What are the Most common ocular symptoms of primary Sjogrens Syndrome?
Dry eyes in SS, also known as xerophthalmia or KCS, result from a deficient aqueous layer of tear film, which normally comprises 90% of tear volume. Symptoms include a foreign body or gritty sensation; painful, burning, itchy, or red eyes; blurred vision, and/or photophobia. Symptoms worsen as the day progresses as a result of evaporation of ocular moisture. Notably, some of the eye pain is due to central nervous system input as topical anesthetics do not eliminate the pain completely. This pattern contrasts with blepharitis, low-grade inflammation of the meibomian glands, in which crusting and discomfort are most pronounced in the morning. KCS can lead to infections, corneal ulceration, and rarely vision loss.
