When the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently sponsored its first-ever conference for medical professionals focusing on Sjogren's Syndrome, the message was clear: It's time to raise the awareness of this progressive, difficult-to-diagnose disease that affects more than 1million Americans.

Similar in many ways to lupus, Sjogren's (pronounced show-grins) is an autoimmune disease that primarily strikes women. Its varied symptoms cross a variety of medical specialties. Ophthalmologists, dentists and rheumatologists are in a key position to help diagnose Sjogren's Syndrome and participate in a "team" approach to treatment aimed at preventing complications.

"There's no single test for Sjogren's," says Katherine Hammitt, past president of the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation. "But if an ophthalmologist asks a patient the right questions, it can lead to a series of tests that results in a confirmed diagnosis."

Typically, an undiagnosed Sjogren's sufferer will come to you complaining of dry and/or inflamed eyes, light sensitivity or a gritty feeling in the eyes, says Janine A. Smith, M.D., of the National Eye Institute.

In addition to conducting basic tests for dry eye (including a Schirmer test, slit-lamp exam and rose bengal or lissamine green dye stains), you should check for swollen parotid glands. Also, ask the patient these questions:

�         Do you ever have difficulty eating dry foods?

�         Do you often sip water at night?

�         Do you experience joint or muscle pain?

If you suspect the patient may have Sjogren's Syndrome, you should refer him to a rheumatologist for further evaluation. Patients suffering from dry eye who are confirmed to have Sjogren's Syndrome should use artificial tears and may benefit from having their tear ducts closed or plugged.

"Cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Restasis) has also been effective in reducing the severity of ocular irritation symptoms of dry eye in a double-masked randomized clinical trial," says Dr. Smith.

Additional information can be found at the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation Web site: www.sjogrens.org.