About Foundation Museum of the Eye. Arthritis and Your Eyes. La artritis y sus ojos. By Kierstan Boyd. How Does Arthritis Affect the Eye? Dry Eyes and Arthritis Many people who have arthritis also suffer from dry eye. Other Arthritis-Related Eye Problems The hallmark of arthritis— inflammation —can lead to vision problems when your eyes are affected.
Controlling Inflammation Helps Your Body and Your Vision If you have arthritis and notice changes in your vision or other eye problems, it may mean you have inflammation in your eyes.
If you are treating your arthritis with steroids, or if you have the following symptoms, be sure to see your ophthalmologist for a medical eye exam : Dry eyes eyes that burn, itch or feel gritty Continuously red eyes with blurred vision, pain or light sensitivity Severe eye pain with light sensitivity, tearing or redness. Find an Ophthalmologist. Advanced Search. Ask an Ophthalmologist.
Browse Answers. Uveitis occurs when the uvea, the layer between the retina and the white of the eye, becomes inflamed. Symptoms include redness, pain, light sensitivity, and blurred vision.
The majority of cases of uveitis in children are caused by RA systemic juvenile inflammatory arthritis. Uveitis is treatable, but can cause blindness if ignored. Uveitis and other eye inflammation can also cause floaters , which are dark spots that move across your field of vision. Corneal damage can cause permanent loss of vision. Excessive tearing can also occur as a reaction to the dryness. For RA, early detection is important for your treatment. You can treat your eye complications with eyes drops, topical lubricants, and warm compresses.
These can help relieve dryness, redness, and itching. Eye drops without preservatives are best. These are usually applied twice a day to treat the underlying inflammation. While pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints are the primary symptoms of RA, the inflammatory response of the misfiring immune system can cause a variety of other symptoms.
Keep reading: Other affects RA has on your body ». But many other conditions can also cause dry or red eyes. RA is a disease that causes inflammation in your joints. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital to prevent complications and preserve vision. There are four different types of uveitis, based on which parts of the eye are affected:. When uveitis is caused by RA or another autoimmune disease, treatment will focus on getting all-over inflammation under control. Treatment for uveitis may include the following.
Some of the medicines that treat RA can trigger eye problems. Two medications in particular—corticosteroids and Plaquenil hydroxychloroquine , an immunosuppressive drug—might affect your eye health.
Taking corticosteroids can raise eye pressure, and this is true of many types of steroids, including prednisone. Both eyedrop corticosteroids and oral corticosteroids can lead to eye issues.
Eye pressure increases can occur as early as three to six weeks using eye drops. Corticosteroid injections can cause an increase in eye pressure after several months. Corticosteroid use has also been linked to steroid-induced glaucoma. While doctors don't know exactly why this happens, many think steroid medicines stop cells that clear debris in eye cells. This causes a buildup of debris, which increases eye pressure. If you have RA and take corticosteroids to manage RA and its effects, you should visit your eye doctor regularly.
They can check for eye pressure and diagnose any eye problems early. Long-term use of Plaquenil has been found to damage the retina, which might lead to serious vision loss. And, unfortunately, vision loss associated with retina damage is permanent. If you are taking Plaquenil to treat RA, you should also be seeing an ophthalmologist regularly. This way you can be checked for retina problems before there is any serious damage.
Everyone living with rheumatoid arthritis should see an ophthalmologist yearly. They can diagnose, rule out, or treat any eye problems early on in people with RA.
You should also make an appointment with an ophthalmologist if you experience ongoing eye symptoms, including itching, feeling like something is in your eye, eye redness. Dealing with chronic inflammation? An anti-inflammatory diet can help. Our free recipe guide shows you the best foods to fight inflammation.
Get yours today! Akintayo R, Olaosebikan B. THU The severity of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in rheumatoid arthritis correlates with the medical outcome study item short form health survey SF score but not the disability index HAQ-DI. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ; Study of factors influencing dry eye in rheumatoid arthritis. J Ophthalmol. Ocular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis: Implications of recent clinical trials.
Int J Clin Res Trials. The majority of people who experience arthritis-related eye problems are women. These eye problems tend to worsen as arthritis progresses.
Several eye conditions are associated with different forms of arthritis. Keratitis sicca, commonly known as dry eye syndrome , is when the eyes stop producing enough tears to keep them moist. It affects women more commonly than men. Scleritis is inflammation of the sclera, or the white part of the eye. It can lead to the sclera or the cornea becoming too thin, which can cause the eye to rupture.
Uveitis is inflammation of the uvea, the vascular area of the eye found between the retina and the sclera. Children with psoriatic arthritis should be screened for uveitis frequently, as symptoms may not appear until the eyesight is permanently damaged.
Cataracts occur when inflammation of the eyeball causes the lens to cloud over. The lens is in a healthy eye is usually clear. Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve that occurs because of high pressure inside the eye. If the channels that usually drain fluid from the eye become inflamed, pressure can build up. If the blood vessels leading to the retina become blocked, it can cause retinal vascular occlusion.
However, the damage is usually permanent as there is no proven effective treatment. Conjunctivitis is inflammation or infection of the lining of the eyelids and the white of the eyes. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases believe that having arthritis is a risk factor for conjunctivitis.
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