Connected Rheumatology

You trusted home for autoimmune information

General Rheumatology

Autoimmune Health and Your Diet

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Managing an autoimmune condition can be challenging, and one of the most common questions asked is, “What should I be eating?” It’s a great question, and one that shows you’re ready to take charge of your health. Let’s dive into how your diet can make a big difference when you’re living with an autoimmune disease.

The Role of Diet in Autoimmune Disease

When you’re dealing with an autoimmune disease, your immune system is on overdrive, causing inflammation throughout your body. Inflammation is a natural body response but becomes overdramatic and inappropriate in autoimmune disease, leading to a range of uncomfortable symptoms. That’s where diet comes in.

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Seronegative Autoimmune Disease and Abnormal Test Results

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Today is a question grab bag – we tackle your questions about seronegative disease and handling abnormal autoantibody results.

What is a Sero-Negative Autoimmune Disease?

First off, let’s talk about what “sero-negative” means. “Sero-” refers to blood, and “negative” means that when we run auto-antibody blood tests, they come back negative. So, a sero-negative autoimmune disease is one where these specific blood tests don’t pick up the antibodies we typically look for.

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Understanding Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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“Remission” is a word often thrown around in arthritis and autoimmune circles and can often be misconstrued as “cure.” So let’s start with what we mean when we say “remission” in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Remission isn’t just about feeling better—it’s about achieving a state where there are no visible signs or symptoms of RA, minimal joint inflammation, and low levels of inflammation markers in the blood. It’s what every rheumatologist and RA warrior strive for when making decisions about treatment.

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Filing Disability with an Autoimmune Disease

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Getting an autoimmune diagnosis is life-changing in almost every way. Your future can go from looking clear and bright to fuzzy and dark. Not only do patients have to navigate new symptoms, frequent doctor’s visits and test but they also have to figure out if and how they will continue to work. Deciding to apply for disability is never an easy decision and the process doesn’t help!

When to Consider Disability

Most of the time, the question of disability comes up when people are first diagnosed with an autoimmune disease like RA or Lupus. When you’re first diagnosed, you’re often feeling quite ill because you’re not yet on any treatment. Things can get clearer once you know what you’re dealing with and have a treatment plan, but very few treatments work overnight as it can take months for inflammation to calm down. 

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How to tell if the autoimmune info on the internet is right

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Navigating the world of autoimmune diseases and rheumatology can be tricky, especially with the abundance of information available online. How do you know what’s trustworthy and what’s not? Here are some key tips to help you distinguish reliable sources from the rest.

Verify Provider Qualifications

In today’s digital age, you can easily search for healthcare providers online. But how do you ensure they have the right credentials? The term “doctor” can mean many things, and not all doctors are medical physicians. You might come across chiropractors, naturopaths, or PhDs who use the title “doctor.”

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