Celebrities With Sjogrens Syndrome: Venus Williams, Nina Rawls, Shannon Boxx. What is Sjogren’s Syndrome? How common is it? What are the clues that a person may have this condition? And who of our favorite famous people are living with the condition?
According to the NHS website (nhs.uk), Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disorder whereby a person’s immune system, instead of protecting the body from illness or infection, attacks said person’s glands that secrete fluid, such as the tear and saliva. This reduces “the production of tears and saliva, causing the main symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome, which are dry eyes and dry mouth”.
Sjogren’s syndrome is the third most common rheumatic autoimmune disorder behind only rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus according to wikipedia. There is no definitive data on its prevalence but some reports state that the condition affects up to 3% of the population. According to the Sjogren Syndrome Foundation, as many as 4 million Americans are living with this disease.
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