April is Sjogren's Syndrome Awareness Month

You are probably thinking what the heck is Sjogren's syndrome. Well, it is an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system attacks the moisture producing glands.

Ninety percent of people affected by Sjogeren's syndrome are female. The disease usually starts when the patient is in her 40s, but can really start at any age in both females and males.

Fifty percent of the time Sjogren's syndrome occurs along with a connective tissue disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and MS.

When Sjogren's syndrome occurs by itself, it's called primary Sjogren's. When it occurs with another disease, it's called secondary Sjogren's.

Sjogren's syndrome affects primary the saliva glands and tear glands, therefore the most common symptoms are dry mouth and dry eyes.

Dry eyes will make the eyes feel gritty and painful. A dry mouth makes swallowing and talking difficult. Also since saliva is necessary to fight germs in the mouth, tooth decay will occur faster than normal, making frequent visits to the dentist a must.

Restasis eye drops can promote tear production. Evaxac can stimulate saliva production.

Sjogren's syndrome is usually misdiagnosed at first because not all the symptoms are present at the same time and can mimic other diseases.

While Sjogren's syndrome is a serious, it's not fatal if diagnosed and treated in the early stages. There is no cure for Sjogren's syndrome at this time, but research is being done to find one.