Dryness of the mouth results from an inadequate flow of saliva. Saliva coats and lubricates tissues in the mouth. Saliva helps cleanse the mouth and begins the digestive process with chewing. Drying irritates the soft tissues in the mouth, which can make them inflamed and more susceptible to infection.
Severe dry mouth can promote the growth of harmful organisms. Oral candidiasis, a fungal infection, has been reported to occur in up to 80 percent of SS patients. Without the cleansing and shielding effects of adequate salivary flow, caries tooth decay and periodontal gum disease become common problems. Constant dryness and the lack of protection provided by saliva contribute to bad breath. Often SS patients experience changes and reduction in taste, as well as, burning sensation in the mouth.
Dry mouth can cause difficulties in chewing, swallowing and speaking. Dry mouth also causes dentures to become less comfortable because there is no thin film of saliva to help them adhere properly to oral tissues. There are numerous saliva substitutes on the market that can be prescribed, but artificial saliva is not a perfect substitute for natural saliva, which is complex physically and chemically. Not only is water sipping the most cost-effective means of improving oral moisture in the short-term, it has the added advantage of contributing to improved hydration.
Sipping water continually during the day using a water bottle with a straw-type top is ideal. Using saliva stimulants, such as, chewing sugar-free gum Gum sweetened with xylitol has been shown to reduce cavities and sucking on sugar-free candy can be helpful for increasing saliva flow. Good oral hygiene practices are particular important: brushing, flossing and using a fluoride rinse.
She has been amazingly able to continue to play tennis at a high level and even improve her game and stay competitive with her sister Serena. Venus Williams is a shining example and spokesperson for Sjogren's syndrome. Williams said she felt great and hopes to ride her comeback all the way to the Olympics. She's not sure yet when she'll be up for singles competition. I try not to put pressure on myself. By blanking Belarus in World Group II, the Americans head to a playoff in April in hopes of playing their way back into the top tier of the Fed Cup, from which they were bounced last year.
Serena Williams already had guaranteed a U. Serena blew a lead in the opening set and slammed her racket on the court after one point, then recovered in the next two sets. She didn't allow a point in two straight games of the final set. She has been hospitalized four times, although all admissions except one were after she was diagnosed with AIDS. She was first hospitalized with pneumonia a month after her birth.
I don't want my family to be sad all the time. But even she succumbs now and then. Her father said she sometimes gets angry about having to take her medicine and screams, "I wish I were dead already! Whitney's sister, Becky, 7, says she pesters her sibling to take her medicine all the time. She is expected to be started on rifabutin, a new drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration this year. The hope is that rifabutin will fight the onset of a blood infection called Mycobacterium avium complex, which causes severe symptoms in the final stages of AIDS.
Bruce Williams said he and his wife are particularly frustrated that "the Cook County Health Department hasn't done more to investigate the virus' transmission to Whitney. Stephanie Smith, director of communicable disease control with the Cook County Department of Public Health, said an investigation has been under way for months and information has been forwarded to the CDC. Smith said the county has investigated a total of 38 no-identifiable-risk cases since and reclassified 32 of them into one of the four standard categories.
She said the department works closely with the state Health Department, which in turn can request help from the CDC. But the county would not disclose the extent of its investigation into Whitney's case.
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