Venus Williams Vs Sjogren's Syndrome(SjS)

Bangalore, Feb 01,2017

Almost five and half years ago, Venus Williams withdrew from the U.S. Open 2011 and announced she had Sjogren's disease (whose name is pronounced SHOW-grens). syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that causes fatigue, dryness and swollen glands.
In January 2017 before Australian Open2017 Venus Williams said that she hopes to return to competitive tennis when her body adjusts to the medication she is taking for Sjogren's syndrome. She has raised to the level of finalist in the championship.
Let us look back SEPT. 1, 2011, at the time of US OPEN:
Venus Williams wore a lacy white short-sleeve top, blue jeans and sandals. Her hair fell in soft curls past her shoulders, her dangly silver-dollar-size earrings shimmered in the light. The tennis superstar already plotting her return despite a chronic autoimmune disease. Sjogren's syndrome, the disease, is difficult to diagnose because those who have it often appear the picture of health even when they do not have the energy to sit for a portrait.
"The fatigue is hard to explain unless you have it," Williams said. "Some mornings I feel really sick, like when you don't get a lot of sleep or you have a flu or cold. I always have some level of tiredness. And the more I tried to push through it, the tougher it got." Williams, 31, has won 10 tournaments in the last four years despite feeling fatigued and having difficulty breathing, symptoms she knows now are associated with Sjogren's.
For 78 minutes in a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Vesna Dolonts, Williams performed so well she was painted as a contender to win her third US Open title 2011. But onnext day when she played her practice match, she was so tired afterward she could not raise her serving arm. She withdrew from the tournament, and though it marked the end of her 13th Open.

When Venus Williams plays her sister Serena tonight, she will also be fighting an epic medical battle.

When Venus Williams takes on her sister Serena in the U.S. Open quarterfinals tonight, few will be able to tell that she's also battling a chronic disease. In 2011, the elder Williams sister was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that dries out the mouth and eyes, and can also sap strength and cause joint and muscle pain, coughing, and limb numbness.
Williams went through a series of misdiagnoses for years, The New York Times reported. Sjogren's is difficult to pinpoint since it has so many seemingly unrelated symptoms that could also be caused by a whole host of other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and exercise-induced asthma. Half of the time, Sjogren's occurs with another autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Intheir quarter final Venus lost to her sister Sereena.
The willaims sisters met each other again in 2017 in Australian Open Wome's championship final, Venus lost to her sister gracefully.
How did Venus come back from such a chronic disease.. We will see this at the end of this story.

What is Sjogren's syndrome?

• That's a question tennis fans want to know now that Venus Williams says she has been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease (whose name is pronounced SHOW-grens). Keep clicking to find out all about what she and the estimated 1.3 million people who have Sjogren's disease (whose name is pronounced SHOW-grens). are facing...


• It's a chronic autoimmune disease in which the white blood cells attack the glands that produce tears and saliva. Nine out of 10 people who have Sjogren's are women, according to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation. The disease affects all races and people of all ages but is rare in children. Most Sjogren's patients are diagnosed after the age of 40..


• Dry eyes and mouth are the main symptoms. But symptoms vary from person to person and can include fatigue, dry skin, rashes, dry cough, joint and muscle pain, vaginal dryness, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs, and thyroid problems.

• Though incurable, Sjogren's is generally not fatal as long as it is properly diagnosed and complications are treated promptly. People with Sjogren's face an increase risk of lymphoma, a potentially deadly cancer.

• Doctors perform blood tests, along with a physical exam and a medical history. In addition, eye and mouth tests, a urine test, and a chest x-ray are often performed. Because Sjogren's symptoms are so variable - and because they are similar to the symptoms of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions - Sjogren's often goes undiagnosed. The average patient goes more than six years after symptoms show up before getting diagnosed, according to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation

• Treatment depends on which parts of the body are affected and is different for each person. Common treatments include artificial tears and eye ointments that help relieve dry eyes. In some cases, surgery is performed to close the tear ducts that drain tears from the eyes. For dry mouth, common treatments include sipping water, chewing gum or sucking on sugar-free hard candy, or using a saliva substitute. A variety of drugs are used, including aspirin and ibuprofen to relieve pain, corticosteroids to alleviate inflammation, and medicines that boost production of saliva

• Doctors don't know the precise causes but think it has a hereditary basis. In addition, they suspect it is triggered by exposure to some pathogen, like a virus or bacterium.

• Rheumatologists are best equipped to manage symptoms of Sjogren's, though patients are also treated by eye doctors, dentists, and other specialists depending on symptoms.

This Drastic Diet Change Helped Venus Williams Fight Her Autoimmune Condition.

The tennis star says going raw vegan "changed everything."

When Venus Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome in 2011, her tennis career almost came to a grinding halt. After a rough season of injuries and match withdrawals, she announced that she was suffering from the fairly common autoimmune disease that causes dry eye and dry mouth, as well as crushing joint pain and fatigue. The condition severely hindered athletic performance, ultimately causing her to withdraw from the 2011 U.S. Open in the second round. But after taking time off, Williams was able to step back onto the court with newfound strength, thanks to proper treatment and a drastic diet change. She began following a raw vegan diet, which typically involves eliminating all animal products and foods cooked above 118 degrees Fahrenheit.

Venus Williams spoke about the switch to a raw diet, her best nutrition tips, and how she keeps herself motivated to eat well.

I started for health reasons. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and I wanted to maintain my performance on the court. Once I started I fell in love with the concept of fueling your body in the best way possible. Not only does it help me on the court, but I feel like I'm doing the right thing for me.
Do you have any specific ways that the new diet has made a difference in your game?
Has it changed your game at all or has it just allowed you to continue to play?
It definitely changed my whole life. It changed the pace that I live at. It changed everything. There are definitely challenges, though, but it's about how you face them and how you come on top so you can live in a way that is acceptable to you. So, it has been wonderful to still do what I love. And even though I still have issues, it doesn't mean they're going to stop me.
Do you have any favorite recipes that you like? Do you cook a lot for yourself?
I go in spurts, because sometimes I'm like,"I've got to cook!" and other times I'm like,"Who's going to feed me?" So I have different levels. One of my favorite recipes is celery-root soup. I get celery root, tomato, and some Silk almond milk as a base to thicken it a little bit, and then maybe I'll add pan-fried garlic on top, maybe some truffle oil whatever I have at the time, I'l throw it in. It makes for some interesting dishes!.
What are your favorite cheat meals?
Well, honestly I have go-to things. I do love sweet things, so I've tried to find things that I love that are sweet but are still healthy. So, for me, sometimes it'll be a juice or a sweet smoothie. There's a smoothie that I have called "orange creamsicle", so I'll put in Silk milk, oranges, a little banana, vanilla flavoring, and sometimes a little coconut oil it just depends, again, on what I have. The best thing about the orange creamsicle is that it tastes like you're having an ice cream, so it makes me really happy but it's still really healthy. There are different ways to ease your itch when you want junk food.
Do you have any tips for people who have trouble staying motivated to eat well? Don't let yourself get too hungry. Because when you're too hungry you can't think straight, and you make bad decisions and then suddenly you wake up and you think, "what have you done?!"
Also, set a goal for yourself. It can be something like 30 days without fried food. There's something about having a goal and working towards it that makes you feel good. You can also get apps on your phone that help track for you, and just seeing those numbers makes you feel like,"Yeah, I'm doing it!"
And always have a replacement food that tastes good. So you like chips? Find a kale chip or bake your own chips that are healthy. Just find a replacement so you don't feel like you're missing out.