Recap What is Sjogrens?
Sjogren's syndrome is a disease that causes dryness in your mouth and eyes. It can also lead to dryness in other places that need moisture, such as your nose, throat and skin. Most people who get Sjogren's syndrome are older than 40. Nine of 10 are women. Sjogren's syndrome is sometimes linked to rheumatic problems such asrheumatoid arthritis.
Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease. If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system, which is supposed to fight disease, mistakenly attacks parts of your own body. In Sjogren's syndrome, your immune system attacks the glands that make tears and saliva. It may also affect your joints, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, digestive organs and nerves. The main symptoms are:
- Dry eyes
- Dry mouth
Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
The cause of Sjögren's syndrome is not known, but it is considered an autoimmune disorder.
Normally, the immune system acts to protect the body from external threats like germs. When a person has an autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks the body instead.
If you have Sjögren's syndrome, this attack typically starts with your moisture-producing glands, which are called the exocrine glands. You need healthy exocrine glands to produce saliva and tears. These glands also produce moisture needed in the vaginal area, and in the gastrointestinal tract (stomach and intestine) and respiratory tract (airway and lungs). If your exocrine glands fail to create enough moisture, you may experience a number of uncomfortable symptoms.
People with this disease have abnormal proteins in their blood suggesting that their immune system, which normally functions to protect the body against cancers and invading infections, is reacting against their own tissue. The decreased production of tears and saliva seen in Sjögren's syndrome occurs when the glands that produce these fluids are damaged by inflammation. Research suggests that genetic factors and possibly viral infections (as yet unidentified) may predispose people to developing this condition.
Researchers think Sjögren's syndrome is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Several different genes appear to be involved, but scientists are not certain exactly which ones are linked to the disease since different genes seem to play a role in different people. For example, there is one gene that predisposes Caucasians to the disease. Other genes are linked to Sjögren's in people of Japanese, Chinese and African American descent. However simply having one of these genes will not cause a person to develop the disease. Some sort of trigger must activate the immune system.
http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?con=623
Now to the latest attack if destrouing my teeth, having glands forever swollen that at times can throb for hours and no amount of pain medication stops it, my only recourse is first massaging it out and if that doesn't work a prescription of Predisone. My sinus continue to drain 24-7 something that began in 2008 when I started Chemo and hasn't ended, it drains down my throat phlegm constantly changing color clear, white, yellow, green then start all over again.. It flows down creating other issues coughing as the phlegm gets stuck in my dry throat, or makes it down to my stomach upsetting it and if it is in the morning I will end up throwing it up causes it sends me into a coughing fit that results in anything in the stomach coming up and if there isn't anything than hello stomach acid. For the most part I am use to the sinus infections and increase sleep when I realize an infection is trying to start, I have to keep a close eye cause Brochitis and Walking Pneumia are two of my new best friends, looking back thru my medical journal we have determined I have had Sjogren's since I was 6 months old. I was plagued with ear infections since I was born and constantly have swollen Eustachian tubes that effected my hearing during my early years that resulted in intense Speech Therapy in Elementary school that was suppose to continue till I graduated but the fact I was shipped off to Tabernacle an almost hour bus trip to school that didn't have the money for a Speech therapist and at that time the plant my dad had worked at for 15 years had closed meaning no money for a private tutor. I would learn in my last year in college that I qualified and could have gotten assistance in college, after a professor asked if English was my 2nd language, I said no and said I had been in speech therapy, apparently I never learned certain syllables due to decrease in hearing at certain levels. As the years have passed my immune system has chipped away at my hearing if English isn't your first language, best text me, and if your from India like most computer help lines don't even bother calling.
I have to wait till next month to make an appointment to get my ear's checked at the ENT since my Eustachian tubes are swollen shut and sinus are draining, then off to Dermatology to figure out what is causing red spots with intense itching when I go outside and sweat just a little. Staying inside and limiting water and anything else that is a chemical or has perfume off my skin, so much better no more red, cracked, painful hands. It sucks though since I love the outdoors and the beach but at this point is my enemy.
Now to the latest victim of Sjogren's my Eye's, there is no way to describe the pain caused when one's eye is dry, and having to wear glasses when ever you are up and especially when going outside. My oncologist jaw dropped when I read off the list of shit that has happened since she saw me in April.
Dry Eye Syndrome (DES)
Still waiting for the Surgical Girl to call about setting up my appointment to get all 4 tear ducts cauterized, yes this can be done in office with numbing agents and needles. Let's just say my experience with this didn't go over well many of you may have read my posts on facebook about those adventures. .
I am looking over my paperwork the new system UNC has implemented to see what exactly is going on with my eyes, the constant which is the Primary symptom of Dry Eye that is listed all reports then starting in April in order:
Visit 1
Dry mouth and eyes
Dry eye Syndrome
Disorder of Eye Region
Posterior bepharitis
Plugs removed, scratch on cornea found, in office cauterization of top tear ducts, Numbing worked good, didn't feel the needles but sure felt the burning of the dang torch. Felt like I was in a horror movie a orange ember coming towards my eye and burning skin smell...ugh...
Visit 2
Dry mouth and eyes
Dry Eye Syndrome
Eye Disorder
Sty, Internal
Tear ducts reopened, cauterization of bottom tear ducts in office. This time around they left the numbing gauze in too long which irritated and dried my already dry eyes out, and the needles nothing like feeling the pinch of a needle in your EYE..............Will not be awake ever again for this procedure, although I didn't feel the burn this time if that is any compensation.
Visit 3
Disorder of cornea of eye-Primary
Dry eye syndrome
Inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva of eye
Discovered Tear Ducts have reopened AGAIN
The nurses were a little taken back at how laid back I was considering how bad my eyes are, and the level of pain they cause. My reply there isn't anything I can do about it, and when you have been dealing with the "bad news" that you hear rolling out of the doctors mouth since 2008, you come to a point of saying whatever.
For the most part I am stuck inside tell the sunsets or the clouds and rain take over which sucks. My eyes are constantly gritty, burning, throbbing, light sensitive which is exasperated due to 2 drugs whose side effects are wait...........may cause Light Sensitivity...Really?
I guess my anthem or entrance music should be "I wear my sunglasses at night..so I..."
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