Sjögren's is a long-term autoimmune issue that can occur with other immune ailments like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Along with the symptoms of extensive dryness, other serious complications include profound fatigue, chronic pain, significant organ involvement, neuropathies, and lymphomas.
As a systemic disease affecting the entire body, symptoms can remain steady or worsen over time. While there is not yet a cure for Sjögren's, natural treatments can complement conventional treatment by easing symptoms and improving quality of life.
A Holistic Approach to Managing Sjögren's Symptoms
Holistic health and wellness practices can help you manage your Sjögren's symptoms without the side effects associated with some conventional medicines. Natural therapies can often be used in conjunction with traditional methods to provide additional relief. Always talk to your doctor first, but there are a few natural care options to consider.
- Prioritize sleep: Sleep deprivation is a major source of stress on the body that can increase inflammation and contribute to Sjögren's flare-ups. Prioritize sleep by keeping a regular sleep schedule and practicing good sleep hygiene (sleep behavior and environment habits that are conducive to sleeping well on a regular basis).
- Reduce stress: Like sleep, acute and chronic stress can affect inflammation. Find ways to reduce stress that support your Sjögren's diagnosis, such as practicing meditation or prayer, gentle exercise, and mindfulness.
- Eat whole foods: The symptoms of Sjögren's can make it difficult or uncomfortable to eat certain foods, and some foods can trigger symptoms like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Individuals with Sjögren’s should follow healthy eating guidelines and aim to include plenty of plant foods, fiber, lean protein, and healthy fats.
- Balance hormones: Balancing hormone levels like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, as well as insulin resistance, is essential for optimal health, but even more so if you’re battling an autoimmune condition. Hormones act as chemical messengers, delivering cues to your body that regulate everything from mood to metabolism. While they are not direct triggers for autoimmune disease, they act as assistants, and depending on their balance, can impact inflammation levels. Conventional doctors aren’t always inclined to assess hormone levels, so working with a specialist (like a functional medicine provider) may be beneficial.
- Eliminate environmental toxins: Exposure to environmental toxins, like chemicals and mold, can strain the body and impact autoimmune disease symptoms. Identify and avoid toxic exposures, including household, water, and air toxins. Possible household toxins (like PFOA, phthalates, and parabens) can be found in cookware, cleaning products, shower curtains, furniture, carpet, skin care products, perfumes, and other common items. These chemicals release harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air and can disrupt your endocrine system (the system that creates and releases hormones) which can mimic or block the natural hormones your body makes.
- Fix gut issues: Sjögren’s syndrome affects mucous membranes, and the gut is particularly vulnerable to the effects of this autoimmune disease. Gut disruption (gut dysbiosis) can impact your symptoms because your immune system is influenced by gut bacteria. Improve your gut health by taking supplements (like probiotics) and eating a diet that supports a healthy digestive tract. Your physician can help you create a gut-healthy plan that supports your symptoms and diagnosis.
- Manage dryness: Dry eye is one of the most common symptoms of Sjögren’s. Certain supplements, like fish oil, are known to reduce inflammation, and some studies suggest that the omega-3 composition of fish oil supplements can reduce dry eyes.
If you have Sjögren's and want to learn more about the condition and management, visit PatientWing’s condition page.
