My Auto-Immune Diagnosis

So last Tuesday the rheumatologist confirmed I do in fact have an auto-immune (AI) disease.

After all the research I’d been doing, I was increasingly suspicious I might have Sjogren’s (pronounced “show-grins”) & based on a combination of my symptoms and test results, my doctor came to this conclusion too. Some of my joint signs/symptoms are still under investigation though (next stop, MRI) as they don’t quite match the usual profile of joint problems associated with Sjogren’s. Fingers crossed for some answers there soon.

So, what is Sjogren’s exactly?

Sjogren’s is a systemic condition where your own immune system attacks the secretory glands in your body (e.g. tear ducts, salivary glands, skin, joints etc). This can ultimately affect nearly all areas & organs of the body, although it’s most well-known for the “Sicca” symptoms it produces (aka dry eyes & mouth). Unfortunately it’s not a particularly well-known or understood condition, and even many doctors are still under the impression it’s a relatively ‘mild’ AI condition that doesn’t involve much more than those ‘annoying but relatively benign’ sicca symptoms mentioned above.

In reality, it’s so much more than that…

Common symptoms can include:

• Swollen/inflamed salivary glands

• Unusually high rates of tooth decay & tooth loss (at least I know why my teeth keep deteriorating no matter what I do to try & stop it!)

• Significant joint & muscle pain

• Chronic sinus problems

• Peripheral neuropathy/Raynaud’s syndrome

• Brain-fog & excessive fatigue

• Kidney, lung &/or liver dysfunction

• Sensitivity to the sun (excessive burning &/or rash following sun exposure)

• IBS & Digestive symptoms (at least I don’t have these!!)

• Increased risk of lymphoma (cancer)

(If you’d like to see more, check out the Sjogren’s Foundation here)

It was pretty confronting knowing this is now my reality, and looking back, likely has been my reality for the last 5-10 years. Lots of emotions to process, including a sense of relief that there’s an actual reason for some of these things that’ve been happening in my body.

In spite of this, I’ve got to admit my first thought back when my GP suggested I might have an AI condition was, “HOW could I develop an AI disease?” I mean, my diet is already so good haha!!!

The reality is though, like a lot of other chronic illnesses (e.g. Alzheimer’s, Autism Spectrum Disorders, & mental health conditions etc), there’s a whole lot of risk factors that can lead to developing them. And quite frankly, when I look back at my own health timeline, the more appropriate question would be, “HOW did it take this LONG for me to develop an AI condition?”

So what are some of these risk factors?

• Genetics - many AI conditions have a genetic component, so having family members with AI conditions can increase your own risk of developing one (interestingly, not necessarily the same AI condition though…)

• Certain infections, including Epstein-Barr Virus (which causes glandular fever), herpes simplex and cytomegalovirus to name a few of the most common

• Heavy metal exposure, including mercury (dental amalgams anyone?), lead (found in old paint & soil, especially roadside thanks to the old leaded petrol) and cadmium (found in cigarette smoke) etc

• Other environmental toxins & chemicals - these can come from anywhere & everywhere including our food, cooking tools & utensils, skin/hair/body products, furniture, water supply, and even the air we breathe! (Reality check - we live in a modern world & it’s almost impossible to avoid these completely so my best advice for everyone in general is to start taking small, manageable steps to reduce the chemicals in your life & gradually build from there.)

• Dysbiosis & impaired gut-barrier function (aka intestinal permeability or “leaky gut”) which can be caused by a whole range of things including antibiotics & other medications, modern ultra-processed diets, stress, gluten etc.

(Note: Never stop/avoid taking prescribed medications without discussing your concerns with your doctor, sometimes you just need to take them & work on restoring gut health again later.)

The good news is, I have a whole range of tools in my belt which I can use to tackle my AI situation head on, starting with looking into the Auto-Immune Protocol (AIP) diet which has some good evidence for significantly reducing symptoms & potentially even overall disease activity (although, as with most ‘natural’ health therapies, more research is desperately needed in this field.)

I also plan on ordering a few functional pathology tests for myself so I can get a clearer picture of what’s happening with my gut & immune system which will help me target my strategies according to my individual situation.

So stay tuned if you’d like to see how this goes, or feel free to reach out if you have any questions xx