[Dysphagia] sjogren's syndrome

[Drirenect at aol.com (Drirenect@aol.com)]

Dysphagia to most physicians means difficulty passing food through the  
esophagus so when one searches for info on dysphagia it is most likely that  
esophageal disturbance will come up first.. The esophageal motility problem in  
Sjogren is due , at least initially, to the lack of saliva since it is constant  
saliva swallowing that promotes esophageal peristalsis.Your patient may have  
progressed to scleroderma that often develops in Sjogren and should be checked  
for this.
Xerostomia alone can disrupt the oropharyngeal swallow and those with  
problems in one area - esophagus- will have some degree of problem in the other  - 
oropharynx as it is a single functional unit from lips to duodenum.
There is no treatment for the xerostomia but some patients report that  
swishing Benefiber - a relatively new , clear fiber laxative - around the mouth  
helps as it probably absorbs and retains moisture for a time within the  mouth.