Health
Midlife Condition Mistaken for Menopause
ThirdAge Reproductive Expert
What occurs in women around ages 40-50 and is associated with fatigue, vaginal dryness, headache, joint pain, and dry skin, mouth and eyes? If you guessed menopause, guess again. The answer is Sjogren's (pronounced "show-grins").
Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own moisture-producing glands. Many women and their physicians often mistake this condition for early menopause.
A recent survey conducted for the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation shows that patients suffer for an average of six years before being accurately diagnosed.
"Research shows that hundreds of thousands of women may be undiagnosed and untreated, and this latest survey shows that many are suffering needlessly," says Alexis Stegemann, executive director of the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation.
"We need to more aggressively inform women that these 'dryness' symptoms -- often dismissed as normal 'aging' -- may indicate Sjogren's and need to be treated," Stegemann advises.
If left untreated, the syndrome can lead to kidney, lung and liver damage. The survey also found that up to 33 percent of individuals had to limit their participation in recreational and social functions and reported a negative impact on their romantic relationships.
Sjogren's syndrome remains an incurable disease, and there are no treatments that can reverse the course of the illness. However, there are drugs that can ameliorate some of the symptoms and prevent organ damage.
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