b'Some of the more immunosuppressive MS therapies are also some of the most effective treatments. Each person must balance the risks of immunosuppression against the risks of MS relapse and progression, and then decide with their healthcare providers which medications are most appropriate for them. But all of us canbenet from taking steps to actively avoid infection, such as handwashing and limiting exposure to people who are unwell. Vaccinations can be an important tool to lessen the risk of certain infections. Be sure to discuss vaccine recommendations for the various MS disease-modifying therapies with your medical team. Advocate with the Autoimmune Community When it comes to advocacy, there is strength in numbers. Although only about one in 300 people have MS, a whopping one in 10 people have an autoimmune disease. When advocating for research, legal protections, social services, or other aspects of life with chronic illness or disability, the autoimmune community is stronger together.All autoimmune diseases have a common underlying mechanisman immune system that becomes reactive to the bodys own cells. But aside from the fact of simply being autoimmune in nature, the approximately one hundred autoimmune diseases have other similarities. People living with autoimmune diseases, though their conditions may be very different, still have much in common.Nearly all autoimmune conditions cause:FatiguePainInammationDifficulty with activities of daily living Like multiple sclerosis, autoimmune conditions typically:Affect more women than menAre diagnosed from late adolescence to age 50May take years to get a diagnosisProgress over timeAre linked with increased rates of depression and anxietyAutoimmune diseases also frequently gang up on a person. About 25 percent of people with autoimmune diseases have more than one autoimmune condition. This is referred to as polyautoimmunity. Interestingly, treatments for autoimmune diseases can have more than one use. Steroids are used to treat are-ups in many autoimmune diseases. Biologic treatments that target immune cells also frequently help more than one condition. For example, rituximab (off-label) is not only used in MS but in rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune skin diseases. Some biologic treatments may be used in five or more autoimmune conditions. The underlying mechanisms, many symptoms, and many of the treatments are common to several autoimmune conditions. For these reasons, research into one autoimmune disease can have benets for other autoimmune diseasesperhaps even all autoimmune diseases.16'