A Woman’s Health Riddle- Do you know the answer?
By Sandy Burkett
www.vitalsignspittsburgh.com
When thinking about a woman’s body…
1. What comes to visit, but never leaves?
2. Can stay hidden, but also be in plain sight?
3. Is more prevalent than Breast Cancer?
4. Does not typically get diagnosed until after 40 y/o?
5. Can visit by itself or bring its friends?
If you guessed Sjogren’s Syndrome (pronounced SHO-GRINS), you would be in the minority. That is because even though Sjogren’s Syndrome is the second most common autoimmune disease and 9 out of 10 patients are women, hardly anyone has heard of it.
As with most autoimmune diseases, there are many symptoms that come and go on a daily basis. One can present with dry mouth, dry eyes & joint pain on one day and have a totally different combination of symptoms the next. Because of these “now you see them, now you don’t “symptoms, it can be very difficult to diagnose the correct condition. Also, there is a strong tendency for people to dismiss their symptoms as benign (i.e. “Oh, it’s this air conditioning, it always dries me out “). Also, because symptoms can be vague and not present at once when seeing a physician(s), the doctor may not put the entire picture of symptoms together as one diagnosis.
Sjogren’s Syndrome is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease in which a person’s white cells, attack the moisture-producing glands in the body. This damage causes a large decrease or absence of saliva and tears. Although, the hallmark symptoms of Sjogren’s Syndrome are dry eyes and dry mouth, Sjogren’s may also cause system involvement and has recently been approved for disability, for those very involved Sjogren’s Syndrome patients.
Sjogren’s Syndrome Symptoms
• Dry mouth; mouth sores; dental decay; difficulty with chewing; speech, taste & dentures
• Dry nose, recurrent sinusitis; nose bleeds
• Dry eyes, corneal ulcerations & infections
• Dry skin, vasculitis, Raynaud’s phenomenon
• Neurological problems, concentration, memory loss (brain fog)
• Abnormal liver function tests; chronic active autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis
• Peripheral Neuropathy (numbness & tingling in the extremities)
• Difficulty swallowing, heartburn, reflux, esophagitis
• Recurrent bronchitis, pneumonia, interstitial lung disease
• Arthritis, muscle pain
• Stomach upset, gastroparesis, autoimmune pancreatitis
• Vaginal dryness, painful intercourse
The symptoms of Sjogren’s Syndrome may mimic those of menopause, drug side effects, or medical conditions, such as: Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis.
If you recognize any of the symptoms listed above a possible answer to your personal medical riddle, please contact a Rheumatologist to have appropriate testing done. While there is no cure, there are medications that can treat the symptoms.
For more information about Sjogren’s Syndrome, please contact the Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation: http://www.sjogrens.org or if you would like to speak with a local contact, please contact: Sandy Burkett (412)726-3159
