Fatigue, achy muscles, painful joints, brain fog, strange skin rashes… Could it be the flu? It’s possible. In fact, that’s what women are sometimes told! But these can be symptoms of an autoimmune condition. Autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and Hashimoto’s, to name just a few, have a definite gender bias. Women account for an astonishing 80% of all those who suffer from an autoimmune disease. Yet these are some of the most commonly dismissed, overlooked, and misdiagnosed symptoms and conditions, leaving far too many women to struggle to find answers, for sometimes years. So what is autoimmune disease and why do women experience them so much more often than men? That’s exactly what we’ll explore together in today’s episode. Join me as I tell you all about: What autoimmune disease really is Why women’s symptoms of autoimmune disease are missed - and dismissed The root causes of autoimmune disease that disproportionately impact women The role of estrogen and other hormones in autoimmune diseases How our immune system is impacted by hormonal shifts premenstrually, in pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause The wildly interesting role that microchimerism plays in autoimmune disease Listen and learn so you know how to protect your health from these conditions and so that you know how to get the tests, answers, and respect you need from your healthcare provider. Please share the love by sending this to someone in your life who could benefit from the kinds of things we talk about in this space. Make sure to follow me on Instagram @dr.avivaromm to join the conversation. Looking for supplements for yourself and your family, including some of those I talk about in episodes? You can find those - and your 15% discount on every order here: avivaromm.com/supplements Practitioners - you can also learn how to create your own accounts at https://us.fullscript.com/practitioner-signup/AVIVA