World Dry Season Day丨What is the tormenting "Sjögren's syndrome"?

When it comes to Sjögren's syndrome, many people feel very confused.

"What kind of disease is this?" "Dryness is also a disease?" "Aren't dry mouth and dry eyes very common symptoms?"

In fact, Sjögren's syndrome is not only a disease, but also very harmful. Although elderly women are the main patient group of Sjögren's syndrome, young female patients are also not uncommon.

In 1933, Swedish ophthalmologist Professor Henrik Sjögren officially reported the disease of Sjögren's syndrome. Since then, July 23rd, Dr. Sjögren's birthday, has been designated as "World Sjögren's Day" to commemorate Professor Sjögren's contribution to the research of Sjögren's syndrome.

What is Sjögren's syndrome?

Sjögren's syndrome is a type of rheumatic autoimmune disease that mainly damages exocrine glands such as salivary glands and lacrimal glands. Since the onset is often insidious, most patients find it difficult to tell the exact time of onset, and they rarely go to the hospital for treatment.

The prevalence of Sjögren's syndrome in the Chinese population is about 0.29% to 0.77%, and in elderly women the prevalence can be as high as 3% to 4%. Current studies have found that genetic factors, environmental factors, and neuro-endocrine factors are related to the onset of Sjögren's syndrome, but the specific pathogenesis remains unclear.

What are some signs that you might have Sjögren's syndrome?

If the patient experiences persistent dry mouth and eyes, recurrent joint pain, unexplained parotid swelling and pain, unexplained fever, fatigue, and multiple purpuric rashes, then one needs to be alert to the possibility of Sjögren's syndrome.

Among them, persistent dry mouth and eyes are the most common clinical manifestations of Sjögren's syndrome. Different from general dry mouth and dry eyes, the dry mouth and dry eyes caused by Sjögren's syndrome are more severe. Patients often need to drink water frequently due to dry mouth, and often need water when eating dry food. In severe cases, they may have difficulty eating, flaky teeth and multiple caries. The dry eyes of patients are specifically manifested as dry eyes, frosted feeling and congestion. In severe cases, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, corneal epithelial erosion, corneal neovascularization and ulcer formation, and even corneal perforation and blindness may occur.

Is there a risk of developing lymphoma in patients with Sjögren's syndrome?

The overall prognosis of Sjögren's syndrome is good, and most patients only have dry symptoms such as dry mouth and dry eyes. However, if the disease is not well controlled, Sjögren's syndrome may progress to lymphoma.

Especially for patients with recurrent irregular fever, progressive weight loss, progressive enlargement of lymph nodes, parotid glands or spleen, continuous decrease in immunoglobulins or a sharp decrease after an increase or a change from polyclonal increase to monoclonal increase, macroglobulinemia, and positive urine Bence Jones protein, one needs to be alert to the possibility of lymphoma.

How to treat Sjögren's syndrome?

In terms of treatment, most patients with Sjögren's syndrome only need to use artificial tears and artificial saliva to relieve dryness symptoms. They can also use traditional Chinese medicine for treatment. Based on the principles of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, nourishing yin and promoting body fluid, it can effectively improve dryness symptoms and control the progression of the disease.

For a very small number of patients with Sjögren's syndrome who have severe symptoms and visceral damage, hormone or immunosuppressant treatment is required.

Scientific review: Yan Yan, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Oriental Hospital

Author: Wei Ni, deputy chief physician of the Department of Rheumatology, Oriental Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Editor: Wu Yuetong and Xie Yun