Will Venus William’s Diagnosis of Sjogren’s Increase Awareness of This Largely Unknown Syndrome

Sjogren’s is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that the body mistakenly attacks healthy tissues, and in Sjogren’s the moisture-producing glands that make tears and saliva are attacked. Sjogren’s syndrome isn’t talked about as much as some of the other autoimmune disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus. The symptoms, causes, risks, and treatment for Sjogren’s will be discussed in this article.

Within the last week tennis star Venus Williams withdrew from the US Open because of her recent diagnosis of Sjogren’s syndrome. Hopefully Williams diagnosis will help raise public awareness of this little known autoimmune disorder. Williams, at age 31 is younger than most diagnosed with Sjogren’s. Though it can occur at any age, it typically appears in women between the ages of 40 to 50. Sjogren’s is a chronic disorder with no known cure, and its treatment predominately focuses on the management of symptoms.

What are the symptoms of Sjogren’s?

Two of the hallmark symptoms of Sjogren’s are dry eyes and dry mouth. These conditions in themselves can cause a myriad of other problems for the patient. Dry eyes cause blurred vision, some loss of vision and acute discomfort that is difficult to relieve. A dry mouth may cause a decline in the health of the teeth, and the absence of saliva may cause tooth decay. Lack of saliva also makes swallowing and speaking more difficult. Halitosis and/or gingivitis may also result from a dry mouth.

Still other symptoms of Sjogren’s syndrome include joint pain and inflammation, vaginal dryness, swollen salivary glands, and a persistent dry cough. Chronic fatigue is another particularly debilitating symptom of Sjogren’s sufferers. Nearly all Sjogren’s patients experience chronic fatigue, including Venus Williams. Ms. Williams stated she has battled fatigue for years, as is common in those diagnosed with Sjogren’s. Fatigue is a major component in the other 80 autoimmune diseases as well.

In people with Sjogren’s, their immune system attacks all of the body’ moisture-secreting glands, and not just the eyes and mouth are affected. Damage to the liver, lungs, thyroid, kidney and nerves can also occur.

Who gets Sjogren’s and what are its causes?

It is women over the age of 40 who usually get Sjogren’s syndrome. Nine out of every ten diagnosed with Sjogren’s are women. It is rare in children and men, although it is possible. There are still many unknowns about Sjogren’s, but the general consensus as to its cause tends to be that some may be predisposed to this disorder because of genetics or exposure to viral infections. Also about half of the patients who develop Sjogren’s also have rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. When this is the case it is called “Secondary” Sjogren’s. “Primary” Sjogren’s include sufferers of Sjogren’s who do not have another rheumatologic disease.

How are Sjogren’s symptoms treated, and what is the prognosis for someone with Sjogren’s?

Because Sjogren’s syndrome is chronic and there is no known cure, treatment is focused primarily on managing its symptoms. Dry eyes sometimes improve with constant use of artificial tears or prescription drops such as Restasis, or by plugging up the tear ducts. In my personal case as a sufferer of chronic dry eyes, none of the above methods of treatment have proven successful; therefore I suffer constant blurred vision and reduced vision on a regular basis. Dry mouth can sometimes be relieved temporarily by chewing gum, sipping on water at all times, or using a saliva replacement such as Salagen, or Evoxac. Another popular product on the market for dry mouth is Biotene and may provide relief of dry mouth in some cases.

Sjogren’s patients should always see a dentist regularly to prevent dental decay and/or loss of teeth. They should also see an ophthalmologist regularly for signs of damage to the cornea or infections in the eye.

Two of the medications frequently prescribed to relieve symptoms of Sjogren’s. They include hydrocholor quinoline, an anti-malarial drug that is known to slow progression, but not without a danger of damaging the retina with long-term use. This could cause permanent loss of vision. Prednisone, an immune suppressant is also used to provide immediate relief from Sjogren’s symptoms, but has serious side effects if used over time. Such side effects include osteoporosis, muscle wasting, cataracts, and diabetes to name just a few.

The prognosis for someone diagnosed with Sjogren’s is fairly grim. They are faced with numerous symptoms of varying degrees, with limited medications to relieve them. They are also at a greater risk to develop lymphomas, kidney disease, and scarring of kidneys which could lead to the need for dialysis.

What may be even worse for patients finally diagnosed with Sjogren’s is the length of time it took to get an accurate diagnosis, which is generally 7 years. Quicker diagnosis is needed so treatment may be initiated sooner, giving the patient a better quality of life. Especially discouraging for Sjogren’s patients is that family, friends, and even doctors may ignore the concerns and symptoms of the patient with Sjogren’s especially if they don’t “look sick” on the outside, which is sometimes the case. This lack of empathy causes the person with Sjogren’s to experience unnecessary stress and guilt about their condition.

Hopefully, the recent coming out of Venus William’s diagnosis with Sjogren’s, will spark additional attention for this largely unfamiliar syndrome, heightening public awareness that approximately 4 million Americans suffer from it, and in turn expedite research for a cure. Additional professional awareness is also needed to expedite diagnoses and earlier treatment.

References:

http://www.sjogrens.org/home/about-sjogrens-syndrome

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sjogrens-syndrome/DS00147

http://www.sjogrens.org/home/about-sjogrens-syndrome


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *