What is Sjogren’s Syndrome?
Sjögren’s (“SHOW-grins”) is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the entire body. There is no linear progression of the disease which makes it challenging for patients and their physicians. While some people experience mild discomfort, others suffer debilitating symptoms that greatly impair their functioning and quality of life.
While many patients experience dry eyes, dry mouth, fatigue and joint pain, Sjögren’s can also cause dysfunction of organs such as the kidneys, gastrointestinal system, blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas, and the central nervous system. Patients with Sjogren’s also have a higher chance of developing lymphoma. Half of Sjogren’s patients suffer in conjunction with other autoimmune connective tissue disease such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, or Scleroderma.
Sjögren’s is one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases often misrepresented as a rare disease, it is estimated that there are four million Americans living with this disease. Early diagnosis and proper treatments are crucial in the prevention of further complications and improvements in a patient’s quality of life. Detection is through blood work and possibly a biopsy uncertain.
Sjögren’s Symptoms Include:
- extensive dryness
- profound fatigue
- chronic pain
- major organ involvement
- neuropathies lymphomas Neurological problems, concentration/memory-loss, dysautonomia, headaches
- Dry eyes, corneal ulcerations and infections
- Dry nose, recurrent sinusitis, nosebleeds
- Dry mouth, mouth sores, dental decay, difficulty with chewing, speech, taste and dentures
- A change in taste or smell
Additional Symptoms Include:
- Dry or peeling lips
- Dry or burning throat
- Swollen, painful parotid/salivary glands
- Difficulty swallowing, heartburn, reflux, esophagitis
- Recurrent bronchitis, interstitial lung disease, pneumonia
- Respiratory issues like shortness of breath, cough
- Stomach upset, gastroparesis, autoimmune pancreatitis
- Abnormal liver function tests, chronic active autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis
- Interstitial cystitis
- Irritable bowel, autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility
- Arthritis, joint/muscle pain
- Peripheral neuropathy, Raynaud’s
- Vaginal Dryness, vulvodynia
- Fatigue, vasculitis, lymphoma
- Inability to focus or ‘brain fog’
- Skin sensitivity to UV light
- And more…
Proud Partner of the
Sjogren's & Dry Eye
When testing for Sjogren’s, Dry Eye disease is the major authenticating factor. With the following tests, we are able to measure the health of your tears, the main element in maintaining lubricated eyes to assess the stages of Sjogren’s and Dry Eye Disease. It’s important to answer the following questions to see if Sjogren’s has led you to Dry Eye Disease:
Ocular Symptoms
- How long have you been experiencing dry eye?
- Do you have a foreign body sensation in your eye?
- How often do you use artificial tears each day?
If you have answered yes to the first two and almost every day to the last one, we urge you to schedule an appointment with us today. The following scans performed at The Oasis Center among others confirm the severeness of Dry Eye Disease:
- TearLab: Measures tear production & health
- Rose Bengal and Lissamine Green: Uses dyes to examine the surface of the eyes for dry spots.
- The Schirmer test: measures total tear secretion
- Tear Break-Up Time – a clinical test used to assess tear film stability.