Description

Sjögren syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly reacts to the tissue in glands that produce moisture, such as tear and salivary glands. It is a chronic, inflammatory disease that often progresses to a more complex, systemic disorder that can affect other tissues and organs in the body such as joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, nervous system, and the intestinal tract. Sjögren syndrome is characterized by an unusual accumulation (infiltration) of a particular type of white blood cell, lymphocytes, in the glands that are responsible for fluid production. 

Examples of some of the signs and symptoms include:

• Decreased sense of taste and smell
• Dry cough
• Dry gritty eyes
• Dry mouth with difficulty swallowing or talking
• Dry skin and rashes
• Fatigue
• Joint pain and swelling
• Muscle pain
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet (neuropathy)
• Sore tongue or throat
• Swollen salivary (parotid) glands
• Vaginal dryness
• Stomach upset, irritable bowel
• Recurrent bronchitis or pneumonia

Fasting not required.