How is Sjogren Syndrome diagnosed?

Condition analysis:
Your doctor will diagnose Sjogren’s syndrome based on your medical history, a physical exam, and results from clinical or laboratory tests. During the exam, your doctor will check for clinical signs of Sjogren’s syndrome, such as indications of mouth dryness or signs of other connective tissue diseases.

Depending on what your doctor finds during the history and exam, he or she may want to perform some tests or refer you to a specialist to establish the diagnosis of Sjogren’s syndrome and/or to see how severe the problem is and whether the disease is affecting other parts of the body as well.

Because there are many causes of dry eyes and dry mouth (including many common medications, other diseases, or previous treatment such as radiation of the head or neck), the doctor needs a thorough history from the patient, and additional tests to see whether other parts of the body are affected.

Blood tests can determine the presence of antibodies common in Sjogren’s syndrome, including anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies or rheumatoid factor. Other tests can identify decreases in tear and saliva production. Biopsy of the saliva glands and other specialized tests can also help to confirm the diagnosis.

Instructions:
Castor oil may be something you associate with an old-fashioned prevention of ailments but castor oil may help relieve the discomfort of dry eyes. A 2002 study by the Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, chiba, Japan shows that castor oil eye drops help improve the way in which tears spread across your eye as well as prevent excessive tear drop evaporation.  Just a note of caution is in order. Do not use castor oil for dry eyes if you are pregnant. Castor oil taken orally can induce labor, so you should err to the side of caution and not use it at all if you are pregnant.