Sjögren's disease i

Sjögren's disease is a chronic autoimmune disorder that mainly affects the glands that produce moisture in the body, such as those responsible for saliva and tears, resulting in symptoms like dry mouth and dry eyes.

Key Features

• Sjögren's predominantly affects women in their 40s or 50s and can occur alone or with other autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

• Common symptoms include dry eyes, dry mouth, joint and muscle pain, severe fatigue, dry skin, vaginal dryness, and rashes.

• Less commonly, it can affect internal organs such as the lungs, kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system, and increases the risk of lymphoma (a type of cancer).

Symptoms

• Eyes: Burning, redness, itchiness, or gritty sensation.

• Mouth: Dryness, difficulty swallowing, speaking, or increased tooth decay.

• Others: Swollen glands, dry cough, persistent fatigue, muscle/joint pain, skin rashes, vaginal dryness, hoarse voice, neuropathy (numbness, tingling).

Diagnosis

• Physical exam and symptom history

• Blood tests: Positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-SSA/Ro or SSB/La antibodies, rheumatoid factor (RF).

• Salivary gland biopsy, measuring saliva production, and specialist eye tests.

Treatment and Management

• There is no cure for Sjögren's disease; treatment focuses on managing symptoms.

• Artificial tears and saliva, medications to stimulate saliva/tear production, immunosuppressive drugs, and symptom management for joint pain, fatigue, and organ involvement.

• Routine dental, ophthalmologic, and gynecologic care is important to reduce complications.

Risks & Complications

• Dental cavities, oral yeast infections, eye infections, corneal damage.

• Organ damage (lungs, kidneys, liver, nerves).

• Increased risk of lymphoma.

Sjögren’s is one of the most common autoimmune diseases, affecting an estimated 2–4 million people in the U.S. Proper diagnosis and management can help patients maintain quality of life and minimize serious complications.