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What Is Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria??
Read More: What Is Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria??+ Flipbook text Hives are red, itchy raised welts or patches on the skin. The medical term for hives is urticaria. What is chronic spontaneous urticaria? Chronic = Lasts for longer than 6 weeks Spontaneous = Happens on its own, without an obvious trigger Urticaria = Hives Why do hives happen? Cells in your body…
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I Had a Stroke at Birth and Spent Years Trying to Hide My Cerebral Palsy. Sharing on Social Media Helped Set Me Free.
Read More: I Had a Stroke at Birth and Spent Years Trying to Hide My Cerebral Palsy. Sharing on Social Media Helped Set Me Free.July is Disability Pride Month. As told to Jacquelyne Froeber I was born breech — feet first — on December 3, 1993. Of course, I don’t remember anything from that day. I don’t remember when the healthcare providers tried to turn me during delivery or when things escalated and I was delivered using forceps. I…
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What Is Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU)?
Read More: What Is Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU)?+ Infographic text Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is the medical term for hives that: Have no known cause Last a long time Chronic = Lasts for 6 weeks or longer Spontaneous = No obvious cause or trigger Urticaria = Red and itchy raised welts or patches on the skin (hives) What causes CSU? When your…
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Conversación clínica: Preguntas y respuestas sobre la esofagitis eosinofílica (EEo)
Read More: Conversación clínica: Preguntas y respuestas sobre la esofagitis eosinofílica (EEo)English Junio es el Mes de Concientización de la Disfagia. La esofagitis eosinofílica (EEo) es un trastorno que causa una inflamación crónica del esófago. Esta inflamación produce síntomas tales como dificultad para tragar, dolor de pecho e impactación alimentaria (cuando comida se atora en el esófago). Si bien no hay una cura para la EEo,…
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More than Just Skin Deep: The Impacts of Living with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria
Read More: More than Just Skin Deep: The Impacts of Living with Chronic Spontaneous UrticariaChronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) are kind of like your least favorite aunt. They show up unannounced and stay well past their welcome. These red, itchy welts have no obvious cause and last for 6 weeks or longer. And the effects of the continuous itching caused by CSU go far beyond just your skin. Living with…
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Like an Itch That Couldn’t Be Scratched, My Hives Kept Coming Back
Read More: Like an Itch That Couldn’t Be Scratched, My Hives Kept Coming BackAs told to Erica Rimlinger The hives first appeared when I was in my early 20s, following a trip to the laundromat. Putting on my newly clean clothes, a rash perfectly outlining the shape of my bra and underwear formed. Shocked and incredibly itchy, I called my mom, who guessed I used too much detergent…
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Clinically Speaking: Questions and Answers about Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)
Read More: Clinically Speaking: Questions and Answers about Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)June is Dysphagia Awareness Month. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a condition that causes chronic inflammation in the esophagus. This inflammation results in symptoms like trouble swallowing, chest pain and food impaction (when food gets stuck in the esophagus). While there is no cure for EoE, there are effective treatments to control symptoms and keep the…
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5 Surprising Things That Can Affect Blood Pressure
Read More: 5 Surprising Things That Can Affect Blood PressureMay is Hypertension Awareness Month. The usual suspects — obesity, genetics, stress, salt intake, tobacco and alcohol use — affect your blood pressure. But did you know there are some things you may not have thought about? For some people, it’s cold medication. We all know decongestants are great for opening up a stuffy nose,…
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Cheat Sheet: Foods to Avoid with Gout
Read More: Cheat Sheet: Foods to Avoid with GoutMay 22 is National Gout Awareness Day. Pop quiz: What is gout? Is it … The universal nickname for golden trout fish A trendy lip-plumping serum Weird Al Yankovic’s parody of the iconic 80s banger “Shout” A disease caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood The answer — unfortunately — is D.…
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Understanding and Managing Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)
Read More: Understanding and Managing Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)May 22, 2026, is + Infographic text What is eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)? EoE is a chronic, lifelong immune condition that affects the esophagus. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that defend your body as a response to triggers like food and environmental allergens. EoE happens when eosinophils build up in your esophagus due…
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The Type 2 Inflammation Connection
Read More: The Type 2 Inflammation ConnectionMay 18–22, 2026, is Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week. When your body is facing illness, injury or invasion from anything that doesn’t belong, like viruses, bacteria or parasites, inflammation is the body’s way of fighting back to start the healing process. The immune system responds to illness and injury by sending inflammatory cells to stop…
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Allergies, Aprende más, Chronic conditions, Digestive disorders, Digestive health, Eoe, Espanol, Type 2 inflammation
¿Qué es la esofagitis eosinofílica (EEo)?
Read More: ¿Qué es la esofagitis eosinofílica (EEo)?English El 22 de mayo de 2026 es el Día Mundial de la Esofagitis Eosinofílica (EEo). Más de 470,000 personas en Estados Unidos viven con esofagitis eosinofílica (EEo), un trastorno que alguna vez se consideraba infrecuente pero que se ha vuelto cada vez más común en las últimas dos décadas. Saber lo que es la…
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What Is Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)?
Read More: What Is Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)?Español May 22, 2026, is World Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) Day. More than 470,000 people in the United States are living with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a condition that was once considered rare but has gotten more and more common over the last two decades. Knowing what EoE is can help you figure out whether it may…
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Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) Split My Sense of Self in Two
Read More: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) Split My Sense of Self in TwoMay is Mental Health Awareness Month and National Women’s Health Month. As told to Erica Rimlinger My first period divided my life into before and after. Before I started menstruating, I was a regular 14-year-old girl: skateboarding, swimming and hanging out with my friends. Then, my period came, and within a year, it felt like…
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Understanding Severe Asthma
Read More: Understanding Severe AsthmaMay is Asthma Awareness Month. Coughing. Wheezing. Shortness of breath. All things on our not to-do list. But if you have asthma, you’re all too familiar with these symptoms and the many ways asthma can affect everyday life. Asthma causes inflammation in the airways, and the symptoms range from mild to severe. While most people…
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Lupus: Finding the Best Treatment Option for You
Read More: Lupus: Finding the Best Treatment Option for YouMay is Lupus Awareness Month. Did you know the word “lupus” is Latin for wolf? We know that sounds random, but there is meaning behind the name. Back in the 13th century, a healthcare provider (HCP) said skin lesions from the disease resembled a bite mark from a wolf. Usually when people talk about lupus,…
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Addison’s Disease 101
Read More: Addison’s Disease 101April is Adrenal Disease Awareness Month. You probably don’t think much about your adrenal glands. They’re small hormone-releasing organs that sit at the top of the kidneys. But don’t mistake their smallness for weakness: They play a big role in your health. The adrenal glands produce hormones including cortisol, aldosterone and sex hormones. Cortisol is…
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How Air Quality Affects COPD
Read More: How Air Quality Affects COPD+ Infographic text Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lung disease that restricts the airway and makes it hard to breathe. Pollution and irritants found in outdoor and indoor air can worsen symptoms. Outdoor Air Outdoor pollution can trigger COPD symptoms, especially on days with high pollution or extreme weather. Heat waves and cold…
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I Worried It Was All In My Head — Until I Was Finally Diagnosed with Addison’s Disease
Read More: I Worried It Was All In My Head — Until I Was Finally Diagnosed with Addison’s DiseaseApril is Adrenal Disease Awareness Month. As told to Nicole Audrey Spector In high school, I started feeling not quite like myself, just a lot less energy than I usually had. It seemed perfectly normal to believe it was stress-related. School was getting more intense as college neared and then there was the normal teen…
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Clinically Speaking: Questions and Answers About Graves’ disease
Read More: Clinically Speaking: Questions and Answers About Graves’ diseaseYour thyroid is a little butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that makes and releases hormones. These hormones help regulate many important body functions like metabolism and body temperature. If your thyroid isn’t working properly, you may develop a thyroid condition, like Graves’ disease. “Women are more likely to have Graves’ disease than men, and we…
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Aerial Arts Taught Me to Fly. Even With Multiple Sclerosis, I’m Still Hanging On.
Read More: Aerial Arts Taught Me to Fly. Even With Multiple Sclerosis, I’m Still Hanging On.March is MS Awareness Month. As told to Shannon Shelton Miller In 2016, I discovered the world of aerial arts. A friend posted on social media about the class, and when I arrived, I found myself in the corner of a typical gym. But there were beautiful silks in that corner, and I was obsessed…
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I Spent 40 Years Looking For Answers to My Pain. I Didn’t Know I Had a Rare Genetic Disorder.
Read More: I Spent 40 Years Looking For Answers to My Pain. I Didn’t Know I Had a Rare Genetic Disorder.Español As told to Shannon Shelton Miller My own story really starts with my mom’s health journey. She had been very ill as a child and no one could figure out what was wrong with her. In March 1979, she underwent one of the first kidney transplants completed in the United States. Her healthcare providers…
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Myasthenia Gravis Won’t Stop Me From Living My Best Life
Read More: Myasthenia Gravis Won’t Stop Me From Living My Best LifeFebruary 28 is Rare Disease Day. As told to Jacquelyne Froeber When I was 6 years old, I was running around outside with my friends when I felt my body go limp. I collapsed like a rag doll next to a bright-red fire hydrant — a matching stop sign loomed overhead. As my friends ran…
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Aprende más, Autoimmune disease, Chronic conditions, Espanol, Fertility, Lupus, Reproductive health, Sex
¿Qué efectos tiene el lupus en la salud sexual y reproductiva?
Read More: ¿Qué efectos tiene el lupus en la salud sexual y reproductiva?English Hay varios tipos de lupus, pero las personas frecuentemente usan la palabra “lupus” para referirse al lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES), el tipo más común de ese trastorno. Todos los tipos de lupus son trastornos autoinmunitarios que hacen que el sistema inmunitario de tu cuerpo ataque órganos y tejidos. A pesar de que el lupus…
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¿Qué es la hiperoxaluria primaria?
Read More: ¿Qué es la hiperoxaluria primaria?English La hiperoxaluria primaria (HP) no es un trastorno, es un grupo de tres trastornos genéticos infrecuentes: HP1, HP2 y HP3 Tienen relación con genes diferentes y cada uno causa que produzcas demasiado oxalato, un desecho generado por tu cuerpo. Aproximadamente 8,700 personas en Estados Unidos tienen HP, pero la mayoría no lo sabe. De…
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Lupus and Reproductive Health: What You Need to Know
Read More: Lupus and Reproductive Health: What You Need to KnowThere are several types of lupus, but people often use the word “lupus” to mean systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of the disease. All types of lupus are autoimmune conditions that cause your body’s immune system to attack organs and tissues. Despite the fact that lupus overwhelmingly affects women in their reproductive…
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Managing Chronic Hives That Come Out of Nowhere
Read More: Managing Chronic Hives That Come Out of NowhereChronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), hives (urticaria) that last 6 weeks or longer (chronic) and have an unknown cause (spontaneous), can have a significant impact on your life. The itchy hives can make you feel self-conscious. They can make it hard to sleep, leading to fatigue, and can make you irritable and depressed, leading to issues…
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What Is Primary Hyperoxaluria?
Read More: What Is Primary Hyperoxaluria?Primary hyperoxaluria (PH) is not just one disease but rather a group of three rare genetic disorders: PH1, PH2 and PH3. They are linked to different genes, and each one causes you to make too much oxalate, a waste product produced by your body. About 8,700 people in the United States have PH, but most…
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Living with Primary Hyperoxaluria
Read More: Living with Primary HyperoxaluriaTiffany Reid was just 18 months old when she passed a kidney stone for the first time. Many more would come during the next four decades of her life — along with multiple infections and bladder issues — despite Reid’s efforts to follow her healthcare providers’ advice to drink more water or change her diet.…
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Stigma Can Be a Barrier to COPD Care
Read More: Stigma Can Be a Barrier to COPD CareNovember is COPD Awareness Month. At 39, Cyndy Ruess went to the hospital after having trouble breathing. Breathing problems weren’t new for Ruess — she’d had asthma as a child — and her biggest concern at the time was figuring out when she’d be able to get back to work. A healthcare provider (HCP) gave…
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Comic Strip: Rita Has Recurring Nasal Polyps
Read More: Comic Strip: Rita Has Recurring Nasal Polyps+ Comic text Image Words Woman sitting in doctor’s office, blowing her nose as doctor walks in to greet her Doctor: Hi Rita, It’s nice to see you — but I’m sorry to hear your polyps have been bothering you again. Rita and doctor talking Rita: I’m sorry, too. I really thought the surgery to…
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Living With Nasal Polyps
Read More: Living With Nasal PolypsThis resource was created with support from Sanofi and Regeneron. + Video transcript Video/Image Voiceover/Audio Living with Nasal Polyps How this invisible disease affects your quality of life Sun comes up, a woman in bed sleeps while an alarm clock goes off on her bedside table SUPER and ICONS: Facial pain Stuffy/runny nose Loss of…
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My Son Won the Basketball Championship, then Passed 15 Kidney Stones
Read More: My Son Won the Basketball Championship, then Passed 15 Kidney StonesAs told to Erica Rimlinger November is National Caregivers Month. My son Jack, a second grader at the time, stayed home sick from school on Friday, but woke up Saturday feeling better and ready to play in his two basketball games — one was the championship. It was going to be a big weekend, for…
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Navigating Health Insurance for Nasal Polyps
Read More: Navigating Health Insurance for Nasal Polyps+ Infographic text If you have nasal polyps, you know that treatment is important for quality of life. Getting health insurance to cover treatment Health insurance coverage varies, so you always need to check your policy for specifics. Health insurers may require you to meet certain criteria or conditions, such as: Medical necessity – Showing…
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Aprende más, Autoimmune disease, Chronic conditions, Espanol, Lupus, Medical research and clinical trials, Research
Comprender las investigaciones de lupus
Read More: Comprender las investigaciones de lupusEnglish Aproximadamente 1.5 millones de personas en Estados Unidos tienen lupus, un trastorno que ocurre cuando el sistema inmunitario ataca órganos y tejidos saludables. De ellas, 9 de cada 10 son mujeres. El lupus es un trastorno complicado que puede ser difícil de diagnosticar e incluso más difícil de tratar. Los científicos estudian el lupus…
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Understanding Lupus Research
Read More: Understanding Lupus ResearchAbout 1.5 million people in the United States have lupus, a disease that happens when the immune system attacks healthy organs and tissues. Of these, 9 out of 10 are women. Lupus is a complicated disease that can be hard to diagnose and even harder to treat. Scientists are looking at lupus from many different…
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The Great Girlfriends Podcast: Why COPD Is the 4th Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.
Read More: The Great Girlfriends Podcast: Why COPD Is the 4th Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.We partnered with The Great Girlfriends Show and COPD Foundation, with support from Sanofi and Regeneron, to bring this critical conversation to light. Key topics include: Understanding COPD: What it is and why it’s affecting millions in silence. The importance of early detection and proactive health measures. How community support and advocacy can transform patient…
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The Great Girlfriends Podcast: The Surprising Signs Your Body Might Be Battling Lupus
Read More: The Great Girlfriends Podcast: The Surprising Signs Your Body Might Be Battling LupusWhether you’ve been diagnosed, know someone who has, or simply want to understand more about this autoimmune disease, Dr. Williams brings her medical expertise while Tracy shares her real-life experience battling lupus. Together, they reveal what many women endure in silence—and why awareness is key to advocacy and healing. Key topics include: The hidden signs…
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Navigating a Rare Disease
Read More: Navigating a Rare DiseaseFor a long time, Sabrina Riddle feared she’d never really know what was going on in her head. In 2011, she went to her healthcare provider (HCP) with what she thought was an ear infection. She was prescribed antibiotics, but they didn’t help. Nothing did. For months, Riddle walked around with intense pressure in her…
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I’m Tired of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Being Misunderstood
Read More: I’m Tired of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Being MisunderstoodAs told to Jacquelyne Froeber I moved to Manhattan in my early 20s for a job in television production. I worked as a producer for shows on ABC News and Showtime, and I loved the fast pace of the job and the city. Between work and friends, I was constantly on the go and there…
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Type 2 Inflammation and Nasal Polyps
Read More: Type 2 Inflammation and Nasal Polyps+ Infographic text What is type 2 inflammation? Not to be confused with type 2 diabetes, type 2 inflammation involves the immune system. We all have a type 2 immune response, which is when your immune system sends out type 2 immune cells to fight certain infections or allergens. Type 2 immune cells fight “intruders”…
