ADVICE FROM OUR WOMAN’S WEEKLY DOCTOR
Usually starting after the age of 40, Sjögren’s affects women more than men. Symptoms include dry eyes, mouth and skin, tiredness, and muscle or joint pain. Others are a dry cough, and difficulty with concentrating or memory. Vaginal dryness, sun-triggered rashes and swelling between the jaw and ears (swollen salivary glands) are common too.
It’s an autoimmune condition – the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your own tissues, generally the eyes and mouth, but other tissue, such as nerves, joints and, rarely, lungs, can be affected.
The exact cause isn’t clear, but it’s possibly linked to genetics
