Sjogren's Syndrome

Sjogren’s syndrome leads to many annoying symptoms, and it also causes several complications and decreases the patient’s quality of life if not managed.

Sjogren’s syndrome

Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that leads to a chronic dehydration of the body, especially the eyes and the mouth.

Sjögren's syndrome affects women more than men, and it’s diagnosed more after the age of 40.

Sjogren’s syndrome might occur alone, or it can be triggered by other conditions.

Causes and risk factors leading to Sjogren’s syndrome

• In autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks the body itself and causes a lot of problems. In the case of Sjögren's syndrome, the immune system attacks the glands that control moisture in the body, especially the tear and saliva glands.
• The risk of having Sjögren's syndrome increases when there’s a family history or if the patient has other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriatic arthritis.
• There are some viral infections that trigger Sjogren’s syndrome, such as hepatitis C, COVID-19, Epstein-Bar virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and human T-lymphotropic virus 1.

Symptoms of Sjogren’s syndrome

• The two most important symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth.
• Dry skin.
• Rash.
• Vaginal dryness in women.
• Dry nose and throat.
• Pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints.
• Dry cough.
• Difficulty speaking and swallowing.
• Loss of taste.
• Swollen lymph nodes.
• Continuous tiredness.
• Heartburn and indigestion.
• Problems focusing or thinking.

Complications of Sjogren’s syndrome

• Increased teeth cavities.
• Vision problems, such as light sensitivity, blurred vision, and corneal damage.
• Increased yeast infections.
• Neural problems, such as peripheral neuropathy that causes numbness, tingling, and burning.
• Lung problems like pneumonia, liver, or kidney problems.
• The possibility of developing lymph node cancer.

Diagnosis of Sjogren’s syndrome

• Physical examination.
• Mouth and eye examination.
• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests.
• Biopsies.

Management of Sjogren’s syndrome

• The treatment depends on managing the existing symptoms, such as artificial tears and saliva inducers, in addition to other medications, depending on the case.
• A surgery might be used on the tear ducts to reduce the dry eye problem.
• Avoid smoking.
• Increase fluid intake.
• Take care of your mouth and teeth.
• Take care of your skin and moisturize it.
• Increase the indoor humidity.