Sjogren’s Syndrome (SS) is a disease. Normally, the immune system takes action and attacks against bacteria, microbes and other factors that are foreign to the body, while in SS, which is an autoimmune disease, it begins to attack its own tissues. These tissues include primarily salivary glands and lacrimal glands. Thus, dry eyes and dry mouth complaints occur. Other parts of the body may also be affected by this attack. As a result, depending on the affected area, skin dryness, nose, mouth and respiratory tract dryness, eye dryness, vaginal dryness, and digestive system dryness occur.
Sjögren’s Syndrome can be seen as a stand-alone disease (in this case it is called primary-primary Sjögren’s Syndrome) or it may accompany other rheumatological diseases (in this case it is called secondary-secondary Sjögren’s Syndrome). Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus or Scleroderma are among the rheumatological diseases that it can often accompany.
The most common symptoms are dry mouth and/or dry eyes, fatigue and pain. Most patients have no other symptoms. However, the variety and severity of symptoms can vary greatly from person to person.
Eye Problems:
You may feel burning, stinging, dryness and tenderness in your eyes. Some patients may experience discomfort in strong light. Others may experience a complaint as if there is a sticky feeling in the eyes.
Mouth and Throat Problems:
Dry mouth and related mouth sores-ulcers may occur. Dryness itself can feel like a sticky feeling in the mouth and throat. Difficulty in swallowing may be experienced and some patients may experience a change in taste perception. There may also be hoarseness, difficulty in making a sound as the duration of speech is prolonged, that is, fatigue in the voice, dry cough.
Rarely, dry mouth and throat can cause fungal infections, bad breath, bad taste in the mouth and increased dental caries. It may be accompanied by enlargement and pain in the salivary glands.
Extreme Fatigue-Burnout:
Extreme fatigue is a common complaint and is not a fatigue that goes away after a good night’s sleep. Some patients may experience depression and even depression.
Pain and Pain:
There may be swelling and pain in the joints due to the inflammatory process. In some patients, there may be complaints in the form of a widespread feeling of pain or tenderness in certain parts of the body. However, joint problems are much milder compared to diseases such as a Rheumatoid Arthritis disease.
Other complaints:
Other parts of the body may also be drier than normal. For example:
Dryness in the digestive tract may cause difficulty in swallowing the bites
Dryness in the intestines may cause complaints similar to “sensitive bowel syndrome”, such as abdominal pain.
Vaginal dryness can cause pain during sexual intercourse
Dry skin can manifest as itching or sensitivity to strong sunlight.
Increased hypersensitivity to smoke and dust can be observed in the dryness of the airways.
Other complaints that may be related to Sjögren’s Syndrome:
Fever
Blue fingers in the cold (Raynaud’s Phenomenon)
Migraine-like headaches
Enlargement of lymph nodes in the neck, armpit and groin
Increase in menopausal complaints, exacerbation
Nervous system complaints such as weakness, numbness, felting
Inflammation of the veins (vasculitis)
Purple skin rash on lower legs (purpura)
Chest pain (caused by pleurisy), shortness of breath, shortness of breath
Liver and kidney problems
