Sjogren’s Syndrome- What is Sjögren’s Syndrome?
Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects as many as 4 million Americans. It is often found in conjunction with other autoimmune diseases or related conditions, commonly Raynaud’s phenomenon.
Diagnosing Sjögren’s can be difficult as the symptoms overlap with many other conditions and there is not one single test to confirm this condition’s presence. A combination of laboratory testing and symptom-reporting is currently used to classify Sjögren’s, but further research is needed to determine exact diagnostic criteria.
Sjögren’s Syndrome Symptoms
Do you suspect or know that you have Sjögren’s syndrome? You may experience symptoms such as these:
- Dry eyes and mouth
- Fatigue
- Joint or muscle pain
- Inability to focus or ‘brain fog’
- Dry nose, recurrent sinusitis, nosebleeds
- Dry or peeling lips
- Respiratory issues like shortness of breath, cough
- Vaginal dryness
- Anxiety and depression
Triggers for Sjögren’s Syndrome
What can trigger or fuel Sjögren’s syndrome?
- Gluten sensitivity or other food triggers
- Viral infection such as Epstein Barr virus (EBV)
- Plastics like BPA, phthalates, parabens
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
- Mold toxicity
- Low glutathione status
- Hormonal imbalances
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Leaky gut
- Blood sugar dysfunction
- Low vitamin D
How Can Dr. Autoimmune Help?
Treatments for Sjögren’s may include non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS), corticosteroids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologics, and symptom-suppressing drugs for treating dry eyes and mouth. Each of these treatments, though helpful, incur their own array of risks, especially NSAIDS.
It can be frustrating trying to find help with chronic and complex conditions, which is why we have chosen to dedicate our practice to exactly that. Instead of treating the symptoms, the functional medicine approach focuses on uncovering the causes.
All autoimmune diseases start in the gut. We design custom plans of dietary intervention, supplements and lifestyle recommendations to help heal the gut and support the immune system. In supporting these fundamental functions of the digestive tract we can reduce inflammation and see dramatic changes in symptoms.
Finding the Root Cause
We know that autoimmunity requires 3 things to develop:
- Genetic predisposition
- Leaky gut (a.k.a intestinal permeability)
- An environmental trigger
It All Starts in the Gut!
Our small intestine consists of 25 feet of tubing, the inside surface area being equivalent to that of a doubles tennis court!
Proteins called “tight junctions” prevent a flood of material into the gut. Low vitamin D levels coupled with inflammation in the gut starts to widen the space between cells, allowing materials (bacteria and food) to start seeping through. This triggers inflammation and antibodies are created against our own tissue.
