Left untreated, the disease can inhibit the body's ability to produce saliva and tears, making it extremely difficult for women to swallow, speak, or cry.
Dry mouth can result in rampant tooth decay, mouth lesions and pain, and serious digestive problems.
The disease also may produce vaginal dryness, joint pain, and headaches, and sufferers are at greater risk of developing lymphoma and other types of cancers. Yet, the results of the survey, conducted by Bruskin Research, released today at the first annual meeting of the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, show that three out of four women suffer from at least one of these symptoms. Of those having at least two of these symptoms, only half of them sought advice from a physician. Research shows that hundreds of thousands of women may be undiagnosed and untreated, and this latest survey shows that many are suffering needlessly. The majority of patients diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome are post-menopausal women between the ages of 40 and 60.