Q. What is Sjögren’s syndrome?

A. Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease in which a person’s white blood cells attack his or her moisture-producing glands. Today, as many as four million Americans are living with this disease. Learn more at our About Sjögren’s Syndrome page.

Q. Who is most likely to develop Sjögren’s syndrome?

A. Nine out of ten Sjögren’s patients are women. The average age of diagnosis is late 40s, although it can occur in all age groups, including chilrden, and in both sexes.

Q. What are the symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome?

A. The most common symptoms include dry eyes, dry mouth, fatigue and musculoskeletal pain. However, no two people have the exact same set of symptoms so patients should remember to share all their symptoms with their primary healthcare provider to receive a proper diagnosis. See the website’s symptoms page for a full list of Sjogren's syndrome symptoms.

Q. Is it easy to diagnose Sjögren’s syndrome?

A. Sjögren’s syndrome often is undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. The symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome may mimic those of menopause, drug side effects, allergies, or medical conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and multiple sclerosis. Because all symptoms are not always present at the same time and because Sjögren’s can involve several body systems, physicians, eye care providers and dentists sometimes treat each symptom individually and do not recognize that a systemic disease is present. The average time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis is 6.5 years.

Q. How is Sjögren’s formally diagnosed?

A. Sjögren’s syndrome can be difficult to diagnose. No single test will confirm the diagnosis and Sjögren’s may appear in many different forms in different patients. Click here to view our page on diagnosing Sjögren’s syndrome.

Q. What kind of doctor treats Sjögren’s?

A. Rheumatologists have primary responsibility for managing Sjögren’s syndrome. Patients are also seen and treated by specialists such as eye care providers, dentists and other specialists depending on a patient’s complications.

Q. Is there a cure? What treatments are available?

A. Currently, there is no cure for Sjögren’s syndrome.  However, treatments may improve various symptoms and prevent complications. Prescription medicines for dry eyes and dry mouth are available. A number of over-the-counter products may also be used to alleviate different types of dryness. Immunosuppressive medications are also used to treat the serious internal organ manifestations.

Q. What is the difference between Primary Sjögren’s versus Secondary Sjögren’s?

A. Sjögren’s syndrome is usually classified by a clinician as either primary or secondary. Primary Sjögren’s occurs by itself and secondary Sjögren’s occurs when another connective tissue disease is present. However, this classification does not always correlate with the severity of symptoms or complications. Primary Sjögren’s and Secondary Sjögren’s patients can all experience the same level of discomfort, complications and seriousness of their disease.

Q. Will I die from Sjögren’s syndrome?

A. Sjögren’s syndrome is serious but generally not fatal if complications are diagnosed and treated early. Sjögren’s syndrome patients must be monitored carefully for development of internal organ involvement, related autoimmune diseases and other serious complications. In particular, patients should be aware that the incidence of lymphomas (cancer of the lymph nodes) is significantly higher in people with Sjögren’s compared to the general population.

Q. What causes the dryness in Sjögren’s syndrome?

A. In the autommune attack that causes Sjögren’s, disease-fighting white blood cells called lymphocytes target the glands that produce moisture – primarily the lacrimal (tear) and salivary (saliva) glands. Although no one knows exactly how damage occurs, damaged glands can no longer produce tears and saliva, and eye and mouth dryness result. When the skin, sinuses, airways and vaginal tissues are affected, dryness occurs in those places as well.

Q. What research is being done on Sjögren’s syndrome?

A. Through basic research on the immune system, autoimmunity, genetics and connective tissue diseases, researchers are continuing to learn more about Sjögren’s syndrome. As they gain a better understanding of the genes involved and which environmental and hormonal factors trigger the disease, we will be able to develop more effective treatments for Sjögren’s syndrome.

In addition, clinical research is being conducted around the United States. These research projects involve studying patients in a clinical setting to learn more about their symptoms, what treatments work and under what circumstances, and how best to improve quality of life.

Learn about some of the cutting-edge research that the SSF is funding.