Could Your Body's Defense Be On The Offense?

Monday, March 1, 2004

Could Your Body’s Defense Be On The Offense? (NAPSA)—The body’s defense— the immune system. People trust it to keep them healthy and pro- tect them from the germs and bacteria they encounter every day. But sometimes, the immunesys- tem doesn’t function the way it should. In a class of diseases known as autoimmunediseases, the immunesystem loses its abil- ity to distinguish between “self” and “nonself,” meaning it mistakes the body’s own cells as for- eign and, accordingly, attacks them. Many conditions are classi- fied as autoimmunediseases. One that we often hear about is rheumatoid arthritis. There are others that we tend to hear less about, such as a disease known as Sjogren’s (SHOW-grins) syndrome, which can cause dryness. Sj6gren’s syndromeis a chronic autoimmune disease characterized mainly by dry mouth and dry eye symptoms. In Sjogren’s syn- drome, a certain type of immune system cell destroys the cells of the body’s moisture-producing glands—especially those that produce saliva and tears. Other moisture-producing areas of the body may also be affected, including the skin, sinuses, upper airways, and vaginal tissues. Many people who suffer from other autoimmunedis- eases, such as rheumatoid arthri- tis and systemic lupus erythe- matosus, also have Sjogren’s syndrome and experience the dryness symptoms associated with it. More than 90 percent of Sj6eren’s syndrome sufferers are women with an average age of 50 years. It is estimated that this dis- ease affects one million to four million people in the United a alence figure is difficult to determine because many cases of Sjgren’s syndrome go undiagnosed. In some cases, diagnosis may take up to 10 years. In order to prevent damageto the teeth and eyes, it is important to diagnose Sjgren’s syndrome early. Therefore, pay close attention to dryness symptoms and be aware of other signs of Sjogren’s syndrome, which may include: e Dry mouth —Difficulty chewing, swallow- ing and speaking —Tooth decay, oral sores e Dry eyes —Gritty/sandy feeling in the eye —Sensitivity to bright light e Drynessof the skin, nose An accurate diagnosis of Sj6- eren’s syndrome requires specific tests and evaluation by yourdoctor. SjOgren’s syndromeis a serious autoimmune disease and should not be taken lightly. If you suffer from any of the symptoms discussed above, be sure to talk to your doctor today about treatment options that may help provide relief from your dryness symptoms. Note to Editors: This article was funded and reviewed by Daiichi Pharmaceutical Corporation.

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