Symptoms

Symptoms include eye pain and redness (the eyes feel dry and sandy), dry mouth, vaginal dryness, joint pain and stiffness, muscle aches, dry, cracked tongue and enlarged lymph glands.

Some people experience only minor symptoms. Others may have blurred vision, constant eye discomfort, recurrent mouth infections, swollen salivary glands and difficulty swallowing or eating, or restlessness. Typical symptoms are:

• dry or itching eyes;
• dryness of the mouth;
• difficulty swallowing;
• loss of taste and taste;
• impaired or severe dental caries;
• hoarseness;
• fatigue;
• joint pain;
• swollen glands;
• cloudy cornea.

Everyone is different.

The symptoms of Sjögren's are many and varied. No two people with Sjogren's Syndrome have exactly the same set of symptoms or medical history. That is why diagnoses is sometimes difficult to achieve. For example, I have serious fatigue, swollen parotid glands and the glands under my arms give me pain.

Sjögren's can damage vital organs of the body with symptoms that may plateau, worsen, or go into remission. Some people may experience only the mild symptoms of dry eyes and mouth, while others go through cycles of good health followed by severe disease. Many patients are able to treat problems symptomatically. Others are forced to cope with blurred vision, constant eye discomfort, recurrent mouth or throat infections, swollen parotid glands, hoarseness, and difficulty in swallowing and eating. Debilitating fatigue and joint pain can seriously impair quality of life.