Sjogren's Syndrome Symptoms - Sjogren's Syndrome Information, Diagnosis, Treatment, Questions and Prevention.

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			SYMPTOMS Dry mouth. If you have Sjogren's syndrome, you produce far less saliva than normal. This makes chewing, swallowing and speaking difficult, and it may diminish your sense of taste as well as produce halitosis, or bad breath. Dry eyes. Your eyes may feel dry and gritty-they may also burn and turn red and be extremely sensitive to sunlight. A thick substance may accumulate in the inner corner of your eyes while you sleep. If not properly treated, Sjogren's syndrome can sometimes lead to ulcers of the cornea. On rare occasions, this can cause blindness. Swollen salivary glands. Two sets of major salivary glands produce saliva. They are located under your tongue and in the cheeks in front of your ears. They may feel swollen and tender. This may occur along with a fever. Swollen salivary glands occur in about one-half of people with the disorder. There are also minor salivary glands scattered throughout your mouth. Dental cavities. Saliva fights bacteria and defends against cavities. If you have Sjogren's syndrome, your saliva will be decreased and your teeth may develop cavities more easily. Dry nose, throat and lungs. Your throat feels dry and tickly, and you may have a dry cough, hoarseness, a decreased sense of smell and nosebleeds. Sjogren's can also lead to pneumonia, bronchitis and ear problems. Vaginal dryness. Because Sjogren's can affect the mechanisms for secreting vaginal fluids, you may find sexual penetration difficult. Fatigue. Sjogren's may cause you to tire more easily, or feel an underlying fatigue. Fatigue may be due to the underlying inflammatory process, anemia, hypothyroidism and/or disrupted sleep. Fatigue is also frequently a symptom of other autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Joint pain. If the immune system attack spreads to the joints, movement of fingers or other joints can become difficult or painful. Joint involvement may also indicate you have another autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Other problems. Sjogren's syndrome can affect other parts of the body, such as blood vessels, the nervous system, muscles, skin and other organs. This can lead to muscle weakness, confusion and memory problems, dry skin and feelings of numbness and tingling. Sjogren's syndrome can also affect the liver and spleen. There is also a 40-fold increased risk of developing lymphoma (cancer of the lymphocytes). Although this is unusual, it is another reason why medical exams and continued follow-up are critical. With such a broad array of symptoms, in varying severity from patient to patient, diagnosis can be difficult. You and your health care professional may go through several steps before confirming the diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome. Physical examination. Your health care professional will probably ask you to describe your symptoms. He or she will then look for other signs of Sjogren's, such as red, itchy eyes; swollen salivary glands; a dry, cracked tongue; and enlarged salivary glands in your neck. You'll also want to discuss what medications you are taking-both prescription and over-the-counter, as many medications have anticholinergic effects that may cause dryness of the mouth and eyes. Blood tests. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antibodies to SS-A/Ro and SS-B/La and rheumatoid factor may be found in patients with Sjogren's syndrome. However, not everyone with Sjogren's has these markers, and not everyone with these markers has Sjogren's syndrome. Blood tests also gauge liver and kidney function, inflammation, blood count and blood-sugar levels. Schirmer test. This helps determine how dry your eyes are. It involves placing a small piece of filter paper under your lower eyelid to measure tear production. Rose Bengal and Lissamine Green: These dyes are used to detect epithelial defects on the surface of the eye, usually in conjunction with a slit-lamp examination by an ophthalmologist. Lip biopsy. In this test, the health care professional removes a few minor salivary glands from inside your lower lip. The tissue is examined under a microscope. The appearance of the tissue helps determine if you have Sjogren's syndrome.
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