The BFS community is made up of a wide range of individuals – many of whom suffer from some form of chronic dry eye, or have a friend or family member with this condition. The paths leading individuals to connect with BFS have all been different – you have all come from different locations, with different backgrounds and different stories to tell. For those of you who are living with dry eye currently, this may be the result of a wide range of conditions, and for some, Sjögren’s syndrome is a part of your story.
For those of you who may be less familiar with Sjögren’s syndrome, it is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects up to four million Americans currently. Those with Sjögren’s often experience dry eyes, light sensitivity, dry mouth, and may also have dysfunction in other body organs such as the kidneys, gastrointestinal system, central nervous system, and more. Thus the symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome can severely impact individuals’ daily lives and the symptoms require continual management.
This June, the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation (SSF) is hosting a National Dry Eye Conference in Andover, Massachusetts. How great to have this conference in our own backyard! For those who may be interested in attending, here are some further details on the event:
- Date/Time: Saturday, June 25, 2011, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Location: Ora Clinical Research offices, 300 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA
- Registration: Conference fees are $20 (includes lunch), click here to register
Throughout the day, the following topics will be covered:
- Overview of dry eye and its potential causes
- Managing dry eye symptoms
- Clinical trial explanations with a patient panel
- Contact lens wearing for patients
- Future treatments for dry eye
These topics will be presented and discussed by expert medical professionals including Dr. Michael Lemp, Dr. David Evans, Dr. Gail Torkildsen, Dr. John Pietrantonio and Dr. George Oufler. SSF hopes that the conference will be an opportunity for people with dry eye to increase their understanding of all the aspects of this disease in order to be their own best advocate.
Beyond organizing this conference, SSF also supports other advocacy efforts. Through working with legislators, governmental agencies, and federal regulators, SSF has been pushing for increasing federal funding for research, increasing awareness of Sjögren’s, improving access to treatment, and creating better health care coverage. In fact, a few years ago, through the efforts of SSF, Sjögren’s syndrome was given its own listing under Social Security disability guidelines- a huge accomplishment for those living with Sjögren’s.
For those who attend this upcoming SSF conference, we’d love to hear about what you learn!