What is Sjögren's (Show-gren) Syndrome

• Autoimmune disease (or disease in which your immune system turns against your body’s own cells)
  • Normally your immune system or disease-fighting cells work to protect you from disease
    • Job is to destroy harmful viruses and bacteria invading your body
  • In this autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks part of your own body by mistake
    • Damages glands that make tears and saliva (spit)
      • Damage keeps glands from working right and causes dry eyes and dry mouth
    • Leads to dryness in other places that need moisture, such as nose, throat, and skin
    • Can affect lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, digestive organs, and nerves
• Considered one of the autoimmune connective tissue diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)
  • These diseases affect framework of body (joints, muscles, and skin)
• Sometimes called a rheumatic disease
  • Causes inflammation in joints, muscles, and other organs
• Symptoms vary in type and intensity
• Most people able to live normal lives
• Regular medical care important
• Serious complications are rare
• Doctors today can provide advice about how to live with Sjögren's Syndrome

What Causes Sjögren's Syndrome

• Doctors don’t know the exact cause of Sjögren's Syndrome
  • May be caused by a combination of two things
    • Genes
    • Exposure to something like a virus or bacteria
  • Symptoms may develop slowly, and are similar to other diseases
  • May take years to diagnose Sjögren's Syndrome
  • May develop as a complication of another autoimmune disorder

Who Gets Sjögren's

• Mostly women in their late 40’s
• Can occur at any age and in any race
• Rarely affects children
• Thought to affect less than 200,000 people in U.S. population