How to know if you have Sjogren's syndrome Sjogren's syndrome can occur alone (primary Sjogren's syndrome) or it can occur along with other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, celiac disease or scleroderma (secondary Sjogren's syndrome). Ordinarily, our immune system recognizes our own body parts as "friendly," and becomes activated only to fight and destroy "foreign" substances or harmful organisms, such as viruses.Ībnormal immune responses may be inherited, or they may be related to prior viral or bacterial infections. Why abnormal immune responses develop and destroy a body's own tissues is not clearly understood. In theseĭiseases, a person's white blood cells attack his or her own tissues and organs, damaging them. Sjogren's syndrome is one of the more common autoimmune disorders. It's estimated that 1 in 10 dry eye patients also have Sjogren's syndrome and it can take up to four years or longer from onset of the disease to get an accurate diagnosis, according to researchers. As many as 3 million may be unaware they have the condition.īecause dry eyes are such a distinctive feature of Sjogren's syndrome, many cases of the disease go unreported. The Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation (SSF) estimates that as many as 4 million Americans have the disease, and about 90 percent are women. ![]() Men and women of any age or race can develop Sjogren's syndrome, but it is most prevalent among Caucasian women, with onset usually beginning between ages 40 and 60. For this reason, dry eyes are a common symptom of Sjogren's syndrome. Sjogren's syndrome (pronounced SHOW-grins also spelled Sjögren's) is an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys glands responsible for keeping the eyes, mouth and other parts of the body moist and lubricated.
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