Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Anyone with an autoimmune disease can develop associated Sjögren’s disease regardless of age, though it’s typically diagnosed in older people. It’s also more common in women, possibly because of hormonal differences.
Since there is no cure, treatment is designed to manage symptoms.
Bailey Mariner / Verywell
Symptoms of Associated Sjögren’s Disease
The main symptoms of both primary and associated Sjögren’s disease include:
Some people with primary and associated Sjögren’s disease may also experience:
Associated Sjögren’s disease is often less severe than primary Sjögren’s, but not always. Autoimmune conditions do often overlap, and it can be difficult to tell if a certain symptom is related to Sjögren’s or the primary autoimmune condition. For example, RA can similarly cause pain, fevers, fatigue, and loss of appetite.
Talk to your healthcare provider about any symptoms that concern you regardless of whether they relate to associated Sjögren’s, a primary autoimmune disease, or another health condition.
Sjögren’s Disease and Dry Eyes
Complications
It’s not unusual for people with Sjögren’s to experience infections. In both primary and associated Sjögren’s, that includes dental and eye infections,sinusitis,bronchitis, andvaginitis.
People with Sjögren’s disease have a slightly elevated risk of developinglymphoma, a cancer of thelymph glands.The risk increases the longer you have Sjögren’s. You should report any lymph node swelling to your healthcare provider.
Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases
Sjögren’s is the result of theimmune systemtriggering aninflammatory responsein which white blood cells attack and damage the body’s own moisture-producing glands. The exact cause of this abnormal immune response is unknown.
Autoimmune diseases most often associated with associated Sjögren’s include:
Secondary Sjögren’s impacts a substantial portion of people with autoimmune diseases, including about 20% of those with RA and and 14% of people with lupus, according to a 2018 study.
Common risk factors for Sjögren’s disease include:
Interestingly, primary Sjögren’s disease affects between 2 and 10 out of every 10,000 people, the majority of whom are women as well.
A Connection to Fibromyalgia?Sjögren’s disease frequently overlaps withfibromyalgia, which is not currently considered an autoimmune disease. In one study, 20% of participants diagnosed only with Sjögren’s fit the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia as well.Another study found that about 33% of people with fibromyalgia who reported dry eyes and mouth also had Sjögren’s. The authors suggested that this might provide evidence of an autoimmune component to fibromyalgia, but more research is needed.
A Connection to Fibromyalgia?
Sjögren’s disease frequently overlaps withfibromyalgia, which is not currently considered an autoimmune disease. In one study, 20% of participants diagnosed only with Sjögren’s fit the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia as well.Another study found that about 33% of people with fibromyalgia who reported dry eyes and mouth also had Sjögren’s. The authors suggested that this might provide evidence of an autoimmune component to fibromyalgia, but more research is needed.
Causes and Risk Factors of Autoimmune Disease
An associated Sjögren’s diagnosis includes:
Make sure you follow through with your healthcare provider’s testing recommendations so you can get an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.
You should tell your healthcare provider about any over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications you are taking. Some medications may cause symptoms similar to those associated with Sjögren’s disease. This includes some blood pressure medications, oral contraceptives, antihistamines, and antidepressants.
Radiation treatmentsmay also cause similar symptoms, especially if the head or neck is treated. Other autoimmune diseases may also mimic Sjögren’s disease.
How to Treat Dry Eyes
Treatment for associated Sjögren’s disease depends on the parts of the body affected. OTC eye drops can help you to manage dry eye. Sipping water frequently or using a saliva substitute, like Biotene, can help with dry mouth. Forvaginal dryness, your healthcare provider may suggest a water-based vaginal lubricant.
Other lifestyle changes that may help with symptoms include:
If you need prescription treatments, your healthcare provider may prescribe medications to:
A surgical procedure called punctual occlusion may be done when all other treatment options for managing eye dryness have failed.This surgical option involves sealing the tear ducts with small plugs to reduce the drainage of tears from the eye. This helps keep the eyes lubricated for longer periods.
A Word From Verywell
While there is no cure for associated Sjögren’s disease or the primary autoimmune diseases that cause it, treatment can help alleviate symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Learn as much as you can about associated Sjögren’s disease so you’re aware of potential problems and worsening symptoms. Routine follow-ups with your healthcare provider and early treatment are also important for reducing potential complications and improving treatment outcomes.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sjögren’s syndrome risk factors.Maciel G, Crowson CS, Matteson EL, et al.Prevalence of primary sjögren’s syndrome in a US population-based cohort.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2017 Oct;69(10):1612-1616. doi:10.1002/acr.23173.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care: InformedHealth.org.Rheumatoid arthritis: Overview.Vitali C, Palombi G, Cataleta P.Treating Sjögren’s syndrome: Insights for the clinician.Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2010;2(3):155-66. doi:10.1177/1759720X10363246Fragkioudaki S, Mavragani CP, Moutsopoulos HM.Predicting the risk for lymphoma development in Sjogren syndrome: An easy tool for clinical use.Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(25):e3766. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000003766Alani H, Henty JR, Thompson NL, Jury E, Ciurtin C.Systematic review and meta-analysis of the epidemiology of polyautoimmunity in Sjögren’s syndrome (secondary Sjögren’s syndrome) focusing on autoimmune rheumatic diseases.Scand J Rheumatol. 2018;47(2):141-154. doi:10.1080/03009742.2017.1324909Priori R, Iannuccelli C, Alessandri C, et al.Fatigue in Sjogren’s syndrome: relationship with fibromyalgia, clinical and biologic features.Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010;28(6 Suppl 63):S82-S86.Applbaum E, Lichtbroun A. Novel Sjögren’s autoantibodies found in fibromyalgia patients with sicca and/or xerostomia.Autoimmun Rev. 2019;18(2):199-202. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2018.09.004Giovelli RA, Santos MC, Serrano ÉV, Valim V.Clinical characteristics and biopsy accuracy in suspected cases of Sjögren’s syndrome referred to labial salivary gland biopsy.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015;16:30. doi:10.1186/s12891-015-0482-9Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sjögren’s Syndrome.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sjögren’s syndrome risk factors.Maciel G, Crowson CS, Matteson EL, et al.Prevalence of primary sjögren’s syndrome in a US population-based cohort.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2017 Oct;69(10):1612-1616. doi:10.1002/acr.23173.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care: InformedHealth.org.Rheumatoid arthritis: Overview.Vitali C, Palombi G, Cataleta P.Treating Sjögren’s syndrome: Insights for the clinician.Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2010;2(3):155-66. doi:10.1177/1759720X10363246Fragkioudaki S, Mavragani CP, Moutsopoulos HM.Predicting the risk for lymphoma development in Sjogren syndrome: An easy tool for clinical use.Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(25):e3766. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000003766Alani H, Henty JR, Thompson NL, Jury E, Ciurtin C.Systematic review and meta-analysis of the epidemiology of polyautoimmunity in Sjögren’s syndrome (secondary Sjögren’s syndrome) focusing on autoimmune rheumatic diseases.Scand J Rheumatol. 2018;47(2):141-154. doi:10.1080/03009742.2017.1324909Priori R, Iannuccelli C, Alessandri C, et al.Fatigue in Sjogren’s syndrome: relationship with fibromyalgia, clinical and biologic features.Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010;28(6 Suppl 63):S82-S86.Applbaum E, Lichtbroun A. Novel Sjögren’s autoantibodies found in fibromyalgia patients with sicca and/or xerostomia.Autoimmun Rev. 2019;18(2):199-202. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2018.09.004Giovelli RA, Santos MC, Serrano ÉV, Valim V.Clinical characteristics and biopsy accuracy in suspected cases of Sjögren’s syndrome referred to labial salivary gland biopsy.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015;16:30. doi:10.1186/s12891-015-0482-9Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sjögren’s Syndrome.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sjögren’s syndrome risk factors.Maciel G, Crowson CS, Matteson EL, et al.Prevalence of primary sjögren’s syndrome in a US population-based cohort.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2017 Oct;69(10):1612-1616. doi:10.1002/acr.23173.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care: InformedHealth.org.Rheumatoid arthritis: Overview.Vitali C, Palombi G, Cataleta P.Treating Sjögren’s syndrome: Insights for the clinician.Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2010;2(3):155-66. doi:10.1177/1759720X10363246Fragkioudaki S, Mavragani CP, Moutsopoulos HM.Predicting the risk for lymphoma development in Sjogren syndrome: An easy tool for clinical use.Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(25):e3766. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000003766Alani H, Henty JR, Thompson NL, Jury E, Ciurtin C.Systematic review and meta-analysis of the epidemiology of polyautoimmunity in Sjögren’s syndrome (secondary Sjögren’s syndrome) focusing on autoimmune rheumatic diseases.Scand J Rheumatol. 2018;47(2):141-154. doi:10.1080/03009742.2017.1324909Priori R, Iannuccelli C, Alessandri C, et al.Fatigue in Sjogren’s syndrome: relationship with fibromyalgia, clinical and biologic features.Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010;28(6 Suppl 63):S82-S86.Applbaum E, Lichtbroun A. Novel Sjögren’s autoantibodies found in fibromyalgia patients with sicca and/or xerostomia.Autoimmun Rev. 2019;18(2):199-202. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2018.09.004Giovelli RA, Santos MC, Serrano ÉV, Valim V.Clinical characteristics and biopsy accuracy in suspected cases of Sjögren’s syndrome referred to labial salivary gland biopsy.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015;16:30. doi:10.1186/s12891-015-0482-9Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sjögren’s Syndrome.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sjögren’s syndrome risk factors.
Maciel G, Crowson CS, Matteson EL, et al.Prevalence of primary sjögren’s syndrome in a US population-based cohort.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2017 Oct;69(10):1612-1616. doi:10.1002/acr.23173.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care: InformedHealth.org.Rheumatoid arthritis: Overview.
Vitali C, Palombi G, Cataleta P.Treating Sjögren’s syndrome: Insights for the clinician.Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2010;2(3):155-66. doi:10.1177/1759720X10363246
Fragkioudaki S, Mavragani CP, Moutsopoulos HM.Predicting the risk for lymphoma development in Sjogren syndrome: An easy tool for clinical use.Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(25):e3766. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000003766
Alani H, Henty JR, Thompson NL, Jury E, Ciurtin C.Systematic review and meta-analysis of the epidemiology of polyautoimmunity in Sjögren’s syndrome (secondary Sjögren’s syndrome) focusing on autoimmune rheumatic diseases.Scand J Rheumatol. 2018;47(2):141-154. doi:10.1080/03009742.2017.1324909
Priori R, Iannuccelli C, Alessandri C, et al.Fatigue in Sjogren’s syndrome: relationship with fibromyalgia, clinical and biologic features.Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010;28(6 Suppl 63):S82-S86.
Applbaum E, Lichtbroun A. Novel Sjögren’s autoantibodies found in fibromyalgia patients with sicca and/or xerostomia.Autoimmun Rev. 2019;18(2):199-202. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2018.09.004
Giovelli RA, Santos MC, Serrano ÉV, Valim V.Clinical characteristics and biopsy accuracy in suspected cases of Sjögren’s syndrome referred to labial salivary gland biopsy.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015;16:30. doi:10.1186/s12891-015-0482-9
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sjögren’s Syndrome.
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