Autoimmune Diseases Articles

Living & Wellbeing

Adolescents with Alopecia Areata: What Caregivers Should Know

A lot of kids just want to fit in.1 But for too many, hair loss makes them stand out. For the one in 1,000 children and teens diagnosed with alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the hair follicles, hair loss can create practical challenges.2,3Youth with AA might feel too self-conscious for selfies, refuse to go out without a hat, or decline invitations to swimming parties or sports leagues for fear their wigs will fall off. In a 2017 study of 69...

Science & Innovation

Can You Inherit Rheumatoid Arthritis? Genetic vs Hereditary

Inflammation that leads to pain, swelling, stiffness, fatigue, and loss of joint function, are a fact of life for more than one million people in the United States who live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).1 The chronic autoimmune disease causes the immune system to attack the healthy tissues surrounding the joints; it mainly affects the wrists, hands and knees (and often attacks numerous joints at once).2Is rheumatoid arthritis genetic? In addition to risk factors such as age, sex, smoking and...

An Immune System “GPS” Uncovers Pathways to Treat Diseases

When it comes to understanding the immune system, we’re in the age of a data “traffic jam.” Thanks to advances in gene sequencing technology and decades of research, we’ve amassed a huge trove of information, but utilizing it to drive new insights can be challenging. A collaboration with Israel-based startup CytoReason is allowing Pfizer scientists to harness computational technology that functions as a “GPS” for the immune system. The tools help to unpack these complex data sets so they can...

Parenting with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Being a parent can be challenging for anyone, but it may be even more so for people living with a chronic (lost-lasting) condition such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Trying to keep up with all of a newborn’s needs—feedings, lifting and carrying, changing diapers, and bathing (coupled with a general lack of sleep)—may be even more difficult when you’re dealing with a chronic disease, let alone an RA flare.As your child grows, he or she will likely want to involve you in even more physically...

Is it Sore Joints—or RA?

We often think of arthritis as general joint pain or loss of mobility that comes along as we get older. Arthritis is an umbrella term for more than 100 different diseases and can impact young people as well as old. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common types. Read on to learn more. What is RA? RA is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease that can be painful and disabling. An estimated 1.5 million people in the United States have RA, and nearly three times as many women as men...

Is It Rheumatoid Arthritis? Ask a Rheumatologist

A Personal Take on Living with RA

A young woman with a busy life, Jamie Navarette, has an advanced college degree and a full-time job and spends a lot of her free time serving as a health advocate and educator. Jamie also has rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a painful and disabling disease that affects the joints with pain, swelling and stiffness.A Body’s BetrayalDays before her senior prom, when she was just 18, Jamie experienced flu-like symptoms and achiness. She also noticed swelling and tenderness in her fingers on one hand...

Lupus and Pregnancy: What You Need to Know

There was a time when women were told that pregnancy was impossible if they had lupus. While all lupus pregnancies are still considered high risk, advances in medical technology and in our understanding of the disease have made it possible for women with lupus to have successful pregnancies. But there are a few things to keep in mind. Remember, lupus is an autoimmune disease. When a person has an autoimmune disease, his or her body’s immune system can’t tell the difference between harmful...

Facts About Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a type of chronic inflammatory arthritis that can occur in about 3 of every 10 people who have psoriasis. It may cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in a person’s joints as well as skin symptoms. The underlying inflammation involved in PsA can affect the entire body. Without treatment, PsA may cause permanent joint and tissue damage. PsA is an autoimmune disease. Normally, our body’s immune system protects us from harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. But...

Low Back Pain and What You Can Do About It

If there’s one medical condition that many of us might have in common, it’s low back pain. Here are some facts that highlight just how widespread low back pain is: It affects 8 out of every 10 adults at some point in their life. It affects men and women equally. In 2010, it caused more disability globally than any other medical condition. It is the most common cause of job-related disability and one of the main reasons why people miss days of work. In 2013, nearly 3 out of every 10 adults...

Family Planning for Women With a Chronic Illness

If you’re among the growing number of women with a chronic illness who want to start a family, you may be worried about how your condition may impact your pregnancy, your baby, and your health. It’s normal to ask yourself questions such as: Will my baby be okay? What will happen to me if my healthcare provider needs to adjust or even stop some of my medicines? Am I strong enough physically to raise a baby? Whether you have a gastrointestinal condition, diabetes, arthritis, or one of a number of...

The Facts About Osteoarthritis

Often called "wear and tear" arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in the U.S. It is caused by aging and wear and tear on a joint, resulting in the breakdown of cartilage in your joints. Cartilage is slippery tissue between the ends of the bones in a joint. It absorbs the shock of movement by preventing the bones from rubbing together. But as the cartilage breaks down, the bones begin to rub against each other. Over time, this can cause permanent damage to the...