Sjögren’s syndrome (also called Sjögren’s disease) is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own moisture-producing glands, primarily the lacrimal (tear) glands and salivary glands, leading to significantly reduced production of tears and saliva. The hallmark symptoms are dry eyes (often feeling gritty, burning, itchy, or like sand in the eyes, sometimes causing blurred vision or light sensitivity) and dry mouth (feeling cotton-like, making swallowing, speaking, tasting, or chewing difficult, and increasing risks of dental cavities, oral infections like thrush, or cracked lips/tongue). It predominantly affects women (especially around or after menopause) and can occur alone (primary Sjögren’s) or alongside other autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus (secondary). Beyond dryness, many experience systemic symptoms such as profound fatigue, joint/muscle pain, swollen salivary glands (e.g., parotid gland enlargement), dry skin or vaginal dryness, skin rashes, dry nasal passages/cough, or rarely more serious complications involving nerves, lungs, kidneys, or lymphoma risk. There’s no cure, but management focuses on symptom relief: artificial tears/eye drops (including prescription anti-inflammatory ones like cyclosporine), saliva stimulants (e.g., pilocarpine or cevimeline), frequent hydration, good oral hygiene, moisturizers, and in severe cases immunosuppressants or biologics; consult a rheumatologist or specialist for diagnosis (often via blood tests for autoantibodies like anti-SSA/SSB, eye/salivary tests) and tailored treatment.