10 Signs of Sjogren's Syndrome - a very complex autoimmune disease

Sjogren's Syndrome is an autoimmune disease hard to diagnose. Not many people, including doctors are familiar with this disease. Here, I will discuss the most common 10 manifestations of Sjogren's Syndrome from dry eyes and mouth, arthritis, joint pain, to lung disease, heart disease, neurological manifestations to fatigue, depression, fibromyalgia and many more.

#sjogren #signsandsymptoms #autoimmunedisease

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:58 Who is affected by Sjogren's Syndrome?
01:24 Dryness- eyes, mouth, skin, vaginal in Sjogren's Syndrome
03:36 Joint and muscle pain in Sjogren's Syndrome
05:03 Lung Disease in Sjogren's Syndrome
06:40 Neurologic manifestations in Sjogren's Syndrome
07:29 Heart disease in Sjogren's Syndrome
07:57 Gastrointestinal tract in Sjogren's Syndrome
08:30 Kidney Disease in Sjogren's Syndrome
09:10 Depression, fatigue and Fibromyalgia
09:55 Hematologic manifestations
11:15 Lymphoma Risk in Sjogren's Syndrome

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👩🏻‍⚕️ About me:
Dr Diana Girnita is a double board certified physician in rheumatology and internal medicine. She completed a PhD in immunology, a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, immunology fellowship at University of Pittsburgh and rheumatology fellowship at University of Cincinnati. Dr. Girnita graduated from the Nutrition Science course from Stanford University and a Mindfulness course from The University of Massachusetts; She is the founder & CEO of Rheumatologist OnCall, a practice focused on broadening access to rheumatology and offering patients an integrative medicine approach.
Dr. Girnita teaches patients about autoimmune disease, arthritis and also helps them customized their treatment plans. Dr. Girnita is passionate about rheumatoid arthritis. The treatment plan is personalized to the patients needs and incorporates the proper nutrition, exercise and management of stress. After all,
"You have a disease, but YOU are not the disease"

** The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a medical consultation. Any comments and/or recommendations made in the comment section by anyone other than Rheumatologist OnCall does not reflect our opinion or recommendation.**

[rheumatologistoncall]

check out my new video about best foods for Sjogren's Syndrome

[fayjohnstone]

It's wonderful to hear someone acknowledgeing all the aspects of SS. It's disheartening to be dismissed by others who believe SS is only dry mouth and eyes. One feels unfairly labelled as either a hyperchondriac or as having mental illness for just trying to get some relief. Families don't understand as they are told it is nothing. So we endure trying to find our own answers in the absence of any medical compassion, advice or meaningful interventions. Thank you.

[ngyxkoy]

My Grandmother had this disease in 1954, Drs from all over the World came to study her. She allowed many painful tests to help them understand.
She also had Amaloydosis, (wrong spelling) very little was known about these diseases. She died very young, but I am proud that she was able to help. I miss her every day… she was a beautiful brave flower in the garden of life.

[sandraleigh]

Thank you for this information. I have had Sjogren's for decades, and some symptoms are getting worse as I get older. At times, I have felt like I was going crazy and that I would never feel "good" again. No one wants to hear about your complaints. It's lonely.

[ehjohn]

So many Drs need to watch this video. I get so tired of hearing ER Dr, and other specialists say to me once they read my records that I have sjogren's and that's "oh you get dry mouth and eyes." Many Drs believe that's it. So frustrating especially when you're sick and seeking help.

[LoveMusic-pdiz]

Well put together, informative and perfect pacing. I was diagnosed with Sjogren's over 20 years ago and learned more about this disorder in 13 minutes than in all those years.

[chobers]

Thank you. You've explained so much. My Mom had it and I knew very little at the time about it. I thought it was just having a dry mouth and nobody else talked about this disease. Recently she passed from liver disease so it is serious indeed. She suffered a great deal during her lifetime but seldom complained. She was a gem and I miss her.

[ammnoydb]

Thank you for posting this.
My mother had 'severe' Sjogren's. Misdiagnosed initially as asthma, it lost her her job and complications from it ultimately killed her. It is, so far as I know, the least known of the auto-immune syndromes. It's great to see a Doctor sharing the symptoms with the wider public.
My heart goes out to any sufferers as I know how debilitating this, and its oftentimes concomitant conditions, can be. Stay strong and tell your GP / any doctor, ALL of your symptoms, even if you think they're unrelated. ❤

[littlelucky]

My son was diagnosed at 15 for this. They retested him 5 times because they said it was impossible for a young male to have it. To this day most doctors brush him and his medical problems off.

[wrmlm]

Watch OUT for dry mouth!!! It will ruin YOUR TEETH! I ignored it for years and despite good care, I am now fighting to keep my remaining teeth. Please do NOT ignore this symptom! I watched this for the info on dry mouth just for my own info as I do NOT have Sjogren's:)

[annegreen]

I was diagnosed with Sjogren's about 25 yrs ago. My symptoms manifested after pregnancy (I was only 18 then) & deteriorated after each subsequent pregnancy. The Drs I deal with dismiss it as cosmetic & nothing but a mild inconvenience. The reality is that my life was devastated by it; constant pain, joint swelling & arthritis, sublixating joints, weakness, fatigue, dry mouth to point of choking when eating, losing teeth because of damage from dry mouth, chest pain, breathing issues etc, etc. I was virtually bed bound for years & it still takes monumental willpower just to get up each morning because of the pain I suffer. I've met absolutely no health professional here who recognise it as a serious condition & have been made to feel like a neurotic hypochondriac for most of my life. I was so encouraged to watch your video & actually see a Dr that recognised this as a legitimate serious condition that can be utterly devastating. Thank you for the information.

[flouncymom]

I am newly diagnosed, turned out i was misdiagnosed for years and all it required was a blood test. Well, and a new rheumatologist. This was very helpful, I think there's a huge lack of understanding about how complex and serious SS is, even among medical professionals.

[BettaChristina]

My mom passed away last November, she had all the symptoms (except the lymphoma). Never diagnosed with SS, her doctor hasn't done much for her sadly enough. I am glad her suffering is over but I miss her very much. I just wish she had a good doctor like you are. Thank you for the information.

[belovedchaos]

Thank you for this informative video. I find my experience Sjogrens is hard because it’s not well known. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis or lupus or even MS, Sjogrens falls under the radar a a lot of times. It’s wonderful to see a doctor explain it so clearly and concisely! Thank you

[deborahkemp]

I am new on the road of Sjogrens and lots of other autoimmune issues. Diagnosed 6 years ago after a lifetime of being told, you are getting older, this in my 30's. You are too heavy, lose weight, it will solve your problems. I lost 75 pounds, most through illnesses, some through diet, exercise. It did not solve all of the problems. Finally, I went on vacation and came home, 4 days later my sister came for a 2 week stay. Needless to say, I was exhausted. My Parotid glands swelled like walnuts. Went to a younger doctor in my clinic, who is also an Internal Medicine doctor. She took one look, and started the massive amounts of testing they finally did. I found a delightful Rheumatologist that did most of the confirmation of Sjogrens. I have a great Pulmonologist, Opthomologist, Dermatologist, Rheumatologist and a few others that keep me going and listen. I don't know what the future holds, but am a guinea pig for all testing, some new meds, studies and a y way I can further the knowledge of Sjogrens to the world. The Sjogren's Foundation is a wealth of info, great support, and a way to see new treatments, beneficial products geared towards Sjogrens sufferers. Take back as much control of your life as you can, live each day as it comes. Everyday we get closer to solutions to our issues. Thank you for your understanding and time. Good luck and best wishes to any that are still reading this.

[lilwil-nsuo]

I was diagnosed with Sjogren's in 1986. There are people who actually have told me I'm faking it. It is painful and a daily challenge. I also have diabetes which exacerbates so many of these symptoms. It's real and never ends. I wish more people were educated on this syndrome.

[ginayedinak]

I think it's amazing how many SS patients and their loved ones have never been exposed to this information! It looks like we all need to share these videos with our own rheumatologist so that we have a chance of a normal life.

[lancednalrevah]

As a young boy, (12 yrs old), I continually would suffer from “swollen glands” that the very much resembled the mumps. In my mid twenties I started getting out of chairs like a stiff old man. I worked hard and just figured everyone felt like this and I just needed to suck it up. I was finally diagnosed with sjogren and SFN in my early 50s. I look normal but feel like hell! Mad respect for anyone suffering with this!

[angieburns]

Thanks for creating this great video. I will definitely be sharing it. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Sjogrens in 2019. Since then, Rheumatoid/Osteo Arthritis and Lupus have been added to the list. I do have degenerative changes already in my hips, feet, fingers and shoulders from the RA. I experience a lot of the symptoms you have mentioned. My Rheumatologist is knowledgeable with the disease but it was joining a support group on Facebook that really helped me understand it better and more importantly, know that I wasn't alone.

With Sjogrens, it doesn't just stop with a couple symptoms. It's always something new and new diseases showing up. It's never just "if" more develops, it's when and what. I dread my springtime blood work and x-rays because every time there is something new to be added.

It is hard for a lot of people (and some Doctors) to understand that this disease is way more than just the dryness. The dryness is definitely a big thing though. I wake up with my mouth and throat so dry that I can taste blood from my very sore throat. My biggest symptoms aside from the dryness is moderate to severe joint and muscle pains along with frequent headaches and migraines.

I think we "Sjogies" sometimes find that it's hard for others to accept what they don't understand and to do our best to teach them. That seems to be one of the biggest complaints is that family, friends and Doctors don't understand it and it leaves the person feeling alone, ashamed, useless and a burden.

More Sjogrens awareness needs to be shared.

[melenelewis]

Thank you so much for this information .... I was diagnosed with sjorgrens in 1998 ...before that I thought I had mumps when my glands got so swollen! When the diagnosis was confirmed by a physician he even kept photos of the swelling to keep for his own reference books! I have been hospitalized twice when I was totally unable to walk and have since realized what is happening instead of panicking when I have bad symptoms. I went through a period of choking for no apparent reason, unable to breath ...my husband did the hymlich maneuver which got the air into my lungs again....very scary ! I am now 68 years old living a happy active life when I am able to and relaxing and trying not to be stressed when I am not well. Strangely enough, I have found that carrot and apple smoothies and sleep aid a quick recovery from a day in pain ( I don't like smoothies usually!) I share these experiences in the hope that it will help others. I am So pleased to see that you are putting information like this on utube as I have struggled through many years when most medical professionals didn't even know about sjorgrens. Fortunately I have a GP who was willing to seek out information sothat he could understand the diagnosis better. Thank you 😊