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How Do Auto-Immune Disease Affects my Eyes?

Autoimmune diseases can have devastating effects on the overall system, and particularly the eyes. In some cases, the autoimmune disease creates the effect, in other cases the treatments associated with the autoimmune diseases can create the ocular effect.

At Rottman Eye Care, our team of eye care experts can help manage symptoms and create treatment plans for the ocular manifestations caused by these autoimmune diseases.

Rottman Eye Care can treat ocular manifestations regardless of autoimmune disease, but we commonly treat patients with Graves’ disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

How Do Auto-Immune Disease Affects my Eyes?

Autoimmune diseases can have devastating effects on the overall system, and particularly the eyes. In some cases, the autoimmune disease creates the effect, in other cases the treatments associated with the autoimmune diseases can create the ocular effect.

At Rottman Eye Care, our team of eye care experts can help manage symptoms and create treatment plans for the ocular manifestations caused by these autoimmune diseases.

Rottman Eye Care can treat ocular manifestations regardless of autoimmune disease, but we commonly treat patients with Graves’ disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

Graves' Eye Disease

Graves’ disease is an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones and can lead to Graves’ Eye Disease (GED), also called Graves’ ophthalmology or thyroid eye disease (TED). Symptoms of Graves’ eye disease include bulging eyes, dry eyes, double vision, puffy eyelids, eyelids that pull back more than usual.

In many cases, Graves’ eye disease symptoms last 1 to 2 years and can go away on their own. In rare cases, Graves’ eye disease can cause swelling that can press on the optic nerve causing vision loss.

Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs when the immune system attacks healthy tissues. RA most commonly attacks tissues containing collagen like the connective tissues in the joints, the white part of the eye, the sclera, and the cornea. Some medications that are prescribed for RA symptoms can also lead to other eye conditions, including an increased risk of glaucoma and cataracts.

Common RA-related eye conditions include:

  • Dry eye syndrome
  • Scleritis: inflammation of the sclera, the white outermost part of the eye
  • Keratitis: inflammation of the cornea, the clear dome at the front of the eye
  • Uveitis: inflammation of the uvea, the middle part of the eye

Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to mistakenly attack itself, causing inflammation, including inflammation of the eye. Common conditions related to psoriatic arthritis include uveitis, inflammation of the uvea. Ongoing or uncontrolled inflammation of the eye can lead to other conditions like conjunctivitis (pink eye), glaucoma, and cataracts.

Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to mistakenly attack its own tissues. People with lupus can experience retinal vasculitis, which limits the blood supply to the retina, causing vision impairments. Other ocular manifestations of lupus include uveitis, scleritis, and dry eye disease.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that causes the immune system to degrade the protective covering of the nerves, impacting the central nervous system and everything it controls, including the optic nerve. Vision problems are usually the first symptoms of MS for many people.

A common visual symptom of MS is optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve. Optic neuritis can cause pain with eye movement, blurred vision, and loss of color vision. Other ocular symptoms of MS include nystagmus, or involuntary or uncontrolled eye movement, and double vision.