Patients with Sjögren's frequently suffer from decreased mucus/nasal secretions and dryness of the nose and sinuses.
Upper Respiratory System
If your nasal passages are dry, as they can be with Sjögren's, you may feel you're constantly battling sinusitis and post-nasal drip.
The body's immune system attacks glands that secrete fluid, such as the tear and saliva glands. The effects of Sjögren's syndrome can be widespread. Certain glands become inflamed, which reduces the production of tears and saliva, causing the main symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome, which are dry eyes and dry mouth.
The main symptoms are dry eyes and mouth, but other parts of the body may be affected as well, with many people reporting fatigue and joint and muscle pain. In addition, the disease can damage the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system.
Avoiding foods that tend to exacerbate symptoms including alcohol, caffeine, acidic foods, and spicy foods.
Dry mouth, mouth sores, dental decay, difficulty with chewing, speech, taste and dentures. Swollen, painful parotid/salivary glands. Difficulty swallowing, heartburn, reflux, esophagitis. Fatigue, vasculitis, lymphoma, dry skin, skin sensitivity to UV light.
Sjögren's syndrome can cause nerve damage which regulates the coordination of heartbeat, respiration, and gastric motility. This is called an “autonomic neuropathy.” Examples of symptoms include lightheadedness when standing, decreased or increased sweating, and feeling full despite eating small meals.
In most people with Sjögren syndrome, dry eyes and dry mouth are the primary features of the disorder, and general health and life expectancy are largely unaffected.
Approximately one-fourth patients suffers from high frequency hearing loss of cochlear origin, as detected by impedance audiometry or auditory brainstem procedures.
Symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome with ILD may include:
Shortness of breath, especially with mild physical activity. Dry cough that doesn't go away.
This condition is frequently associated with other autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Sjogren syndrome is managed by replacing moisture at affected glandular sites and diminishing the autoimmune response locally as well as systemically.
Avoid over-the-counter medicines that can cause dryness. These include antihistamines, such as Benadryl.
Lotions are not typically moisturizing enough for patients with Sjögren's. The best ointments are Vaseline® or Aquaphor®. If an ointment is too greasy for your taste, cream moisturizers like CeraVe®, VanicreamTM, Eucerin®, or Aveeno®can be used.
Treatment for Sjogren's syndrome depends on the parts of the body affected. Many people manage the dry eye and dry mouth of Sjogren's syndrome by using over-the-counter eyedrops and sipping water more frequently. But some people need prescription medications, or even surgical procedures.
We divided SS patients into three stages: stage I is glandular SS, stage II is extraglandular SS, and stage III is extraglandular SS with lymphoid malignancy.
Over time, the immune system for people with Sjogren's syndrome can damage other parts of your body, including joints, nerves, skin, and organs such as kidneys, liver, and lungs. These long-term consequences can be quite debilitating.
Phase two showed that people with Sjogren's syndrome tended to have problematic sleep. These patients would have more nighttime awakenings and have lower sleep efficiency, meaning they spent more time in bed without sleeping. The patients with Sjogren's had an overall lower quality of sleep [8].
Falk: What kinds of factors can make Sjogren's worse? What is the effect, for example, of stress? Jonas: Well, like all autoimmune diseases, patients who feel stressed or are under unusual stress will often have exacerbation of their symptoms. Learning to manage that stress in your life is very important.
Association between Sjögren's syndrome and dementia
The overall pooled results showed that SS was associated with an increased risk of dementia (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.15–1.33, p < 0.001).
Patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) frequently have irritable bowel like symptoms (IBS). Some have celiac sprue.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted from the sun and other light sources (such as some fluorescent lights) can alter immune function and lead to an autoimmune response in the body and skin. In response to the sun, Sjögren's patients can experience skin rashes, ocular sensitivity, pain, and disease flares.
Sjogren's syndrome patients often develop a purple-to-red rash that does not lighten when pressure is applied. They may also show purpura (rashes with blood spots) that's indicative of vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels). If you observe any of these rashes on your skin, consult a dermatologist.