Guide · Sjögren’s
Sjögren’s syndrome and your eyes: what helps
Sjögren’s syndrome reduces the tears your eyes make, so the dryness is often more severe and does not go away on its own. The right plan makes a real difference to comfort.
Why Sjögren’s dries the eyes
Sjögren’s is a condition where the immune system affects the glands that make tears and saliva. The result is too little watery tear: aqueous deficient dry eye. Many people with Sjögren’s also have blocked oil glands, which makes the little tear they have dry out faster.
What helps most
Preservative-free drops, often. Because you make less tear, you may need drops more often than other people, so preservative-free matters. Which drops suit which dry eye.
Keeping your own tears on the eye. Punctal plugs or Lacrifill slow the drainage so your tears last longer. Punctal plugs, explained.
Treating the lids and glands too. If the oil glands are blocked, clearing them means the tear you do make lasts longer. Every dry eye treatment, compared.
Prescription drops for surface inflammation, usually through your specialist. Prescription drops, explained.
Regular checks
Very dry eyes are more prone to surface damage and infection, so regular checks matter. If an eye becomes painful, red or your sight changes, be seen the same day: urgent eye care.
How we help
The Dry Eye Assessment (£145) measures how much tear you make, how long it lasts and how healthy the surface of your eye is, so your plan fits your eyes, and we refer you to your GP, or give you a letter with what we found to take to them or your specialist.
The short version
- Sjögren’s means your eyes make too little tear
- Preservative-free drops, used often
- Plugs or Lacrifill keep your own tears on the eye
- Treat blocked glands too, and have regular checks