Sjögren's can significantly affect the lungs through interstitial lung disease (ILD), causing inflammation and scarring (like nonspecific interstitial pneumonia), leading to shortness of breath. It also causes airway issues, such as dry, persistent cough (xerotrachea) from dryness, recurrent infections, or bronchiectasis. Other lung problems include benign air-filled cysts (cystic lung disease) and rare lymphoproliferative disorders, often presenting with cough or no symptoms but sometimes sudden collapse.
Sjögren's can affect many organs, most commonly the lungs, but also the kidney, thyroid and liver. Based on published research, the frequency of respiratory involvement is variable. About 16% of Sjögren's patients have pulmonary complications. About 40% have a chronic cough.
Common signs and symptoms include1-3:
Respiratory problems are common and can be serious in patients who have a connective tissue or autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. With an autoimmune disease, a person's own immune system attacks the lungs, causing inflammation and scarring that can impair lung function and breathing.
The 10-year survival rate for pSS-ILD has been reported to be 79–82%, and the most predominant cause of death was respiratory failure after acute exacerbation (AE) or chronic progression of ILD [8-10].
There are many types of lung disease caused by Sjogren's.
Common types of Sjogren's lung disease include interstitial lung disease, COPD, cystic lung disease, bronchiolitis, and bronchiectasis. Less frequent, but serious, issues like lymphoma arising in the lungs can also be caused by Sjogren's.
Some of the medications used to treat ILD include: Inhaled or oral corticosteroid medications — can reduce the immune system activity that causes scarring and inflammation in the lungs in some forms of ILD.
Goodpasture syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder that affects both the lungs and kidneys. The immune system typically makes antibodies to fight off infection. But with Goodpasture syndrome, the immune system mistakenly makes antibodies that attack the lungs and kidneys.
Primary care physicians and pulmonologists, or lung specialists, may prescribe anti-inflammatories to address lung diseases or conditions. Anti-inflammatories with steroids, also known as corticosteroids, are prescription medications typically used to reduce inflammation in the airways or lungs.
PET/CT is useful in detecting and differentiating inflammation and malignancy in patients with systemic autoimmune disease. Frequent false-positive interpretations can be minimized by consideration of FDG uptake in bone marrow and spleen.
Computerized tomography, also called a CT scan.
This imaging test is key to the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease. It's sometimes the first test in the diagnosis. CT scanners produce 3D images of internal structures. A high-resolution CT scan can be especially helpful in figuring out how much lung damage there is.
During an evaluation for interstitial lung disease, your health-care provider listens to your lungs with a stethoscope. ILD causes dry, crackling breath sounds that your provider can hear during the exam.
Symptoms
Dry mouth.
The frequency of bronchiectasis in Sjögren's syndrome patients, as assessed by CT, varies from 7% to 54% [43, 49, 56, 59, 83, 84]. In most cases, it concerns cylindrical bronchiectasis.
Nipocalimab is the first and only investigational therapy granted U.S. FDA breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of adults living with moderate-to-severe Sjögren's disease [news release]. Johnson & Johnson. 2024 Nov 11. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act ().
Green Tea
Green tea is full of polyphenols and catechins that help reduce lung inflammation and protect cells from toxins. It's also been linked to improved lung capacity and reduced risk of chronic respiratory disease.
Trouble breathing, and often a dry cough, are the most common symptoms of pneumonitis. Treatment focuses on avoiding irritants and lessening the inflammation of lung tissue.
“In the study, we show that nicotinamide riboside, also known as vitamin B3, can reduce lung inflammation in COPD patients,” says associate professor Morten Scheibye-Knudsen from the Center for Healthy Aging at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, who has co-authored the new ...
Patients nearly always present with respiratory symptoms, including cough and slowly progressive dyspnea, sometimes associated with pleuritic chest pain (31,32). PFTs typically reveal a restrictive pattern with reduced DLCO (33).
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a category of conditions that cause inflammation and scarring in the lungs. This can lead to difficulty breathing and, eventually, heart failure. Autoimmune ILD is a specific type caused by autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and more.
Some of the most common are asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea and occupational lung diseases. Respiratory diseases affect all ages-children, teens, adults and seniors.
Ways to clear your lungs
Some people with ILD may have relatively normal oxygen levels while resting or when seated, but low oxygen levels when walking or doing other physically exerting activities.
Albuterol is the go-to inhaler for quick relief during asthma attacks. As a bronchodilator, it works fast to relax the muscles around the airways, making it easier to breathe.