Our office relocation is underway, which means there may be a short delay in sending out post for up to 7 working days from Thursday 4th December. Responses to voice messages and social media comments may also take a little longer than usual during this time.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.
Please note that orders may be delayed, and we ask for your continued patience as we work to resolve the issue.
Our helpline will continue to operate as normal, and if there are any changes, we’ll let you know straight away.
We’re really excited about this move, it will allow us to support our members on an even greater level. Thank you for your patience and understanding while we settle into our new space.
Sjögren’s (SHOW-grins)
is the UK’s second most common autoimmune rheumatic disease, yet the condition remains under recognised and frequently under treated. It does not command a high profile within the medical profession, and the general public is largely unaware of the problems faced by sufferers.
In reality, Sjögren’s can be a debilitating, distressing and miserable condition.
-
It affects approximately 0.6%
of adults in the UK, with a mean age of 50 years - 90% of patients are women
In Sjögren’s the secretory glands that produce saliva, tears, vaginal, and other secretions develop a form of inflammation. As a result of this, these glands stop working leading to dry eyes, dry mouth, dry skin, dry vagina and dryness of the gastrointestinal tract. These features, as well as being very uncomfortable and unpleasant, mean sufferers may have difficulty swallowing dry foods. Dryness of the large bowel can cause symptoms similar to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The clinical presentation of Sjögren’s is variable, but typical early symptoms include:
- Dry itchy, irritated eyes
- Joint pain and muscle aches
- Disabling fatigue
- Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
- Low mood, irritability and impaired concentration
GENERAL
BODY
EYES
HEAD
MOUTH
ORGANS
