Best 15 Twitter Feeds to follow for Autoimmune Disease Info | Vitamin B12 Patch : Vitamin B12 Patch

Do you Twitter? If you have autoimmune disease (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s), see our list of the best Twitter feeds to follow for updated health info.

What is autoimmune disease?

Your body’s immune system protects you whenever a virus or bacterial infection attacks your system.

Occasionally, your immune system gets “confused,” and proceeds to attack different parts of your body, mistaking them for dangerous foreign matter. When this happens, scientists call it an autoimmune disease- basically, an illness in which your immune system malfunctions.

There are more than 80 types of autoimmune disease, some of the most common ones including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, and Multiple sclerosis.

Are chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia autoimmune diseases?

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are not included among autoimmune diseases, although physicians often refer to them as part of the same group of illness. That is most likely because CFS and FM produce similar symptoms of autoimmune disease, such as chronic pain and exhaustion.

Where is the best place to get health information on autoimmune disease?

Many medical websites offer thorough information and medical advice. Some of the most popular are Web MD, the Mayo Clinic, and Medline Plus, which is a government site.

Thousands of blogs, forums, and support groups also provide useful resources for dealing with autoimmune disease, including the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), which features a comprehensive list of autoimmune and autoimmune-related diseases.

Here are 15 of the best, most followed Twitter feeds for autoimmune disease patients:

Health News on Twitter

1) @WebMD Web MD: “WebMD provides valuable health information, tools for managing your health, and support to those who seek information.”

2) @MayoClinic Mayo Clinic: “Excellent integrated group health care practice.”

3) @medlineplus MedlinePlus.gov: “Latest news & information on health & medicine. Tweets are not medical advice. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine.”

Autoimmune Foundations on Twitter

4) @CCFA Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America: “Our Mission: To cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.”

5) @LupusMCTD Lupus MCTD (Mixed Connective Tissue Disorders) Foundation: “Lupus Patient Advocate, founder of LupusMTCD. I’m 52, single and teaching others about Lupus and MCTD autoimmune disorders.”

Autoimmune Blogs on Twitter

6) @diseaseaday Dr. Roy Schwartz talks about health issues, focusing on a different disease of the day.

7) @taraparkerpope New York Times Well blogger discusses breaking news on health.

8) @Abeeliever Amy Kiel, chronic illness patient, and blogger of Una Vita Bella.

9) @painspeaks Liz Hall heads this global community of chronic pain sufferers.

10) @bydls C Miserandino , founder of the popular autoimmune illness blog, butyoudontlooksick.com, who also began the “Spoonies,” discusses lupus, fibro, and many other health-related topics.

11) @ChronicFatigue1 is a health consultant who talks about severe exhaustion, and tips on overcoming chronic fatigue illness.

12) @PLMfibromyalgia PatientsLikeMe online community of over 11,000 fibromyalgia patients share their experiences and advice on living with autoimmune disease.

13) @dancingwithpain Dance therapy Twitter site for dealing with chronic pain, and curing it through music and movement.

14) @chronicbabe Jenni Prokopy is “chronic babe,” founder of the popular blog of the same name.

15) @RA_Guy “Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy: Adventures of a superhero on his journey through chronic pain and debilitating inflammation.”