People who live with daily dry mouth and dry eyes may have Sjogren's (SHO-grins) syndrome. Symptoms include dry, gritty or burning eyes, intermittent blurry vision, a dry mouth that makes swallowing difficult and causes dental cavities and enlarged parotid glands. Other signs include dry skin, joint pain, stiffness and fatigue, among others.
The July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter says the immune-system disorder is most often diagnosed in people over 40. It's nine times more common in women than men, and half the time it joined other autoimmune disorders such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
There's no cure, but self-care and treatment improve symptoms. Self-care includes drinking plenty of fluids, using artificial tears, moisturizers and a humidifier.
There are also prescription medications and procedures to seal tear ducts.
The symptoms can be a sign of other conditions, as well.