Eye Troubles

[Gemini]

Thank you. My sister has a dry throat conatantly & is always making noises like she is strangling to death. Very dry without mucous. I will hav eher ask the doc fo rthese tests.... I told two years ago that I thoought she had sjorgen's.SHe has never smoked.... thanks again

mamaw

Lots of people who have never smoked can still have a cough for many different reasons. People always assume it's a smokers problem. My family pretty much all have Sjogren's and have never smoked. I used to smoke and our symptoms are all the same. Actually, having Sjogren's will give a person worse symptoms than anyone who smokes. Being that dry causes some annoying problems. It sounds like your sister may have it. I hope she gets some answers but if the blood work is negative, I would still do the same things to alleviate the dryness. Just tell her to drink lots of fluids because that really helps.

How are her teeth? Does she have many dental or gum problems? This is another sign of dry mouth/Sjogrens.

[mamaw]

Thanks, she does have receding gums & had some bone removed from one section & added to her mouth in the bottom.... No doctor has ever mentioned Sjorgen's but I truly believe she has it but since you gave me the bloodwork she needs , I will have her get it checked next time she goes for routine bloodwork. She drinks loads of lemonade as it helps with the clearing of the throat all the time.( sour lemonade)

blessings

mamaw

[Gemini]

Thanks, she does have receding gums & had some bone removed from one section & added to her mouth in the bottom.... No doctor has ever mentioned Sjorgen's but I truly believe she has it but since you gave me the bloodwork she needs , I will have her get it checked next time she goes for routine bloodwork. She drinks loads of lemonade as it helps with the clearing of the throat all the time.( sour lemonade)

blessings

mamaw

There is a mouthwash called Biotene and it is made specifically for dry mouth. I use it, as directed, at night before I go to bed and it really helps with

the dryness overnight. There is a whole line of Biotene products made specifically for Sjogren's/dry mouth problems. The mouthwash tastes good and

also helps to protect the teeth against bacteria.

[Michi8]

Just a thought on potential allergies...

Spring is a really bad time for pollen allergies. My eyes suffer terribly for the entire month of May, when the birch pollen flies around here. They are incredibly itchy and red, and if I rub them too much, I end up with horrible conjunctivitis. Reactine (Zyrtec in the US) does a pretty good job at keeping the reactions to a minimum. In addition, we keep all the windows closed in the house and I try to spend as little time outside as possible (that's really tough because May can be a really warm, sometimes hot, month...and it's the first of the good spring weather...I want to be outside to enjoy it after being cooped up all winter!!!) I have tried allergy eye drops, but any drops sting horribly when applied. Now that we're in to June, the birch allergy reaction has subsided.

At any rate, allergies may be something worth considering...not as the cause of dry eyes, but as a potential irritant on top of the dryness.

Michelle

[Gemini]

Just a thought on potential allergies...

Spring is a really bad time for pollen allergies. My eyes suffer terribly for the entire month of May, when the birch pollen flies around here. They are incredibly itchy and red, and if I rub them too much, I end up with horrible conjunctivitis. Reactine (Zyrtec in the US) does a pretty good job at keeping the reactions to a minimum. In addition, we keep all the windows closed in the house and I try to spend as little time outside as possible (that's really tough because May can be a really warm, sometimes hot, month...and it's the first of the good spring weather...I want to be outside to enjoy it after being cooped up all winter!!!) I have tried allergy eye drops, but any drops sting horribly when applied. Now that we're in to June, the birch allergy reaction has subsided.

At any rate, allergies may be something worth considering...not as the cause of dry eyes, but as a potential irritant on top of the dryness.

Michelle

I also have allergies that only affect my eyes. It will exacerbate the Sjogren's problem. If a person has dry eyes, really dry eyes, and have celiac disease, they should pursue a Sjogren's diagnosis because every other problem you have will affect the Sjogren's and can make it worse. Very often, allergies and Sjogren's are commonly seen together. Mold is my trigger but thankfully the tree and grasses no longer are a problem for me.