March is Autoimmune Awareness Month! While a person’s immune system ordinarily guards against viruses and bacteria, people with autoimmune diseases have immune systems that mistakenly attack healthy body tissue and cells. Examples of autoimmune diseases include: rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), and more. Many of the moms in our Mamas Facing Forward private Facebook group are living with autoimmune diseases.
Here are some facts about autoimmune disease from the Autoimmune Association:
- Approximately 50 million Americans are living with autoimmune disease.
- There are more than 100 known autoimmune diseases
- 80% of people living with autoimmune diseases are female.
- 25% of people living with autoimmune disease have multiple diagnoses, and certain diseases tend to cluster with others.
Learn more about autoimmunity here!
