World Sjögren’s Day is observed every year on July 23. On this day, the Sjögren’s Foundation and other organizations join together to spread awareness about this disease, help people better understand the symptoms, and how to treat it.
In Sjogren’s syndrome, the immune system first targets the glands that make tears and saliva. But it can also damage other parts of your body, such as joints, thyroid, kidneys, liver, lungs, skin, nerves.
Although Sjögren’s is a systemic disease that goes far beyond dryness, dryness remains a frequent, significant and disabling symptom. There are still people with Sjögren’s who remain undiagnosed. There are numerous reasons for this, but often because the threshold to refer to a specialist for dry eye may be higher than for other conditions.
Severe mouth or gum pain could indicate infection or tooth decay. Itchy eyes, eye pain, or blurred or double vision can signal infections or other vision problems. You should also call your doctor if you notice swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin. Enlarged lymph nodes could indicate lymphoma or another health condition.