While many patients experience dry eyes, dry mouth, fatigue and joint pain, Sjögren's can also cause dysfunction of organs such as the kidneys, gastrointestinal system, blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas, and the peripheral and central nervous system. Patients also have a higher chance of developing lymphoma.
Symptoms vary from person to person but may include:
- Neurological problems, concentration/memory-loss, “brain fog”, dysautonomia, headaches
- Dry eyes, corneal ulcerations and infections
- Dry nose, recurrent sinusitis, nosebleeds
- Dry mouth, mouth sores, dental decay, difficulty with chewing, speech, taste and dentures
- Swollen, painful parotid/salivary glands
- Difficulty swallowing, heartburn, reflux, esophagitis
- Fatigue, vasculitis, lymphoma, dry skin, skin sensitivity to UV light
- Recurrent bronchitis, interstitial lung disease, pneumonia
- Arthritis, joint/muscle pain
- Abnormal liver function tests, chronic active autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis
- Peripheral neuropathy, Raynaud’s
- Stomach upset, gastroparesis, autoimmune pancreatitis
- Irritable bowel, autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility
- Interstitial cystitis, interstitial nephritis including renal tubular acidosis, glomerulonephritis
- Vaginal dryness, vulvodynia; chronic prostatitis