Sjogren’s Syndrome is an autoimmune disease that affects the glands that produce tears and saliva.
Sjogren’s Syndrome inhibits these glands from doing their job. As a result, the two most dominant symptoms of Sjogren’s are dry eyes and dry mouth.
How can I tell if I have Sjogren’s Syndrome?
Patients with Sjogren’s complain of feeling like their eyes have dust or sand in them. This dryness makes the eyes feel oddly “gritty,” which can in turn cause an itching or burning sensation. The dry mouth symptoms associated with Sjogren’s can make it difficult to swallow or speak. You might feel like you have something fuzzy in your mouth. Dry eyes and dry mouth are not the only issues that patients with Sjogren’s Syndrome report. Other less common symptoms include skin rashes, joint pain, coughing, and tooth decay. The symptoms are usually secondary to eye and mouth dryness.
What causes Sjogren’s Syndrome?
As with other autoimmune diseases, Sjogren’s Syndrome is a condition in which the body’s immune system inadvertently attacks the body. In this case, your immune system goes after the cells and tissues that make up your tear and saliva glands. The white blood cells in your body attack the glands in your body that produce moisture. They can also attack tissue in the kidney, thyroid, liver, skin, lungs, joints, and nerves.
Medical professionals do not yet have a full understanding of why patients develop Sjogren’s Syndrome.
There is evidence to suggest certain genetic characteristics might make someone more susceptible to the condition. Possibly, a viral or bacterial infection occurs to trigger the syndrome.
How is Sjogren’s Syndrome diagnosed?
Sjogren’s Syndrome is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms can be associated with other conditions as well. The fact that Sjogren’s Syndrome affects multiple parts of the body also contributes to difficulty in its diagnosis. A patient might go to an eye doctor to ask about eye dryness, or to a dentist to discuss dry mouth and tooth decay. These professionals might end up looking in the wrong place if they don’t know the condition is manifesting itself in these areas. Patients might not even realize their disparate symptoms are connected.
There are multiple tests medical professionals can perform to diagnose Sjogren’s Syndrome. An eye doctor can perform dry eye tests like Rose Bengal, Lissamine Green, and Schirmer. If you are struggling with dry eyes, you should ask your eye doctor about these tests, how they are run, and what they may reveal.
How is Sjogren’s Syndrome treated?
Patients with Sjogren’s complain of feeling like their eyes have dust or sand in them. This dryness makes the eyes feel oddly “gritty,” which can in turn cause an itching or burning sensation. The dry mouth symptoms associated with Sjogren’s can make it difficult to swallow or speak. You might feel like you have something fuzzy in your mouth. Dry eyes and dry mouth are not the only issues that patients with Sjogren’s Syndrome report. Other less common symptoms include skin rashes, joint pain, coughing, and tooth decay. The symptoms are usually secondary to eye and mouth dryness.
