Autoimmune Diseases That Can Affect Your Vision

Autoimmune conditions can cause many health problems, even affecting your eyesight in some cases. Autoimmune diseases occur when your body perceives its own cells as a threat and begins attacking itself. 

Some autoimmune disorders pose a threat to your vision. This is why it’s critical to seek treatment from an optometrist whenever you experience significant changes, such as cloudiness, blurriness, pain, dryness or light sensitivity. Here are some of the autoimmune disorders that may affect your eyesight.

• Diabetes. Nearly all patients that are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and over half of those with type 2 diabetes suffer from retinopathy. Diabetes is also a leading cause of blindness among adults between 24 and 74. If you are a diabetic, it is very important that you have your eyes checked regularly by an eye doctor to spot early signs of diabetic retinopathy.

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This progressive disease damages the brain and spinal cord, and vision problems are common with the condition. MS can cause blurred vision, color vision loss and dim spots.

• Psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes red, itchy patches. While primarily seen as a skin disease, it can also cause pain and redness in your eyes, blurred vision and sensitivity to light. 

• Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive and disabling autoimmune disease. While it primarily affects the hands and feet, rheumatoid arthritis could also warrant a visit to the optometrist as it also causes dry eye syndrome and scleritis. 

Whether you need new eyeglasses or are seeking treatment for an eye condition, look no further than Six One Six Vision Center. We provide a complete range of eye care services for residents of Eagle, Boise, Meridian, Nampa and surrounding Idaho communities. Call us at (208) 514-1858 or contact us here.