalities, there are key features that make them unique.
  Read Our Article
  Autoimmune diseases (AD) occur when the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells. There are 80-100 known autoimmune diseases and counting, affecting more than 14 million Americans.
  AUTOIMMUNE VS AUTOINFLAMMATORY DISEASE
  
  A Comparative Look
  
  Autoimmune disease (AD) and autoinflammatory disease (AIF) are two categories of illnesses that occur when the immune system mistakenly damages healthy cells. Although these inflammatory disorders share many commonalities, there are key features that make them unique.
  
  Read Our Article
Resources & Support
- FREE RESOURCE
  
  Find Hope in Your Health Journey
  
  The Autoimmune & Chronic Illness Toolkit includes journal templates, resource lists, guidance for doctor appointments, tips on communication, and many more tools to support and empower you throughout your experience.
  Get Our Guide
  Browse our resource lists and information via the links below.
  FREE RESOURCE
  
  Find Hope in Your Health Journey
  
  The Autoimmune & Chronic Illness Toolkit includes journal templates, resource lists, guidance for doctor appointments, tips on communication, and many more tools to support and empower you throughout your experience.
  
  Get Our Guide
Education & Research
- HIGHLIGHTED PARTNERSHIP
  
  An audio series hosted by the Celiac Program at Children’s National Hospital, in partnership with GAI
  
  Each episode has a featured hot topic in celiac disease including an interview with an expert, a nutritional discussion, and an update on news stories relating to the gluten-free community.
  View Gluten-Free Radio Podcast
  We support autoimmune disease education and research by funding grants for scientific investigations, holding live talks with experts, and partnering with the Celiac Disease Program to create educational resources.
  HIGHLIGHTED PARTNERSHIP
  
  An audio series hosted by the Celiac Program at Children’s National Hospital, in partnership with GAI
  
  Each episode has a featured hot topic in celiac disease including an interview with an expert, a nutritional discussion, and an update on news stories relating to the gluten-free community.
  
  View Gluten-Free Radio Podcast
About Us
- SPREADING AWARENESS
  
  We were proud to sponsor Nature Magazine’s July 2021 Outlook on Autoimmune Disease
  
  Learn more about GAI's work, autoimmune risk factors, research advances, and more!
  Read Our Feature
  The Global Autoimmune Institute is empowering solutions in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune disease (AD) through research, education, and community, while supporting multidisciplinary approaches to wellness.
  SPREADING AWARENESS
  
  We were proud to sponsor Nature Magazine’s July 2021 Outlook on Autoimmune Disease
  
  Learn more about GAI’s work, autoimmune risk factors, research advances, and more!
  
  Read Our Feature
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A pathologist weighs in

Is Long COVID a New Autoimmune Disease?

Hopeful to find more clues about the mechanisms of Long COVID, some experts are turning to autoimmunity to help piece together the underlying causes.

Read Here

What You Need to Know

COVID News & Research Updates

Check out our ongoing timeline summarizing key COVID-19 scientific developments, especially as it pertains to autoimmune disease.

Read More

FREE RESOURCE

Download Our Toolkit!

Whether you have a diagnosis or are still seeking answers about unexplained symptoms, dealing with chronic health issues can be an enormous challenge. It is hard to know where to start, or where to go when you feel stuck. The Autoimmune & Chronic Illness Toolkit is here to help!

Get the Guide

Hannah’s Story: Celebrating Progress While Battling Crohn’s Disease

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are Committed to Enhancing NIH Research on Autoimmune Disease

Global Perspectives on Long COVID: Insights from South Africa, Pakistan, and the UK

Find the Resources You Need

Explore our growing lists of related organizations, medical institutions, books, blogs, podcasts, and more on autoimmune disease. Head to our resources page or use the links below to help locate the resources and information you need.

A-Z Disease List

Browse our extensive list of verified and suspected autoimmune diseases.

COVID-19 Information

An overview of COVID-19 news as it relates to autoimmune disease.

Read Our Articles

Peruse GAI's library of articles.

Download Our Free Guide

Journal templates, resource lists, guidance for appointments, communication tips, and more.

U.S. Medical Institutions

Find institutions that specialize in various autoimmune diseases.

Books We Love

A list of books we love and essential reading for better understanding autoimmune disease.

Connect With Us

Follow on Instagram

#AutoimmuneStory spotlight 💡⁣ ⠀⁣ Meet Ash

#AutoimmuneStory spotlight 💡⁣
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Meet Ashley! 💙⁣
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Chronic illness can change your life in the blink of an eye. That’s what happened to Ashley, who was enjoying a carefree vacation when she began to suffer numbness and blackouts out of nowhere. After a complicated and frightening journey, she was finally diagnosed with primary Raynaud’s disease. ⁣
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While battling the physical and emotional effects of her illness, Ashley began looking for ways to turn things around. In her autoimmune story, Ashley reflects on her struggles, her growth, and how she is now giving back to the Raynaud’s community.⁣
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Tap the link in bio to read Ashley’s story!⁣
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Want to tell us your story? Send us a DM!⁣
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#autoimmunedisease #autoimmuneawareness #chronicillnessawareness #chronicpain #raynauds #spooniesunite #spooniecommunity #ChronicIllnessCommunity #ChronicIllnessWarriors #InvisibleIllnessAwareness

Autoimmune story spotlight: ⠀ Meet Morgan! 💖

Autoimmune story spotlight:
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Meet Morgan! 💖 mightymorganl
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The ups and downs of chronic illness life can be staggering. Morgan has experienced many of these extremes while battling Crohn’s disease- then she was diagnosed with two more diseases.
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When you have multiple chronic illnesses, a new diagnosis often brings new waves of frustration, fear, and grief.
Through overwhelming struggles, Morgan was eventually able to achieve one of her greatest dreams. Now, she wants to remind others that it gets better 💝
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In this update to her first autoimmune story, Morgan shares the latest developments in her life and health journey. Tap the link in bio to read it! 💙
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Want others to hear your autoimmune story? Send us a DM to be featured on our website!

July is Graves’ Disease Awareness Month! 💙
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Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland that is located in the neck. Graves’ causes the thyroid to produce and release excessive amounts of thyroid hormones (this condition is known as hyperthyroidism).
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Symptoms vary between individuals and can include weight loss, muscle weakness, hand tremors, and rapid heartbeat. Additionally, eye and skin conditions can occur. Like other autoimmune diseases, the causes of Graves’ disease are unknown. Rarely, Graves’ disease can lead to heart disease and osteoporosis.
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Graves’ disease is usually diagnosed by physical exam and testing for thyroid hormone levels. Due to its range of possible symptoms, diagnosis is often delayed.
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There is no cure for Graves’ disease. In many cases, the most effective treatment is antithyroid medication to moderate the production of thyroid hormones. In other cases, treatment with radioactive iodine or surgery will be necessary.
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Graves’ is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, and it can impact anyone at any age.
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How are you raising awareness this month? Let us know!👇🏽💬💕

Autoimmune disease spotlight 💡 ⠀ Meet Daanya!

Autoimmune disease spotlight 💡
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Meet Daanya! 💖
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Daanya is a University student and Crohn’s Disease advocate who lives in Malaysia. As a newly diagnosed patient, she felt alone in her community, where inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is considered taboo. Fed up with the silence and stigma around her illness, Daanya turned to social media.
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Daanya found solace in the online chronic illness community. Now, she is determined to help others and fight back against the stigma of IBD 💜
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In her autoimmune story, Daanya opens up about the many ways that Crohn’s has impacted her life and her future plans. Tap the link in bio to read Daanya’s autoimmune story!
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#crohns #crohnsdisease #ibd #ibdawareness #crohnsawareness #autoimmunedisease #chronicillnessadvocate #spooniesunite
Send us a message if you’d like us to feature your story 💙

Our next virtual support group meeting is Saturday

Our next virtual support group meeting is Saturday, July 30th at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Join us on Zoom to meet others living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness 🤝💙
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Hosted by Jessica Ulmer (dr.ulmer), this support group is a space to chat about anything from symptom management and doctor appointments to relationships and nutrition. Share, learn, and connect with others who are in the same boat, and know that you are not in this alone!
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Tap the link in bio to learn more about the Autoimmune Aware Support Group and to RSVP for our upcoming gathering.
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See you there! 💻💕
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#supportgroup #autoimmuneawareness #autoimmunedisease #chronicillness #spooniecommunity #spooniesunite

What NOT to say to someone with a chronic illness

What NOT to say to someone with a chronic illness 🚫🚫🚫

People with chronic and invisible diseases deserve validation, respect, and understanding. A person’s appearance doesn’t tell the full story of how they’re doing or what they’re actually going through. It’s not possible to measure someone’s health just by looking at them.
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Don’t invalidate someone with a chronic illness. Instead, ask how you can support them, or simply thank them for sharing their story with you.
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How many of these invalidating statements have you heard? How do you wish people would respond when you tell them about your illness? Let us know 👇🏽💬💙

#chronicillnessawareness #autoimmuneawareness #invisibleillness #invisibledisability #butyoudontlooksick #spooniecommunity #autoimmunedisease #autoimmunediseases

July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month! 💙
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Juvenile arthritis (JA) describes a group of inflammatory and rheumatic diseases that develop in people under the age of 16.
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In the U.S. alone, there are as many as 300,000 kids and teens who live with a form of JA. Symptoms include joint pain, fever, fatigue, and many more.
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While arthritis is known to affect the joints, JA can also impact various other body parts, including the skin, eyes, and internal organs. There is no known cure for RA, but treatments may include medication, psychical activity, complimentary therapies, and healthy lifestyle habits.
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🗣 July is a fantastic time to raise awareness and to show your support for JA fighters! 💙

#arthritis #juvenilearthritis #arthritisawareness #autoimmunediseases #autoimmuneawareness #invisibleillness #chronicillnessawareness

This week we had the opportunity to check out bost

This week we had the opportunity to check out bostonchildrens for a closer look at their celiac disease program.
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The clinic brings together experts from multiple disciplines: gastroenterologists, researchers, nutritionists, social workers, patients, and more- to help tackle the medical, social, and emotional aspects of living with celiac.
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In addition to medical care, many celiac patients require: nutritional support, gluten-free education for patients and family members, peer support, advocacy, and mental health resources. The program’s multidisciplinary approach allows for more individualized treatment, and it helps to close the gaps in patient support. In the lab, researchers seek to learn more about celiac and related diseases.
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Boston Children’s also operates a food pantry that provides gluten-free foods to celiac households 💚
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Has having a healthcare team with multiple specialists helped you in your health journey? Let us know! 👇🏽💬💙

#childrenshospital #celiac #celiacdisease #glutenfreelife #autoimmunedisease #autoimmuneawareness #chronicillnessawareness

🖤💙💛🤍❤️💚🖤 ⠀ July is Disabil

🖤💙💛🤍❤️💚🖤
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July is Disability Pride Month!
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According to who, more than 15% of the world’s population lives with a disability.
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For many people, disability is more than a diagnosis- disability shapes their life experiences and is therefore an essential part of their identity.
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Disability Pride Month is a powerful time to celebrate the stories and voices of disabled people. It is also an important moment to highlight the struggles that the community faces through ableism, inaccessibility, and lack of representation.
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Conversations about disability are important. Disabled experiences and identities are complex, unique, and infinitely valuable.
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As activists continue to fight for equitable treatment, Disability Pride Month is a wonderful time to uplift and support the disability community 💙
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What does Disability Pride mean to you? Let us know!👇🏽💬💕
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[ID: A light background with white, red, yellow, and green sparkles. An illustration of a person in a wheelchair holds the 2021 version of the disability pride flag, a black flag with green, red, white, yellow, and blue stripes. Another illustrated character, in a pink sweater and blue pants, is smiling and waving. Another character is wearing a white shirt and yellow pants and is smiling. Below the characters, there is a blue box with white text that says “Disability Pride Month”]

Join Our Support Group

Saturday, August 27th @ 10am PT

Autoimmune Aware is a dynamic support group initiative focused on creating an inclusive space for the autoimmune disease and chronic illness community.

Join Support Group

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