Autumn is the peak season for Sjögren's syndrome. If you have these symptoms, you should pay attention.

As the weather turns cooler, many people experience symptoms such as chapped lips, dry eyes, unbearable thirst, and dry skin. General dryness symptoms can be alleviated by increasing water intake, reducing spicy food intake, and using a humidifier. However, there is another type of dryness symptom that not only persists, but also gradually worsens, and even causes fever, tooth loss, joint pain, rash, and other symptoms. At this time, you need to be alert to the possibility of Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease that particularly affects women over 40 years old. The male-female ratio is 1:9~1:20. In my country, the prevalence of Sjögren's syndrome is about 0.29%~0.77%, but it can reach 3%~4% in the elderly. Since the early symptoms are atypical and lack specificity, Sjögren's syndrome is easily ignored by patients. When they seek medical treatment, the disease has often lasted for a long time and a series of pathological damage has occurred.

Autumn is the peak season for Sjögren's syndrome. Today, let us learn about Sjögren's syndrome.

1. What symptoms should lead to suspicion of Sjögren's syndrome?

The clinical manifestations of Sjögren's syndrome are complex and varied, and lack representativeness. Generally speaking, if there is no obvious cause and dry mouth and tongue occur, with little or no coating, and water is needed to help eat dry foods such as biscuits and steamed buns; or there are frequent caries, broken teeth, and flaky teeth; or there are repeated unilateral or bilateral parotid swelling or dry eyes, red eyes, a frosted feeling caused by sand entering the eyes, reduced tear secretion, or even no tears. If the above symptoms persist for more than three months and progressively worsen, it is necessary to suspect the possibility of Sjögren's syndrome, especially for women over 40 years old, who should be more vigilant about the possibility of Sjögren's syndrome.

2. How should you seek medical treatment if you suspect Sjögren's syndrome?

Sjögren's syndrome is a disease diagnosed and treated by rheumatology and immunology. If you suspect you have Sjögren's syndrome, you should go to the rheumatology and immunology department of a regular hospital as soon as possible. Generally, you need to draw blood under the guidance of a physician to conduct immune-related tests such as autoantibodies, immunoglobulins, complement, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and complete imaging tests such as salivary gland ultrasound, tear secretion test, ocular surface examination, and salivary flow rate measurement. The rheumatologist will make the final diagnosis based on the comprehensive symptoms and signs and the results of various examinations.

3. How should Sjögren's syndrome be treated if diagnosed?

The overall prognosis of Sjögren's syndrome is good, and most patients only have dry symptoms such as dry mouth and dry eyes. In terms of treatment, artificial tears and artificial saliva are generally used to relieve dryness symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine can also be used for treatment. The principle of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, nourishing yin and promoting fluid production is generally effective in improving dryness symptoms and controlling the progression of the disease. For a very small number of patients with Sjögren's syndrome who are in severe condition and have visceral damage, hormones or immunosuppressants are needed for treatment.

4. How to prevent Sjögren’s syndrome in daily life?

Prevention of Sjögren's syndrome should start with developing good living habits. In daily life, we should keep our mouth and eyes clean, brush our teeth and rinse our mouth frequently, quit smoking and drinking, reduce the time of using mobile phones and computers, give our eyes enough rest, and have a regular work and rest schedule, try not to stay up late, insist on doing small to medium intensity, intermittent physical exercise, and maintain a happy mood, stay calm when encountering things, and avoid excessive anxiety.

In terms of diet, people should avoid eating spicy and irritating foods, and reduce the consumption of foods rich in fat and salt, such as barbecue, hot pot, and fried chicken. They can eat more sweet and cool foods such as coix seed, white fungus, lily, lotus seed, winter melon, loofah, water chestnut, pear, papaya, honey, and green leafy vegetables, as well as meat such as chicken, duck, and freshwater fish. However, cooking methods should be stir-fried or stewed, and frying, pan-frying, and roasting should be avoided.

In addition, the frequency of drinking water should be increased. You can carry a water cup with you, or soak Chinese herbs such as Ophiopogon japonicus and Chrysanthemum in water and drink them as tea, which can enhance the effect of nourishing yin and promoting body fluid.

(Rheumatology Department, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Oriental Hospital)