Rhematology

April is Sjogren’s Awareness Month; Read My Story

Isabel5 Comments

Hello Autoimmune Warriors! I hope you’ve all had a great start to April, despite the coronavirus pandemic that we all find ourselves in. April is actually Sjogren’s Syndrome awareness month, and as such, I wanted to share my own story battling this autoimmune disease here on the blog as well as on social media.

Name: Isabel

Current age: 27

Age when diagnosed: 20

City/State: San Diego, California

Please finish with the following sentence: “Since I was diagnosed with Sjögren’s, I have learned…”

…that self-care is extremely important when you have a chronic illness. After I was first diagnosed, I continued to push myself physically, academically and professionally the way I would have pre-diagnosis. But it’s really important to listen to your body and take it easy sometimes, even if that means it will take longer to accomplish your goals.

What are your most difficult symptoms?

Right now, joint pain, particularly in my hands, is my most challenging symptom. However, eye and mouth dryness, fatigue, and brain fog have been difficult for me as well.

How has Sjögren’s affected your life and how have you been able to effectively cope with the complexity of symptoms?

It takes me longer to accomplish tasks than it did before, due to chronic pain and fatigue. I have to go to the dentist a lot to take care of my oral hygiene, and I see different specialists for each of my symptoms. I also take various medications to cope with symptoms like dryness and joint pain. Other than taking medications, I cope with the symptoms by connecting with others living with the disease on social media and through my blog, autoimmunewarrior.org.

What do you wish people knew about your Sjögren’s?

It’s not just dry eyes and mouth, and even those symptoms can be debilitating if they’re severe enough. This disease involves the whole body, and it’s a lot more than just a small ‘nuisance’, which is what it’s often portrayed to be.

Given recent global events amid the coronavirus/COVID-19, do you have any specific concerns because of Sjögren’s? 

As part of my treatment plan, I take immunosuppressant medication, which I’m afraid puts me at greater risk of not being able to fight off an infection, like COVID-19, if I were to catch it.

What’s your best Sjögren’s tip?

Find a team of medical professionals, including a rheumatologist and dentist, who are knowledgeable about Sjogren’s and have experience treating this disease specifically. Unfortunately, based on personal experience, I’ve found that few medical professionals are truly educated about the impact that Sjogren’s has on patients, so it’s important to connect with those that really understand the complexity of the disease and how it manifests.

Thank you for reading my story! If you’d like to learn more about how I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s, please visit the following article: My Struggle with Autoimmunity: Part 1.

If you’d like to share your own story, please visit the This Is Sjogren’s webpage on the Sjogren’s Foundation website to learn how you can be a part of the #ThisIsSjogrens awareness campaign.

10 Facts about Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Isabel18 Comments

According to the Mayo Clinic, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that occurs when one’s body attacks the synovium (the lining of the membranes surrounding one’s joints). Read on to learn 10 interesting facts about this chronic autoimmune condition.

1. Joint pain is a hallmark of the disease

The John Hopkins Arthritis Center states that pain and swelling of the small joints—such as those in the hands and feet—is a hallmark symptom of the disease. However, any joint in the body can be affected by RA. Other than pain and swelling, the inflammation caused by RA can lead to stiffness, deformity, and even loss of function. Joint damage occurs in 80% to 85% of affected patients, with the majority of the damage occurring in the first two years of developing the disease.

2. RA doesn’t just affect the joints

Although joint pain is the most common symptom, RA affects more that just one’s joints. Other manifestations of the disease include eye inflammation, a low white blood cell count, subcutaneous nodules (skin lesions), fatigue and lung disease. What’s more, RA is known to be associated with a higher risk of lymphoma (a type of cancer), anemia (low iron levels), osteoporosis, and depression.

3. It puts patients at risk for death

Left untreated, RA increases one’s risk of mortality. The John Hopkins Arthritis Center states that untreated individuals with RA are twice as likely to die compared to unaffected individuals of the same age. Furthermore, RA can reduce life expectancy by 10 to 15 years.

4. It’s more common than you think

RA is in fact the most common type of autoimmune arthritis, affecting more than 1.3 million Americans. Approximately 75% of all RA patients are women, and 1-3% of the American female population is predicted to develop the disease over the course of their lifetime.

5. People of all ages can be affected

A common misconception of RA is that it’s an ‘old person disease’. Not true. The onset of the disease most commonly occurs in those ages 30 to 50; however, anyone of any age can develop the condition. Furthermore, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which occurs in those ages 16 and under, currently affects 50,000 children and youth in the U.S. alone.

6. There are other types of arthritis too

RA is mistakenly believed to only affect senior citizens, since it is often confused with osteoarthritis, which occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. Other types of arthritis include psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout. To learn more about each of these different types of arthritis, visit the John Hopkins Arthritis Center’s website.

7. There are multiple risk factors

Although the exact cause of RA is unknown, scientists believe that a combination of genetic and environmental factors may put individuals at a greater risk of developing the disease. Beyond being female and middle-aged, other risk factors include: having a family history of the disease, smoking, exposure to substances like asbestos or silica, and obesity.

8. There are a variety of treatment options

Rheumatologists often prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce the inflammation and pain associated with RA. Other prescription medications that treat RA include corticosteroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and biologic response modifiers. Non-pharmaceutical treatment options include physical therapy, chiropractor treatment, and in some cases, surgery. To read more about these treatment options, visit the RA Support Network website.

9. The prognosis of the disease varies

Some patients with RA report only mild symptoms that place few limitations on their everyday lives. However, other patients experience significant pain and impact on their lives, including their ability to work. One of the main factors that predicts the disease prognosis is early detection. The earlier RA is identified, the sooner it can be effectively treated and joint inflammation and damage can be reduced.

10. There is hope

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, check out the American College of Rheumatology’s patient education videos to learn more about the condition. Additional patient and caregiver resources can be found on their website, including fact sheets, case studies and current news.

Thank you for stopping by Autoimmune Warrior. If this article was informative to you, please like, share, and comment below!

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