Feeling of dryness in the mouth and in the eyes – signs of Sjogren’s syndrome
Dry mouth and the so-called dry eye syndrome are signs of many diseases, but if these symptoms are observed in a complex and chronic, it is possible that a person suffers from Sjogren’s syndrome. What is a disease and how to treat it?
Shegren’s syndrome, or dry syndrome, is a disease characterized by dry eye and mucous membrane of the mouth, which is associated with some autoimmune disease. The most common “companion” to Sjogren’s syndrome is inflammation of the joints, which has autoimmune nature.
How and why develops Sjogren’s syndrome?
For the first time, the dry syndrome has researched and described the ophthalmologist Schegnen, so the illness is borne by his name. It turned out that the combination of symptoms of dry conjunctivitis and xerostomia (dry mouth) is a fairly widespread phenomenon that requires specific therapy. 90% of patients with Sjogren’s syndrome are elderly women.
The reasons for the disease are doctors and scientists do not know yet. It is believed that it occurs due to certain autoimmune factors, genetic predisposition to the disease. Under the influence of so far unknown factors in the body there is a failure, as a result of which the immune system attacks their own salivary and laryngeal glands, sometimes – the joints. In addition, lesions may include bronchi, digestive system and genital organs.
The body attacks both large and small glands, and ultimately the glandular tissue is atrophied and replaced by the connective tissue.
Symptoms of Sjogren syndrome
The main symptoms of dry syndrome are three:
Xerostomia – a feeling of dryness in the mouth.
Xerophthalmia – dry eye, dry eye syndrome.
Inflammation of the joints of a chronic nature.
In this case xerostomia is a compulsory symptom in the development of syndrome Sjogren. At first, dry mouth occurs periodically, and then, with the development of the disease – constantly, increasing during a conversation or under the influence of excitement. It is also possible burning sensation in the mouth, pain in the mouth, difficulty in swallowing food. The voice can become hoarse, a person can suffer a sudden caries, which is very rapidly developing.
Dry eye is not observed in all but in most patients with Sjogren’s syndrome. A person is angry with redness, a pain in the sight of a cutter in the eyes, as if the organs of the dawn got sand, they quickly get tired. Eyelids swell and itch.
Another unnecessary but common manifestation of Sjogren’s syndrome is joint pain. Usually the lesions are knee or elbow joints, interphalangeal joints on the hands.
Other possible symptoms of the syndrome of Sjogren include:
Dryness and peeling of the skin.
Increase and swelling of the submandibular and parotid salivary glands.
Inflammation of parotid glands – parotitis.
Isolation of purulent secretion from salivary ducts.
Increase in body temperature.
Increased lymph nodes in the area of inflammation.
Dryness in the vagina, burning sensation in it, pain during intercourse.
How to deal with manifestations of dry syndrome?
Diagnosing this disease is not easy, with the first complaints it is necessary to address to the therapist, which will give direction to narrow-profile specialists. Typically, the syndrome of Shegren is treated by a physician-rheumatologist, may require consultation of a dentist, an ophthalmologist, an otolaryngologist, a gynecologist, a neurologist, a dermatologist, etc., depending on the defeat of certain organs and glands.
Treatment is complex: aimed at eliminating the symptoms of the disease and the treatment of background autoimmune disease, which provokes dry syndrome.
Sjogren’s syndrome can have many adverse health effects. It is a question of defeat of internal organs, resulting in dry bronchitis, pneumonia, nosebleeds, otitis, inflammation of the genital organs. In order to effectively treat the ailment, it is necessary to determine which autoimmune disease it provokes. Without causing the cause, dry mouth and eyes can be treated for a long and fruitless outcome.
