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•Blepharitis
 
•Dry Eye Syndrome
 
•Salivary Gland Disorders
 
•Sjogren's Syndrome
 

Dry Eyes and Mouth

If you have dry eyes and dry mouth, a disease called Sjogren's syndrome could be to blame; it's an autoimmune condition in which the body's immune system is thought to attack certain tissues in the body, including the glands that make tears and saliva. The next question asks about features of this disease that could make it more likely in your case.

Besides dry eyes and dry mouth, other findings are common in people with Sjogren's syndrome.

In addition to the dry eyes and dry mouth, do you have one or more of the following?

  • swelling in the parotid gland(s) -- these are salivary glands located on the sides of the face, just below and in front of the ears.
  • abnormalities on specialized tests of tear or saliva production performed by your doctor, usually an eye doctor or ear-nose-and-throat doctor. These tests include the Schirmer's test, Rose-Bengal staining, basal and stimulated salivary flow, or lip biopsy.
  • a positive (abnormal) ANA (anti-nuclear antibody) blood test, in the blood, especially with one type of ANA called anti-Ro.

If you aren't sure if you've had any of these checked, you can get the information from your doctor's office.

Yes, I have one or more of those.

No, I don't have any of those.

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Date Last Reviewed: 6/1/2006
Date Last Modified: 5/25/2006

Source: from Harvard Health Decision Guides, Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
 
 
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Symptom Checker content copyright © 2006 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell. Use of content is subject to Terms & Conditions and Medical Disclaimer. More information on Harvard Medical School's publications and services is available at http://www.health.harvard.edu.

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