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.
Sjögren's syndrome can sometimes lead to complications. For example, your eyesight could be permanently damaged if the reduced tear production isn't treated. Sjögren's syndrome also increases your risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a cancer of the lymph glands.
The SSA lists Sjogren's syndrome as a recognized disability, but people who are diagnosed with the disorder must meet the eligibility criteria in order to qualify for benefits.
The condition may progress slowly, so the typical symptoms of dry eyes and mouth may take years to show. However, rapid onset can also occur. Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and the progression is often unpredictable.
Life expectancy and primary Sjogren's syndrome
Life expectancy in primary Sjogren's syndrome is comparable to that of the general population, but it can take up to seven years to correctly diagnose Sjogren's. Although life expectancy is not typically affected, patients' quality of life is, and considerably.
While Sjogren's patients overall experience higher than expected mortality, most can expect to live a normal lifespan.
The lymphoaggressive nature of the disease appears to lead SS patients from stage I to II and from stage II to III. However, stage III patients made up only 5% of SS patients. Many patients remain stable in stages I or II for as long as 10 or 20 years.
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.
Liver Fibrosis. The autoimmune destruction of exocrine glands that occurs in SS often extends to non-exocrine organs. Liver involvement was one of the main extra-glandular events reported in patients with SS [45,46].
Venus Williams Has Sjögren's Syndrome
After winning her first round in the U.S. Open tennis tournament at age 31 in the summer of 2011, this tennis legend withdrew from play and announced she had Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes extensive dryness, fatigue, and chronic pain.
For Sjögren's patients, an optimal range of humidity is between 55% and 60% regardless of the ambient temperature. You can monitor the humidity in your home with a simple humidistat.
You will have to prove that your Sjögren's (in combination with any other physical or mental impairments you may have) prevents you from working at any of your past jobs, or in any other job on a full-time basis (or, if you are 50 or older, that you are unable to perform physically demanding jobs).
Avoiding foods that tend to exacerbate symptoms including alcohol, caffeine, acidic foods, and spicy foods.
Research shows people with Sjögren's syndrome are about 5 times more likely to get non-Hodgkin lymphoma than people who do not have the condition. But the chances of getting it are still small. See a GP if you have symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, such as: painless swollen glands, usually in your neck, armpit or groin.
Chronic stress and stressful life events can trigger autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease. One study also found that multiple stressful events may be a risk factor for developing primary Sjögren's syndrome, but the link is less well-studied.
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. Sjögren's syndrome predominantly affects women.
If Sjögren's syndrome isn't treated appropriately, significant, long-term complications could result that affect your eyes, mouth, lungs, kidneys, liver or lymph nodes — complications including blindness, significant dental destruction and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Patients with pSS have an increased risk of newly diagnosed depressive and/or anxiety disorders and sleep disorders that may impair their quality of life [4,13,14]. Moreover, unpredictable course of the disease and increased risk of developing lymphoma may additionally affect psychological status of pSS patients [15].
Sjögren's syndrome is no exception; people with this disease have been shown to be at higher risk of psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders. However, exact rates vary based on a number of factors, such as sex and age, and these haven't always been taken into account in previous studies.
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 Sjögren's syndrome experience chronic dryness of the eyes and mouth as well as other parts of the body, and thus have a hampered ability to cry.
Age: Most people who are diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome are 40 or older, but it can affect younger individuals, including children. Gender: Women are as much as 10 times more likely to develop Sjögren's syndrome than men. This imbalance may be related to the effect of sex hormones on a woman's immune system.
A Spanish study including 1045 pSS patients found that 115 (11%) patients died after a mean follow-up of 117 months, with an adjusted standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 4.66 compared with the general population [5]. Several other studies also drew a similar conclusion with SMR in the range 1.47–2.11 [6–9].
The damage to salivary glands in Sjogren's syndrome cannot be reversed, but the symptoms can be controlled and, rarely, the disease goes into remission. There are two forms of Sjogren's syndrome: The primary disease occurs when you experience dry eyes and a dry mouth.