Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease. If affects more women than men. The most common symptoms are dry eyes and mouth. Patients often feel there are foreign bodies in eyes and sense of burning or itching in eyes. During the early stage, patients often have a lot of tears. With progression of the disease, they will have little tear which makes their eyes very dry. Patients gradually have blurred vision and eye redness. Patients will have difficulty opening eyes when waking up in the morning. They even have no tear when the eyes are irritated by foreign body or they cry. Sjogren's syndrome can also lead to skin, nasal and vaginal dryness and may affect other organs. Currently there is no cure for Sjogren's syndrome yet. Most patients alleviate symptoms by using non-prescription eye drops and drinking plenty of water. Some patients may need prescription drugs or even surgery.
How is Sjogren's syndrome treated in practice?