Arthritis is one of the diseases in the world that afflicts a significant section of the global adult population. The human being could get afflicted by various types of arthritis that could lead to life threatening medical complications. One of the diseases or medical problems associated with arthritis is Sjogren’s syndrome. Here you would be able to gather information on various matters related to Sjogren’s syndrome.
What is Sjogren’s Syndrome?
It is a disease discovered by Henrik Sjogren during the 20th century. The disease is characterized by dryness of the mouth and eyes. The disease affects the autoimmune system of the body. Though it could occur independently in a patient as a primary condition, there have been cases where the disease occurred as an effect of another medical problem like arthritis. Treatments are available for this inflammatory disease.
Who could get affected?
This is one of the diseases that could affect any person, from young children to the adults. But various studies have revealed that the women are more prone to the risk of developing the Sjogren’s syndrome problem. In the US, about 2% of the population has been diagnosed with the disease. A majority of the patients suffering from this particular medical condition fall in the age group of 45-55 years. Estimates indicate that 50% of the patients also have complaints of rheumatoid arthritis or some other tissue disease.
Complications
In some of the rare cases, Sjogren’s syndrome could lead to various complications in the patient. The patients could have complaints of pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints. These complications could occur even in those patients who are not suffering from problems like rheumatoid arthritis. Some of the other complications of the disease include rashes, lung or kidney inflammation and lymphoma. It is necessary for the patients to guard themselves against all these complications brought on by Sjogren’s syndrome.
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Tests and Treatment
Various tests are conducted to diagnose Sjogren’s syndrome. Some of the tests which the patients may have to undergo include Schirmer, Slit Lamp Exam and Lip Biopsy. The mouth and eyes are the body parts that are examined for diagnosing the disease. The treatment for the problem could vary from one patient to another. The treatment primarily involves taking care of the symptoms exhibited by the patient. With proper rest and medication, the patient could expect to get relieved from the disease.
arthritisxl.com provides an overview about Sjogren’s syndrome.
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