Can Sjogren S Syndrome Cause Blindness

Sjogren s syndrome is a condition in which the body s immune system attacks its own moisture producing glands.

Can sjogren s syndrome cause blindness.

Use of mouth lubricants artificial saliva may be needed to keep the mouth adequately moist and to assist in swallowing. For most sufferers it attacks the salivary gland and the lacrimal glands which produce tears it can also affect the bowels and other moisture glands in the body. Sjögren s syndrome ss is a rheumatic disease that may include central nervous system cns complications including demyelinating diseases that can affect the brain and the spinal cord. Sjogren s can cause problems for our vision so you ll want to use eye drops regularly and see your eye doctor once or twice a year.

Sjogren s syndrome also can cause dryness of the mouth that can lead to tooth decay or even loss of teeth. Sjogren s syndrome is known to dry out the mouth creating a cotton mouth feeling which can make it difficult to swallow or speak. Sjogren s syndrome was named after henrik sjögren a swedish eye doctor. Sjögren s syndrome is a systemic disease in which the defining clinical features dryness of the eyes and mouth arise from an autoimmune process affecting the lacrimal and salivary glands.

This autoimmune disorder is one of the leading causes of blindness in the united states because chronic poor blood sugar control can cause damage to the small blood vessels in the back of the eyes. The condition affects 0 1 to 4 percent of people in the u s and 90 percent of people with sjogren s are women. Ultrasound scans can sometimes help with a diagnosis with high frequency sound waves used to build up pictures of your salivary glands. If you do that you shouldn t have to worry about blindness.

People with sjogren s syndrome are much more likely to develop oral thrush a yeast infection in the mouth. Sjogren s syndrome destroys glands responsible for lubricating eyes and other parts of the body. The glands usually appear grey on ultrasound images but in people with sjögren s syndrome round black areas can be seen in the scans. One such severe demyelinating disease is termed the neuromyelitis optica spectrum of disorders nmosd and may rapidly cause blindness and paralysis.

Although sjogren s syndrome can produce these types of symptoms many other ailments can also cause them. Dry eyes can lead to light sensitivity blurred vision and corneal damage. It may occur either alone or in the context of another autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus.