Dry, red and swollen eyes and a sandy sensation in the eyes are common symptoms of diseases such as conjunctivitis or uveitis; however, these signs and symptoms may also indicate another type of disease that affects the joints and blood vessels, rheumatic diseases, such as lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis, at any stage of life.
Rheumatic diseases are usually discovered through specific tests, but the ophthalmologist may suspect that the person has this type of disease through an eye exam, an examination that shows exactly the state of the optic nerve, veins, and arteries that supply the eyes indicating the health of these structures.And if these small blood vessels are compromised, others may also be affected and that’s why the ophthalmologist may indicate that the person is looking for a rheumatologist.
Some rheumatological diseases that may have eye manifestations include:
Arthritis, which is an inflammation of the joints that can have several causes that are not always fully known, can also affect the eyes and cause changes such as conjunctivitis, scleritis and uveitis.In addition to the disease itself, it can have eye implications, medications such as hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can have side effects that appear in the eyes and therefore the person needs to undergo an eye exam every six months.Learn how to identify and treat rheumatoid arthritis.
People with lupus have an increased risk of developing dry eye syndrome, which manifests as symptoms such as burns and eye pain, chorea, a sense of sand in their eyes and dry eyes.In addition to the disease itself affecting the eyes, corticosteroids used to treat lupus can also have side effects on the eyes and can cause dry eye syndrome, cataracts and glaucoma.
It is a disease in which the body attacks cells that produce saliva and tears, leaving the mouth and eyes very dry, and dry eye syndrome is common, increasing the risk of chronic conjunctivitis. The person always has dry and reddish eyes, is sensitive to light and the feeling of sand in the eyes can be frequent.
It is a disease characterized by inflammation of the tissues, including the eyes, which usually causes uveitis in only one eye, which may be red and swollen and if the disease lasts for months, the other eye may also be affected, with greater risk. of complications of the cornea and cataracts.
It is a very rare disease in Brazil, characterized by inflammation of the blood vessels, which is usually diagnosed in adolescence, but that can severely affect the eyes causing uveitis with pus in both eyes and inflammation of the optic nerve.Treatment may be done with immunosuppressants such as azathioprine, ciclosporin A and cyclophosphamide to control symptoms.
It is a condition characterized by pain in the shoulders, back and difficulty moving due to stiffness in the hips and joints of the shoulders, as pain complaints throughout the body are common. When the eye arteries are compromised, blurred vision, double vision, and even blindness may occur.that can affect one or both eyes.
It is a type of arthritis that causes pain and inflammation in the joints but can also cause inflammation of the white part of the eyes and eyelids leading, for example, to the appearance of conjunctivitis or uveitis.
While it is more common for people to first discover rheumatic disease, eye damage may indicate the presence of rheumatic diseases, but a series of tests such as joint x-rays, MRI and a genetic test are needed to reach this diagnosis to identify the rheumatoid factor, for example.
Treatment of eye diseases directly related to rheumatological diseases should be guided by the ophthalmologist and rheumatologist and may include the use of medications, eye drops and ointments to apply to the eyes.
When these diseases occur due to the side effect of medications, your doctor may indicate that you are replacing with another one to improve a person’s vision quality, but sometimes it is enough to treat rheumatoid disease to improve eye symptoms.