Article Medically Reviewed By:
Janine Austin Smith, M.D.
Deputy Clinical Director Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD
Overview
What Is It?
Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which the glands that produce moisture are destroyed. The hallmark symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth. Sjogren's syndrome is a chronic, incurable disorder in which immune system cells attack and destroy the glands that produce moisture. Women are nine times more likely than men to develop Sjogren's (pronounced "show-grins"), which can occur at any age, but a woman is at higher risk for developing the condition after menopause. The Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation estimates that four million Americans suffer from this disorder; many go undiagnosed.
Named after Swedish ophthalmologist Henrik Sjogren, Sjogren Syndrome is an autoimmune disorder, a condition in which the immune system attacks the body's healthy tissues. Ordinarily, the immune system produces antibodies and cells that target such destructive material as viruses and bacteria. In the case of Sjogren's and other autoimmune diseases, the immune system produces autoreactive cells and autoantibodies, which turn against the part of the body they should protect.
Types of Sjogren Syndrome: Primary and Secondary
Sjogren's syndrome may occur alone (referred to as primary Sjogren's syndrome), or it may be associated with other autoimmune/rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, polymyositis and scleroderma. When Sjogren's occurs with another autoimmune disease it is called secondary Sjogren's syndrome.
Symptoms of Sjogren Syndrome
Common Symptoms
The hallmark symptoms of Sjogren's are dry eyes and dry mouth. The disorder may also cause skin, nose and vaginal dryness, and it can affect other organs of the body as well, including your skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, kidneys, thyroid, joints, muscles, blood, blood vessels, brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Inadequate tear production can result in eye irritation and a feeling of having grit or sand in your eyes.
Symptoms vary, as this is a disease of many manifestations. The symptoms may level out, worsen or go into remission (disappear for a while). Some people experience only the mild symptoms of dry eyes and mouth, while others experience cycles of good health followed by severe disease. Many patients are able to treat problems symptomatically, but others must cope with blurred vision, constant eye discomfort, recurrent mouth infections, swollen parotid glands (the salivary glands near the ears), hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing and eating, bronchitis and other pulmonary disorders, debilitating fatigue and joint pain.
Severe Symptoms
In severe cases, Sjogren's can damage vital organs. Also, in one study, the incidence of lymphoma, cancer of the lymphocyte, was 44 percent higher in people with Sjogren's.
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