The Profile of Fatigue and Discomfort - Sicca Symptoms Inventory

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease characterized by disorders of the lacrimal and salivary glands. The disease can be seen in systemic involvement by affecting any organ. It may result in skin, lung and kidney involvement as well as symptoms such as vasculitis and neuropathy. Patients with PSS often report fatigue as an important symptom to manage. Fatigue, defined as an overwhelming feeling of fatigue, lack of energy, and exhaustion, is associated with poor health and functional impairment. Fatigue is a common symptom of pSS. This symptom is the most important cause of loss of function in patients. It is thought that as a result of fatigue in pSS, decrease in mental health related to physical activity level and quality of life in patients, sleep problems, depression and loss of ability to work. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the occurrence of fatigue among sjogren patients, but its underlying physiological basis has not been adequately defined. Therefore, it is a complex, multifaceted and poorly understood symptom. In population-based studies, approximately 20% of healthy adults report experiencing fatigue, and this rate rises to 60%-70% among patients with autoimmune disorders. Fatigue is the most common non-exocrine symptom in pSS, and the prevalence of fatigue disability among patients with pSS has been reported to be approximately 70%.