Sjögren's Diagnosis: What Tests Are Used and What Doctors Look For

When you have persistent dry eyes, a gritty feeling in your mouth, or joints that ache for no clear reason, it might not just be aging or dehydration. It could be Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks its own moisture-producing glands. Also known as Sjögren's disease, it often shows up alongside other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, making diagnosis tricky. The problem isn’t just discomfort—it’s that without proper diagnosis, you risk long-term damage to your eyes, mouth, and even organs like your kidneys or lungs.

There’s no single test for Sjögren's diagnosis. Doctors piece it together like a puzzle. They start with symptoms, then check for autoantibodies, specific proteins in the blood that signal the immune system is misfiring—especially SS-A (Ro) and SS-B (La). If those show up, it’s a strong clue. But they also need to rule out other causes of dryness, like medications or infections. Then comes the dry eye test, a simple procedure where a strip of paper is placed under the lower eyelid to measure tear production. If your tears don’t wet enough of that strip, it’s another red flag. For some patients, a salivary gland biopsy, a small tissue sample taken from the inner lip to look for immune cell clusters is the final piece. It’s invasive, but it’s one of the most reliable ways to confirm the diagnosis.

What makes Sjögren's diagnosis hard is that symptoms overlap with so many other things. Fatigue? Could be thyroid issues. Joint pain? Maybe arthritis. Dry mouth? Could be from anxiety or just drinking too little water. That’s why diagnosis often takes months—or even years. But getting it right matters. Without treatment, you’re at higher risk for dental decay, eye infections, and rare but serious complications like lymphoma. The good news? Once diagnosed, you can start managing symptoms before they spiral. You’ll find real-world advice here on what tests to ask for, how to track your symptoms effectively, and what treatments actually help based on what’s working for others.