Lupus can also affect the eyes. It cause changes to the eyes, eyelids, tear glands, and tear ducts as well as the nerves and blood vessels servicing the eyes. This can lead to eye pain, dry eyes, change in visions, and vision los.
This article describes five complications of lupus-associated eye disease and what can be done to alleviate symptoms and avoid serious eye damage.
Dry eye syndrome causes a persistent gritty sensation in the eye or under the eyelid. Eye pain, itching, burning, and light sensitivity are also common.
With dry eye syndrome, normal tear volume is decreased. Over time, this can cause damage to the cornea (the clear dome in the front of the eye) and conjunctiva (the clear membrane that lines the eyelid and loops back over the white of the eye).
Artificial tears are commonly prescribed to lubricate the eyes and prevent eye damage. Immunosuppressant drugs may be used to treat the underlying autoimmune response.
The rash is made up of scaly, disc-shaped lesions that mostly appear on sun-exposed areas of skin. The condition tends to favor the face, ears, and scalp but can develop on other parts of the body.
Discoid lupus erythematosus tends to run in families, with females outnumbering males three to one. Cigarette smoking and sun exposure can trigger an outbreak.
The discoid lesions usually respond well to oral steroids, although cortisone injections may be used fort more severe cases.
The retina is the layer of cells on the back of the eye that senses light and sends signals to the brain so that you can see.
When retinal vasculitis occurs, the retina tries to repair itself by creating new blood vessels (a process referred to as neovascularization). Unfortunately, the new blood vessels are weak and prone to breakage or leakage. This can cause swelling of the retina, leading to blind spots and a painless decrease in vision.
Oral steroids or intravitreal steroid injections (delivered to the inner gel of the eye) may be used to treat retinal vasculitis. Immunosuppressant drugs can help treat the underlying autoimmune response.
For most people, scleritis causes pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, eye redness, or dark patches on the sclera. But when scleritis is severe, even a minor trauma can cause serious eye damage and a loss of vision.
Scleritis can be treated with oral or topical steroids along with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Advil (ibuprofen) that help ease eye pain.
Optic neuropathy is a similar condition that causes the blockage of blood vessels servicing the optic nerve. Some people refer to this as an eye stroke. An eye stroke is a serious medical condition that requires immediate medical care.
Intravitreal steroid injections are commonly used to treat both conditions. With optic neuropathy, anticoagulants (blood thinners) may be prescribed to prevent blockages in the unaffected eye.
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Among the eye conditions linked to lupus are:
Dry eye disease (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)Discoid lupus erythematosusRetinal vasculitisScleritisOptic neuritisOptic neuropathy
The treatment of lupus-related eye conditions may be as simple as artificial tears. In other cases, oral steroids, topical steroids, or intravitreal steroid injections may be needed. Immunosuppressant drugs may also be prescribed to treat the underlying autoimmune response.
