Treatment of Sjogren Syndrome
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Sjogren's syndrome is a disorder of the immune system, whereas a person experiences dryness in his/her eyes and mouth. In most cases, Sjogren's syndrome develops as a secondary condition to rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, which are also diseases of the immune system. Sjogren's syndrome develops because moisture-secreting glands responsible for moisturizing mouth and the eyes are affected. As a result, a person experiences decreased production of saliva and tears, vital for proper moisturizing of mouth and eyes, respectively.
According to Mayo Clinic, this condition is more common in people over the age of 40. Also, it is more common among women. In Sjogren's syndrome, a person may feel itching and burning in the eyes. The feeling could also be described as gritting and sensation similar to that when sand gets into an eye. A person may also find it difficult to swallow properly. In some cases, it may be difficult to talk for long period of time because of an excessive dryness in the mouth.
In some cases, a person may also experience dryness of the skin, especially around the area of eyes and mouth. In rare cases, a vaginal dryness can also develop. Dry cough can be another manifestation of Sjogren's syndrome. Overall, the exact cause of Sjogren's syndrome has not been identified as this is an autoimmune disease. Having the rheumatoid disease put a person in risk, but this does not mean that he/she will necessary develop Sjogren's syndrome.
- Itching in the eyes
- Dryness in the mouth
- Pain during swallowing
- Frequent ulcers in the mouth
- Excessive thirst
- During a general examination, a doctor will examine the eyes of a patient and also his/her mouth to determine if there is dryness. A doctor may perform Schirmer tear test, which can determine if production of tears is normal.
- Imaging tests, such as sialogram, are primary used to determine if salivary glands produce the saliva normally.
- A lip biopsy is used to determine if there is an inflammation of the salivary glands of the lip which is an indicator of Sjogren's syndrome.
- A blood test is used to determine if there are antibodies common for patients with Sjogren's syndrome.
- Conservative treatment uses prescription of the drugs, which can increase the production of saliva and tears and thus reduce the dryness or even eliminate it completely. In some cases, patients are prescribed immunosuppressants to reduce the response from the immune system.
Authors: Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko
