By: Olivia Casey, Sr. Director of Programming, Autoimmune Association

Raging wildfires scarring thousands of acres in the west. Entire communities washing away in North Carolina. Homes dropping off cliff faces in California. Many of climate change’s impacts are big, bold, and obvious to all. Other impacts that are equally significant, but not as visible, are on our health, especially for those who suffer from autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases occur when the body’s immune system works abnormally or attacks itself. These include more than 100  conditions such as Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis (MS).  While researchers are not entirely certain what the primary stimuli are for these diseases, they agree that the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate.

The recent growth in prevalence of these diseases is tellingly reflected in a longitudinal study focused on antinuclear antibodies (ANA), which often indicate the presence of autoimmune disease and can precede their development. ANA increased nearly 50% in the U.S. in less than 30 years. Even more concerning, teenagers in the study experienced an almost 300% increase between 1988 and 2012.

But why the increase? While genetic predisposition plays a role, research links the development of autoimmune diseases to the body’s response to a changing overall environment  and the way we live, what we eat, the air we breathe, our exposure to toxins, increasing vector-borne diseases, and an overall increase in stress levels.

A key driver in some autoimmune diseases is overexposure to ultraviolet radiation, which is directly linked to the depletion of the ozone layer, and this exposure alters the immune system in multiple ways. Lupus, dermatomyositis, and Sjogren’s disease are all linked to ultraviolet radiation exposure.

Persistent organic pollutants, toxic metals, solvents, and endocrine disruptors are ubiquitous in our food, drinking water, household products, and even the air we breathe. Systematic sclerosis and scleroderma-like illness among other autoimmune connective tissue diseases have been associated with exposure  to these pollutants.

Long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with a higher risk of autoimmune diseases, in particularly rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases, and inflammatory bowel disease. Chronic exposure to unsafe levels is tied to a 10% increase in developing a variety of immune-mediated diseases.

Ultra-processed foods that are commonly found in the Western diet— which research points to altering the microbiome, or the microorganisms in the gut—can trigger inflammation in some individuals. Inflammatory bowel diseases, MS, and autoimmune thyroiditis are among many diseases that have been linked to ultra-processed foods.

A warming climate has increased the incidence of vector-borne diseases caused by parasites, bacteria, or viruses transmitted by ticks, which are affiliated with Lyme disease.  Mosquitos have even been linked to a case of pediatric lupus.

While more research is needed, scientists have sounded the alarm about extreme weather events—floods, heat waves, extreme cold, droughts, thunderstorms, and wildfires—that may also generate and exacerbate the symptoms of those already suffering from an autoimmune disease.

Wildfire smoke generates particulate matter that has been associated with a higher risk of juvenile arthritis in children under five, as well as SLE and interstitial lung disease.  Even limited exposure may be enough to increase the risk of disease with long-term exposure linked to ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, connective tissue disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Thunderstorms, and lightning in particular, can generate sub-pollen particles and lead to enhanced particulate matter concentrations in the atmosphere, which may exacerbate allergic reactions in those with preexisting conditions.

We need to understand how these extreme weather events affect patients to develop interventions, solutions, and advance research. The Autoimmune Association, in concert with a group of concerned rheumatologists, is seeking to understand the impact with a national  signal-seeking survey found HERE. This is the first survey of its kind and is designed to capture the impact that experiencing disasters has on patients with an autoimmune disease.

“We know that climate change is having an immense impact on autoimmune patients overall and having feedback from them is important to better understanding how this effects their lives,” says Dr. Iazsmin Bauer Ventura, Project Lead for the survey. “The more patients provide us in terms of feedback the greater our ability to identify strategies and solutions to help them in the future. I encourage everyone to share this survey with their health care colleagues and with their patients.”

To develop further responses and understand the severity, we need patient feedback. Share with your members, take the survey, and help further valuable research that may save lives and minimize the disease impact on those already adversely affected by climate change.

The Autoimmune Association is a member of the National Health Council (NHC). For more information about NHC membership, click here.