Autoimmune Disease and the Eye

Although often mistaken, eye exams are far more important than simple vision checks. Annual eye exams should be a staple in your healthcare regimen. Interestingly, the eye, specifically the retina, is the only place in the that we have a direct view of blood vessels without needing to enter the body. Your eyes can say a lot about the health of your body. Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune conditions and many more systemic conditions can be detected during a routine eye exam. This article highlights Crohn's disease, an autoimmune condition know for its affect on the digestive tract. What you may not know is that the inflammation in this and other autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and others) is often not isolated to one specific organ. The ocular manifestations associated with these conditions may lead to a referral to a rheumatologist. The rheumatologist then orders blood work looking for specific autoimmune markers. 

Optometrists are trained to recognize conditions of the eye that may be related to something systemic. If you have any of these conditions it is important to have your eyes checked at least annual. If not, be sure to see your optometrist annually to make sure nothing inconspicuous is going on!


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