To kick start the subject, I'm sure you're asking what a lot of people ask me when I tell them I have Sjogren's (SS). Basically SS is a systemic autoimmune disorder that affects the whole body and can cause dysfunction in major organs in the body.
Hallmark, or benchmark, symptoms are dry eyes, dry mouth, fatigue and joint pain. But, don't be deceived into thinking this is a "harmless" disorder. Just the dry eyes and dry mouth alone can have devastating results. Your eyes can develop ulcers, need silicon plugs to prevent tear loss and go through various changes. Dry mouth can wreck havoc on your teeth causing loss of teeth and tooth decay. Even restorative dental work like crowns can develop cavities! More women than men contract SS, but men are not impervious to SS.
Some of the other areas affected are:
- lungs
- gastrointestinal system
- kidneys
- blood vessels
- and your central nervous system
It's a few days late, but every year April is considered Sjogren's Syndrome Awareness month. The Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation has done an excellent job for years in education, raising awareness, encouraging research and offering support.
Today's resources are links to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation; their "About SS page"; and symptoms page.
Bookmark this website and spend as much time as you can learning all you can about SS. It will be well worth your time and the pay off will be better health care management for you.
© 2015 Beverly Hicks Burch All Rights Reserved.
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