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This page includes brief information about Sjogren's syndrome, fibromyalgia, and interstitial cystitis, with links to relevant Web sites.

Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease marked by inflammation and eventual destruction of the body's exocrine (moisture-producing) glands. Painfully dry eyes are a hallmark symptom of Sjogren's syndrome. Dry mouth and vaginal dryness also result. According to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, the disease strikes between two and four million Americans, many of whom go undiagnosed. Nine out of 10 individuals with Sjogren's syndrome are women.

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Fibromyalgia, marked by chronic muscle pain and nonrestorative sleep, is the second most frequent diagnosis made by rheumatologists, doctors who specialize in treating arthritis and other disorders of the joints, muscles, and connective tissues. Six to 10 million Americans, including children, have fibromyalgia. For reasons that are not yet understood, fibromyalgia is 10 times more common in women than men.

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Urgency, frequency, and pain are the principal symptoms of interstitial cystitis. According to the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA), nearly half a million people may have this disease, the majority of them women.

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