Thanks for posting the info about the Learning Channel series. I suffered from Sjogren's for years before being diagnosed. It's a common disease but most people have never heard of it. For me, it started with dry eyes that could only be relieved by OTC eye drops several times a day. My tear production got so low, that whenever I cried, people thought I was faking it just because there were no tears rolling down my cheeks. I complained to several different doctors for several years, but none bothered to check it out. They simply told me to continue using OTC eye drops. I was finally diagnosed after I went to my primary doctor complaining that I no longer had enough saliva to chew a cracker. He sent me to a rhemuatologist, who with a simple blood test discovered I had the autoimmune disease Sjogren's. By then, it had not only attacked the tear glands but had now spread to the salivary glands. If you suspect you may have Sjogren's, don't waste your time complaining to the eye doctor or the family physician. Go straight to a rhemuatologist. They see autoimmune diseases every day and are better equiped to recognize the symptoms. There is no cure for Sjogren's but they can provide you with advice and treatment for the painful symptoms.
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Thanks for posting the info about the Learning Channel series. I suffered from Sjogren's for years before being diagnosed. It's a common disease but most people have never heard of it. For me, it started with dry eyes that could only be relieved by OTC eye drops several times a day. My tear production got so low, that whenever I cried, people thought I was faking it just because there were no tears rolling down my cheeks. I complained to several different doctors for several years, but none bothered to check it out. They simply told me to continue using OTC eye drops. I was finally diagnosed after I went to my primary doctor complaining that I no longer had enough saliva to chew a cracker. He sent me to a rhemuatologist, who with a simple blood test discovered I had the autoimmune disease Sjogren's. By then, it had not only attacked the tear glands but had now spread to the salivary glands. If you suspect you may have Sjogren's, don't waste your time complaining to the eye doctor or the family physician. Go straight to a rhemuatologist. They see autoimmune diseases every day and are better equiped to recognize the symptoms. There is no cure for Sjogren's but they can provide you with advice and treatment for the painful symptoms.
November 1, 2008 - 7:59amThis Comment
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