How Common is Sjogren's Disease?

There have been different figures but the Sjogren's Disease Foundation states there are 4 million people that have Sjogren's and most of them happen to be women. http://www.sjogrens.org/. A very scary fact but the faster the CORRECT diagnosis is made and treatment started hopefully the less damage is done to your body as a whole. At this time there is no cure for Sjogren's but there are palliative treatments that can ease the symptoms of dry eyes/mouth, joint pain and fatigue. The job I have preformed for the past 11 years requires me to talk to clients over the phone related to chronic illnesses. (I have not been able to work since 3/10). I typically would have a bottle of ice water on my desk - this particular day I did not. I called a gentleman and was talking about his health when my mouth got so dry I started to cough - he said "you sound like the one that needs a Nurse" & hung up! I laugh about it now but at the time I was embarrassed and a little unnerved because I actually felt like I was choking. There are numerous over the counter drops and lubricants for dry eyes as well as drops, toothpastes, mouth rinses for dry mouth. Please remember that dry mouth can cause tooth decay. You and your Dr. can discuss what over the counter treatments may be the best for your symptoms.