While some of the symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome (such as dryness, grittiness, blurred vision and chronic discomfort and pain) may be most obvious in the eyes, the autoimmune disorder can affect organs throughout the body and has been linked to a host of other serious medical problems.
In Sjogren's (pronounced "show-grins"), immune cells attack the cells that produce tears and saliva. Once those cells are destroyed, the tear and salivary glands can't secrete fluid normally because they become infiltrated with lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). Sjogren's typically occurs in middle-aged women, but has been diagnosed in women of all ages and in men as well. It is difficult to diagnose and there is no cure.
"Sjogren's syndrome is a systemic disease that has many manifestations," said E. Lee Stock, MD, Medical College Professor of Ophthalmology, who practices at the The Eye Institute of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital. Sjogren's syndrome is recognized as an autoimmune disease - in which the body mistakenly attacks its own tissue - but the causes of autoimmune disorders are not understood.
"I see quite a few Sjogren's patients here. We try to separate out patients who have isolated dry eyes and patients who have dry eyes related to Sjogren's," explained Dr. Stock. "The problem with Sjogren's is that because it has so many different manifestations it's sometimes not all put together. The patient may have dry eyes and also have a lot of other symptoms, but only the eyes will be looked at. Or they may have dry mouth, but only the dentist will see it."
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