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Different Types Of Sjögren's Syndrome

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The immune system is meant to fight disease by killing off harmful viruses and bacteria, but with autoimmune diseases, your immune system attacks parts of your own body by mistake. Sjögren's syndrome was first identified in 1933 by Dr. Henrik Sjögren, a rare disorder of the immune system, has been proven to affect virtually every racial and ethnic group [1]. The immune system attacks the glands that make tears and saliva. The damage keeps these glands from working right and causes dry eyes and dry mouth. Doctors still do not know the exact cause of Sjögren’s syndrome, but they think it may be caused by a combination of genes and exposure to a virus or bacteria [2].
There are two types of Sjögren’s syndrome - primary and secondary. When Sjögren’s syndrome occurs by itself, it is called primary Sjögren’s syndrome and when it develops in someone who has another autoimmune disease it is called secondary Sjögren’s syndrome. About half of the time Sjögren’s occurs alone (primary), and the other half (secondary) occurs in the presence of …show more content…

Diagnosis involves a complete medical history and physical examination but since symptoms of Sjögren’s mimic other conditions and diseases, Sjögren’s can often be disregarded or misdiagnosed [3]. In some cases, the doctor may want to biopsy the saliva glands. Although many patients experience dry eyes and dry mouth, Sjögren’s also cause dysfunction of organs such as the kidneys, gastrointestinal system, blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas, and the central nervous system. There is also a higher risk of developing lymphoma and as many as four million Americans are living with this disease. With up to four million Americans suffering from Sjögren’s, it is one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases. Nine out of ten patients are women and on average, it takes nearly three years to receive a diagnosis of Sjögren’s

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