Sjogren's syndrome is a disease that causes dryness in your mouth and eyes. It can also lead to dryness in other places that need moisture, such as your nose, throat and skin. Most people who get Sjogren's syndrome are older than 40. Nine of 10 are women. Sjogren's syndrome is sometimes linked to rheumatic problems such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease. If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system, which is supposed to fight disease, mistakenly attacks parts of your own body. In Sjogren's syndrome, your immune system attacks the glands that make tears and saliva. It may also affect your joints, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, digestive organs and nerves. The main symptoms are:
- Dry eyes
- Dry mouth
Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
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Sjogren's Syndrome
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sjogrens/sjogrens.htm
- Sjögren's Syndrome(American College of Rheumatology) - http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/sjogrens_new.asp?aud=pat
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What Is Sjögren's Syndrome?
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sjogrens_Syndrome/sjogrens_syndrome_ff.asp
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Questions and Answers about Sjögren's Syndrome(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sjogrens_Syndrome/default.asp
- Sjogren's Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/sjogrens-syndrome/DS00147/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- ANA (Antinuclear Antibody Test)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ana/test.html
- Fluorescent Antinuclear Antibody (FANA) Test: “False Positive”(American College of Rheumatology) - http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/fana.asp
- Rheumatoid Factor(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/rheumatoid/test.html
- Dry Eyes(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/dry-eyes/DS00463/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
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Dry Mouth(National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) - http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/DryMouth/DryMouth.htm
- Sjogren's Syndrome and Lupus(Lupus Foundation of America) - http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_aboutaffects.aspx?articleid=104&zoneid=17
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Sjogren's Syndrome(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Sjogren's+Syndrome%22
- Journal Summaries on Arthritis Research(Arthritis Foundation) - http://www.arthritis.org/journal-summaries.php
- Article: Hypertrophic gastritis in early stages of primary Sjögren's syndrome. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18668609&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Primary Sjögren syndrome in Spain: clinical and immunologic expression in... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18626304&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Systemic increase in type I interferon activity in Sjögren's syndrome:... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18581327&tool=MedlinePlus
- Sjogren's Syndrome -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=sjogren's+syndrome[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American College of Rheumatology: Geographic Membership Directory(American College of Rheumatology) - http://www.rheumatology.org/directory/geo.asp
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
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National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research - http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
- Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation - http://www.sjogrens.org/
- Arthritis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/arthritis.html
- Immune System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Sjogren's Syndrome is the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research - http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/