This shortage of crucial moisture leads to the two main symptoms: dry eyes and dry mouth. For women (who account for about 90% of all Sjögren’s cases) dryness can also be something of an issue ‘down below’.  Yup, when it rains it really pours.  OK, probably not the best analogy to use in this instance.

In more serious cases the immune system goes one better and attacks other parts of the body as well.  Symptoms up for offer include chronic muscle pain, joint pain, stiffness and swelling, vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels) and brain fog (difficulty concentrating, remembering and reasoning).  One of the worst symptoms (personally speaking) is the crippling chronic fatigue.

Of course, as with most things, there’s always a worse case scenario.  In this instance, there’s the possibility of permanent damage to your eyesight if dry eyes are left untreated.  There’s also an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Looking on the bright side, however, the chances of this are pretty low, at around 5%.