Counselling patients with Sjögren’s syndrome is critical

DESTIN, Fla. — An expert emphasized how important it is to counsel patients with Sjögren’s syndrome to reduce the occurrence of organ failure or adult failure to thrive, here at the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology.

“If we don’t advise our patients, if we are not cognizant of what can happen in these patients who complain of dry eye and dry mouth, they can go onto severe organ damage,” said Steven E. Carsons, MD, chief of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunolog, at NYU Winthrop Hospital. “That is, they can lose vision, or they can become edentulous and lose all their teeth.”

Carsons said edentulism “has significant affect on nutrition and can cause inanition, malnutrition and adult failure to thrive.”

Rheumatologists need to take time to counsel patients with Sjögren’s syndrome to be examined by an ophthalmologist every 6 months even if they do not have symptoms, he said.

Additionally, patients should use their eyedrops that are prescribed, for instance Restasis. Emphasize that patients should use their eyedrops regardless of symptoms or lack of symptoms to prevent ocular damage, he said.

Patients with Sjögren’s syndrome should be examined by their dentist every 3 months and request a fluoride treatment regularly, as well as a prophylaxis cleaning.

Read the full article 

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SJOGREN'S SYNDROME HERE:

• List of Sjogren's Syndrome Symptoms
• Increased prevalence of Sjogren's syndrome in high level chromium soils

• Study suggests future way to treat chronic eye problems and lymphoma in Sjogren's Syndrome.

• How Sjogren's is diagnosed

• Dry eye found in over 85% of Sjogren’s patients