Disease or Syndrome
Sjogren's syndrome
Subclass of:
Rheumatoid Arthritis;
Dry Eye Syndromes;
Xerostomia
Definitions related to sjogren's syndrome:
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(sjogren syndrome) An autoimmune disease that affects the tear glands and salivary glands, and may affect glands in the stomach, pancreas, and intestines. The disease causes dry eyes and mouth, and may cause dryness in the nose, throat, air passages, skin, and vagina. It may also cause inflammation in the joints, muscles, and skin; pneumonia; tingling in the fingers and toes; and fatigue. It often occurs with rheumatoid arthritis or other connective tissue diseases.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(sjogren syndrome) An autoimmune disorder affecting the salivary and lacrimal glands. Morphologically, it is characterized by the presence of lymphocytic and plasmacytic infiltrates which cause destruction of these glands. It results in dry mouth and dry eyes. It may be associated with the presence of other autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus.NCIU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(sjogren syndrome) Autoimmune epithelial inflammation often affecting the salivary and lacrimal glands (causing dry mouth and dry eyes) with potential extraglandular manifestations. In children, it most commonly presents with recurrent parotitis. It may occur alone (primary) or in association with another autoimmune disease (secondary).NICHD Pediatric TerminologyU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease in which the salivary and lacrimal glands undergo progressive destruction by lymphocytes and plasma cells resulting in decreased production of saliva and tears. The primary form, often called sicca syndrome, involves both KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS SICCA and XEROSTOMIA. The secondary form includes, in addition, the presence of a connective tissue disease, usually rheumatoid arthritis.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
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Sjogren's syndrome, also called Sjogren's disease, is a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disease. When you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy tissues and organs by mistake. In Sjogren's syndrome, your immune system attacks the glands that make moisture in the eyes, mouth, and other parts of the body. This causes a dry mouth and dry eyes. You may have dryness in other places that need moisture, such as your nose, throat, and skin. Sjogren's can also affect other parts of the body, including your joints, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, digestive organs, and nerves. Normally, your immune system protects the body from infection and disease. But with Sjogren's syndrome and other autoimmune diseases, your immune system attacks healthy tissues and organs. Researchers don't know for sure what causes the immune system to do this. But they think that it is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Studies have linked Sjogren's syndrome to gene changes in several genes. Some researchers also think that the disease may be triggered by something in the environment. For example, they think that one possible trigger could be a previous infection with a virus or bacteria. Most people with Sjogren's syndrome are women. You can get it at any age, but it is most common in people in their 40s and 50s. Sjogren's syndrome is more common in people who have other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. This is known as a secondary form of Sjogren's syndrome. People who don't have another autoimmune disease have a primary form of Sjogren's syndrome. Sjogren's syndrome may have different effects on the body. Not everyone will have the same symptoms. Some people have cycles of mild and then severe symptoms. The two main symptoms are: Dry eyes. Your eyes may burn or itch or feel like they have sand in them. Sometimes your vision may be blurry, or you could be bothered by bright lights.; Dry mouth. Your tongue and your throat may feel dry. You might have trouble swallowing, speaking, and tasting. Sjogren's syndrome can also affect other parts of the body, causing symptoms such as: Joint and muscle pain; Dry skin; Rashes on the skin of hands or feet; Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet; Vaginal dryness; Dry cough that doesn't go away; Fatigue that doesn't go away. There is no single test for Sjogren's syndrome. To find out if you have it, your provider: Will ask about your medical history and symptoms.; Will do a physical exam, which includes checking for signs of dry mouth and signs of related autoimmune diseases.; May order tests, including: Eye tests to see if you produce a normal amount of tears and to find out if your eyes have been damaged by dryness.; Salivary gland tests to measure how much saliva your mouth produces. They could include imaging tests and a biopsy.; Blood tests. . There is no cure for Sjogren's syndrome. Treatment focuses on relieving your symptoms. The treatments can be different for each person, depending on which parts of the body are affected. They may include: Eye drops (artificial tears) or ointments to relieve dryness in the eyes.; Saliva substitutes.; Prescription medicines that cause your salivary glands to make more saliva....MedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
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Symptom complex of unknown etiology, usually occurring in middle-aged or older women, marked by the triad of keratoconjunctivitis sicca with or without lacrimal gland enlargement, xerostomia with or without salivary gland enlargement, and the presence of a connective tissue disease, usually rheumatoid arthritis but sometimes systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, or polymyositis; an abnormal immune response has been implicated.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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Sj�gren syndrome is a relatively common chronic, autoimmune, systemic, inflammatory disorder of unknown cause. It is characterized by dryness of the mouth, eyes, and other mucous membranes due to lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands and secondary gland dysfunction. Sj�gren syndrome can affect various exocrine glands or other...Merck & Co., Inc., 2025
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Sj�gren syndrome is a systemic chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by lymphocytic infiltrates in exocrine organs. Most individuals with Sj�gren syndrome present with sicca symptoms, such as xerophthalmia (dry eyes), xerostomia (dry mouth), and parotid gland enlargement, which is seen in the image below.WebMD, 2025
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Sjogren's (SHOW-grins) syndrome is a disorder of your immune system identified by its two most common symptoms - dry eyes and a dry mouth.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025
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Sjogren syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy the glands that produce tears and saliva. Sjogren syndrome is also associated with rheumatic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus. The hallmark symptoms of Sjogren syndrome are dry mouth and dry eyes. In addition, Sjogren...National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
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Sjogren syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disorder, characterized by the presence of dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) and dry mouth (xerostomia) as a consequence of lymphocytic infiltration into the lacrimal and salivary glands. Additional symptoms can include dryness of skin, nose, throat, vagina; arthralgias and myalgias;...Athenahealth, Inc., 2019
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