Of all the sufferers of Sjogren’s syndrome, approximately ninety percent are women.  However, Sjogren’s syndrome can occur in all ethnic backgrounds.  Sjogren’s syndrome is extremely rare in children, but it has been known to occur.

Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to turn against its own cells.  Sjogren’s syndrome affects the moisture producing glands which causes dry eyes and dry mouth.  Other glands including those glands in the stomach, pancreas, and intestines can also be affected.

The two most common symptoms of Sjogren’s syndrome are dry eyes and dry mouth.  Sjogren’s syndrome causes the eyes to turn red, itch, and burn.  It is also a possibility that ones vision may become blurry and the eyes may be sensitive to light.  When dry mouth occurs when associated with Sjogren’s syndrome, the patient may feel as if his/her mouth is full of cotton.  Sjogren’s syndrome causes difficulty in swallowing, speaking, and tasting.  The sense of smell can also be affected and a dry cough may develop.

Approximately half of the population with Sjogren’s syndrome suffers from dry skin.  The skin will usually itch; however, it is possible for the skin to crack, split, and become easily infected.

Women with Sjogren’s syndrome commonly suffer with vaginal dryness.  Vaginal dryness makes intercourse very painful which is the most common complaint.

Suffering from a dry mouth leads to lung problems and pneumonia.   A dry mouth prevents a person from swallowing food properly; therefore, the food is aspirated into the lungs and gets stuck in the lungs.  Pneumonia develops when the bacteria that are within the mouth travels to the lungs and causes infection and the person is unable to cough enough in order to expel the infection.

Kidney problems are also a common symptom of Sjogren’s syndrome.  The kidneys main job is to filter waste products from the blood and remove it from the body through urination.  When the tissue around the kidneys becomes inflamed, the kidneys are unable to rid the body of the waste products and urination is decreased.  Some people with Sjogren’s syndrome also suffer from a kidney problem called renal tubular acidosis.  This occurs when the body cannot get rid of the acids that are within the body through urination.  The result of this problem is that potassium levels drop which causes an imbalance of blood chemicals affecting the heart, muscles, and nerves.

Sjogren’s syndrome also affects the nerves.  The peripheral nervous system is affected which contains the nerves that control sensation and movement.  Complications result in carpal tunnel, peripheral neuropathy, and cranial neuropathy.

Digestive problems are also related to Sjogren’s syndrome.  Sjogren’s syndrome causes problems with the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, and liver resulting in painful and difficult swallowing, heartburn, abdominal pain and swelling, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and weight loss. Sjogren’s syndrome can also be related to hepatitis and cirrhosis.  Sjogren’s syndrome has also been linked to primary biliary cirrhosis which causes itching, fatigue, and eventually cirrhosis of the liver.

Other common symptoms of Sjogren’s syndrome include:

• Fatigue
• Skin rashes
• Thyroid problems
• Joint and muscle pain
• Numbness and/or tingling in the extremities
• Dry nose
• Increased dental decay
• Dry and/or cracked lips
• Dry and/or burning throat
• Sore and/or cracked tongue