Write An Essay On Sjogren's Disease

Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease where an individual’s own white blood cells attack their own body, specifically their moisture-secreting glands. The cause of Sjogren’s is unknown, but an abnormal immune response occurs where the body’s white blood cells mistakenly attack exocrine glands. Many areas of the body can be affected by this chronic disease. Some of the first noticeable symptoms are dry mouth (xerostomia) due to salivary glands being attacked and dry eyes (xerophthalmia) due to lacrimal glands being attacked. With time, other areas of the body can also be affected such as the joint, kidneys, liver, lungs, skin, and nerves. Although Sjogren’s can occur at any age, it is more common to be diagnosed after 40 years old when symptoms are more noticeable. The dryness that occurs with Sjogren’s may make it

She uses Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash, artificial tears, a special nasal rinse, and sometimes prednisone to suppress inflammation. The special toothpaste and mouthwash is to prevent tooth decay as this can be common with lack of saliva in the mouth. However, none of these medications worked for her better than yoga and meditation which she began to practice a few years after being diagnosed. She realized stress and anxiety were factors in the triggering of her signs and symptoms. She searched the internet for alternative therapies to manage stress and anxiety and found many articles on the benefits of yoga and meditation. Through meditation and yoga, the flare-ups began to lessen. Not only did the flare-ups decrease, but she also felt a reduction in fatigue. Stress has much potential harm when it comes to the human body. There have been links that have been made between stress and immune diseases. In the immune system, stress can lead to exacerbations in signs and symptoms such as with an autoimmune disease such as Sjogren’s