Majority of Women Unaware of Sjogren's Syndrome

A new telephone survey reveals that the majority of women ages 35 to 65 are unaware of Sjögren's (pronounced SHOW-grins) syndrome -- a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the body's moisture-producing glands and primarily causes severe dry mouth and dry eyes. Sjögren's syndrome is more common in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. With symptoms that include: dry mouth, dry eyes, dry skin, vaginal dryness, fatigue, frequent headaches, joint pain and increased tooth decay, Sjögren's can be debilitating and troublesome when not recognized and/or treated.

Although Sjögren's syndrome may be one of the most common autoimmune diseases (affecting up to four million people in the United States, mainly women), only 16 percent of the 505 women surveyed had heard about the condition. In the survey, when asked to identify the conditions associated with these complaints, 61 percent of women surveyed indicated menopause and only 6 percent, Sjögren's syndrome, showing the lack of awareness.

Even though there is no cure for Sjögren's syndrome, patients may find temporary relief of dry mouth by drinking water, chewing sugar-free gum and using artificial saliva. In addition, a new FDA-approved prescription drug called Evoxac (cevimeline HCl) has been proven effective in relieving the symptoms of dry mouth in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

More information on autoimmune disease is available:

• Autoimmune Disease Checklist
• Do You Have Autoimmune Disease Symptoms?

Mary Shomon, About.com's Thyroid Guide since 1997, is a nationally-known patient advocate and best-selling author of 10 books on health, including "Living Well With Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You That You Need to Know," "Living Well With Hypothyroidism," and "The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss." Click here for more information on Mary Shomon.

Source: NAPSI