World Sjögren’s Day is observed annually on July 23 to raise awareness about Sjögren's syndrome. The day also promotes efforts in fundraising, education, and advocacy to support those affected by the condition. The two most common signs of Sjogren's syndrome are dry eyes and dry mouth. Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are the immune system disorders that commonly coexist with the illness. Sjögren's syndrome usually affects the mucous membranes and moisture-secreting glands of the mouth and eyes first, resulting in decreased saliva and tear production, respectively. Sjogren's syndrome can strike at any age, but most people are diagnosed when they are over 40. Women are far more likely to have the condition. The goal of treatment is symptom relief.
History Of World Sjogren’s Day
According to a study, Sjögren's syndrome affects between lakh to 30.1 lakh adults worldwide. The disease itself is named after its discoverer— a Swedish ophthalmologist Dr Henrik Sjogren— who made the first diagnoses of the condition way back in 1933. Dr Sjögren stumbled upon a patient in 1929, a woman who was complaining of dry eye. Along with the dry eye, the patient also had dry mouth and joint pain, and though each of these symptoms were individually recognised at the time, Dr Sjögren studied them all together for four years and came to the conclusion that the presence of these symptoms together was a new clinical entity, today known as Sjögren's syndrome. The 23rd of July marks the birthday of Dr Henrik Sjogren and has been celebrated as World Sjogren’s Day since 2010. For the year 2025 the theme of the celebration is “Awareness Through Research”.
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Symptoms Of Sjögren's Syndrome
According to the National Library Of Medicine Sjogren's syndrome has two primary symptoms, which are:
Dry eyes: it's possible for your eyes to burn, itch, or feel like they contain sand.
Dry mouth: speaking or swallowing may become challenging if your mouth feels like it's full of cotton.
Additionally, some Sjogren's syndrome sufferers have one or more of the following conditions:
- Stiffness, oedema, and joint pain
- Enlarged salivary glands, especially those in front of your ears and behind your jaw
- Dry skin or skin rashes
- Dryness of the vagina
- Chronic dry cough
- Extended weariness
Causes of Sjögren's Syndrome
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An autoimmune condition, Sjogren's syndrome's cause is largely unknown to the scientists. The condition makes your body's immune system attack your own cells and tissues by raising a false alarm. Although certain genes increase a person's risk of developing the disorder, it also seems that a triggering mechanism, like infection with a specific virus or bacterial strain, may be responsible.
The immune system primarily attacks the glands that produce saliva and tears in Sjogren's syndrome. However, it can also harm other body parts like joints, kidneys,thyroid, skin, nerves, liver or lungs.
Bottomline
Although there is no permanent cure for Sjögren's syndrome , the condition could be managed depending on the severity of the symptoms. For instance, the doctor may prescribe medications to treat the eyes based on the condition of the eye and how dry they are, but the dryness of the mouth relatively may be lesser and might not necessarily demand medication. People with Sjogren's syndrome frequently also have rheumatic conditions, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis and hence need to be treated for those as well. Additionally, the point of celebrating World Sjogren's Day is to spread awareness, donate money and educate people on the subject, and one must contribute however they are capable.