Spotlight on Sjögren's Syndrome | Arthritis Information

Sjögren's syndrome, a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects an estimated 4 million Americans, can often go undiagnosed for years, due to a lack of physician-patient dialogue and an array of symptoms that don’t seem particularly serious on their own. According to a recent study sponsored by Daiichi Sankyo, Inc in collaboration with the Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation, of 400 Sjögren's patients, half reported that the time between the onset of their symptoms and diagnosis was 3 or more years.

In a patient with Sjögren's syndrome, the body’s immune cells attack and destroy the moisture-producing exocrine glands. The moisture produced by these glands is essential for the mouth, eyes, skin, gastrointestinal tract, vaginal area, and respiratory tract. Consequently, the most common symptoms of Sjögren's are dry mouth and dry eyes. Symptoms can vary from patient to patient, ad include difficulty talking, chewing, or swallowing, fatigue, joint pain, increased dental decay, vaginal and skin dryness, oral yeast infections, and enlarged parotid glands. Women are 9 times more likely than men to develop the disease, and diagnosis is typically made after the age of 40. Menopause can intensify dryness symptoms.

http://www.mskreport.com/articles.cfm?articleID=3489