The Immune System And Eye Arthritis

Continued From << Eye Arthritis

If eye arthritis is left untreated, it can progress to more serious conditions, such as cataracts, retinal damage, corneal damage, glaucoma, and optic nerve damage. In all these cases, surgery is often recommended to repair any damage done. However, if the arthritis case is especially severe, no surgery can be enough, and a patient can go blind.

Also related to arthritis of the eye is collagen vascular disease, which is a collective term that describes arthritis, as well as conditions that mimic arthritis. All such conditions affect connective tissue, and can cause inflammation, even eventual, painful scarring.

In many of these cases, the immune system no longer knows the difference between self and invader, and proceeds to attack the body’s own cells. The eye is the most common target for collagen vascular disease. Doctors use steroids to treat the inflammation, and often, one dose of steroids can damage a patent’s vision. Long term steroid use is also linked to other health conditions.

Sidebar: The next article in this series is about foot arthritis.

If you are suffering from an arthritic or arthritis-related condition, then you can experience changes in your eyes. For instance, people with rheumatoid arthritis can have dry eyes, or will have thinner corneas or scleras. People suffering from psoriatic arthritis will also experience swelling of the iris, or iritis. There are many other such conditions that lead to uveitis, or arthritis of the eyes, and they can often be painful.

If you suspect that you have eye arthritis, or if you have been diagnosed with uveitis, then talk to your doctor on the treatment options available to you. Do as much research as you can on your condition, and ask for a second, even a third opinion. If you are diagnosed with uveitis early, then you can have it treated faster and still have your eyesight well into your twilight years.