Sjogren's Syndrome

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Summary

Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system attacks parts of your own body by mistake. In Sjogren's syndrome, it attacks the glands that make tears and saliva. This causes a dry mouth and dry eyes. You may have dryness in other places that need moisture, such as your nose, throat, and skin. Sjogren's can also affect other parts of the body, including your joints, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, digestive organs, and nerves.

Most people with Sjogren's syndrome are women. It usually starts after age 40. It is sometimes linked to other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

To make a diagnosis, doctors may use a medical history, physical exam, certain eye and mouth tests, blood tests, and biopsies.

Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms. It can differ for each person; it depends on what parts of the body are affected. It may include artificial tears for dye eyes and sucking on sugar-free candy or drinking water often for a dry mouth. Medicines may help with severe symptoms.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

Dry Eyes and Mouth? You May Have Sjögren's Syndrome (National Institutes of Health)
Sjogren's Syndrome (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Sjogren's Syndrome Information Page (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Sjögren's Syndrome (American College of Rheumatology)
What Is Sjögren's Syndrome? (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Diagnosis and Tests

ANA (Antinuclear Antibody Test) (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid Factor (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Treatments and Therapies

Simple Solutions for Dry Eye (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF

Living With

Fatigue Fighters in Sjogren's Syndrome (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF
Sleep Tips for Sjogren's Patients (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF
Tips for Chronic Pain (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF

Related Issues

Sjogren's Syndrome: Can It Cause Recurrent UTIs? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Sun and Sjogren's Syndrome (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF
Surgery, Hospitals, and Medications (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF
Tips for Airline Travelers with Sjogren's Syndrome (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF
What You Need to Know About Sjogren's Syndrome (Lupus Foundation of America)

Specifics

Dry Eye (National Eye Institute)
Dry Mouth: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Dry Skin (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF
What Is Dry Eye? (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: Sjögren syndrome (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

Sjogren's Syndrome: A Place to Begin (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation)

Statistics and Research

New Genetic Susceptibility Factors for Sjögren's Syndrome Revealed (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Sjogren's Syndrome (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Find a Rheumatologist (American College of Rheumatology)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Also in Spanish
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish
Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation

Patient Handouts

Rheumatoid factor (RF) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Sjogren syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Sjogren's Syndrome is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

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