Support for Sjogren’s Syndrome

Most people find that with regular monitoring, Sjogren’s syndrome doesn’t disrupt their usual routines. NYU Langone doctors focus on managing symptoms and preventing complications associated with the condition.

NYU Langone Orthopedic Center brings together rheumatologists, dermatologists, preventive cardiologists, sports medicine experts, and high-risk obstetricians to provide comprehensive care for Sjogren’s syndrome.

Physical Rehabilitation

Inflammation throughout your body can make your joints achy and vulnerable to injury. Physiatrists, doctors who specialize in rehabilitation medicine, and physical therapists at NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation can help you manage joint pain associated with Sjogren’s syndrome.

Our therapists can teach you exercises that increase strength and endurance, and preserve and restore range of motion in your joints.

Emotional Support

Having a chronic condition can cause you to feel anxious or depressed about your health. NYU Langone counselors are available to speak with you and your family about stress-reduction techniques.

Tobacco Cessation

Studies have found a link between smoking and autoimmune diseases. They have also shown that people who quit smoking after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome experience symptom relief.

NYU Langone’s Tobacco Cessation Programs can provide effective strategies for quitting.

Screening for Lymphoma

People with Sjogren’s syndrome are at an increased risk for developing lymphoma, a cancer that affects the lymph nodes. After a complete physical exam, your doctor may order a panel of blood tests to look for signs of non-Hodgkin lymphoma or determine your risk of developing it.

Autoimmune Diseases and Pregnancy

The majority of babies born to mothers with Sjogren’s syndrome have either no health problems or mild, reversible ones, such as facial rash. But pregnant women with Sjogren’s syndrome carry certain antibodies that can cross the placenta and, though quite rare, cause a disorder known as neonatal lupus.

This disorder may involve congenital heart block, a serious condition that causes a slow heartbeat. Sometimes, these children require a pacemaker and need to be monitored for the rest of their lives for heart-related complications.

If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant and have Sjogren’s syndrome, your rheumatologist may recommend that you consult a maternal–fetal medicine doctor, a specialist in high-risk pregnancies and births.

NYU Langone is recognized as one of the world’s premier research centers for autoimmune diseases in pregnancy and a leader in treating infants with heart block associated with autoimmunity. NYU Langone houses the world’s largest registry of information and blood samples on those diagnosed with autoimmune heart block, and clinical trials are currently underway at NYU Langone to investigate whether medications, such as hydroxychloroquine, might prevent the disease.