Sjogren's Syndrome Condition & Symptoms

Sjogren's syndrome is an immune system disorder that frequently occurs with other autoimmune conditions, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. According to the Mayo Clinic, Sjogren's syndrome occurs more frequently in women than in men and is most frequently diagnosed after the age of 40.

• One of the main symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome is dry eyes.

Symptoms

• The two primary symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome include dry eyes and dry mouth. Other symptoms can include swelling, stiffness and pain in joints, swollen salivary glands, persistent dry cough, skin rashes or dry skin, vaginal dryness and persistent fatigue.

Causes

• The Mayo Clinic indicates that the cause of Sjogren's syndrome is not known. Certain genes can increase your risk, but something must trigger the condition, such as an infection.

Risk Factors

• Risk factors include age (over 40), another rheumatic disease and family history of the condition. In addition, women are more likely to develop Sjogren's syndrome than men.

Complications

• Complications of Sjogren's syndrome include dental cavities due to a dry mouth, yeast infections in the mouth (oral thrush) and vision difficulties, such as blurred vision, corneal ulcers and sensitivity to light.

Treatment

• Medications to treat Sjogren's syndrome include drugs to increase your production of saliva (Salagen, Evoxac), anti-inflammatory medications for arthritis symptoms, anti-fungal medications for oral thrush, drugs that suppress your immune system (methotrexate, cyclosporine) and Plaquenil, a drug used to treat malaria that is effective for this condition.

Considerations

• Artificial tears and moisturizing eye drops, along with increasing the humidity in your home, may relieve dry eyes. Increased fluids, eating hard candies or chewing sugarless gum, artificial saliva and saline nasal sprays can all help relieve dry mouth.