August recognizes several health conditions that may have direct or indirect connections to eye health. Psoriasis can be associated with inflammatory eye conditions. Gastroparesis may be connected to diabetic eye disease when diabetes is the underlying cause. Typical spinal muscular atrophy does not usually affect vision or eye movement directly.
Psoriasis Awareness Month
Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease that causes inflammation and accelerated skin-cell growth. It primarily affects the skin but may also affect the joints and other parts of the body.
Eyelid Psoriasis
Psoriasis can develop on the eyelids or surrounding skin. Scaling and inflammation may cause:
- Eyelid redness
- Itching
- Burning
- Swelling
- Scaling around the eyelashes
- Ocular-surface irritation
Treatments prescribed for psoriasis elsewhere on the body should not be applied near the eyes unless a healthcare professional has specifically instructed the patient to use them in that location.
Blepharitis and Dry Eye
Psoriasis is associated with blepharitis, dry eye, and meibomian gland dysfunction.
Blepharitis causes inflammation along the eyelid margins. Meibomian gland dysfunction affects the oil-producing glands in the eyelids, allowing tears to evaporate more quickly. Symptoms can include burning, grittiness, redness, excessive tearing, fluctuating vision, and crusting around the eyelashes.
Uveitis
Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye. The condition is associated with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Symptoms may include:
- Eye pain
- Redness
- Light sensitivity
- Blurred vision
- New floaters
Uveitis can cause vision loss if it is not treated. Symptoms of possible uveitis require prompt evaluation by an ophthalmologist. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases identifies uveitis as a condition associated with psoriasis.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
Spinal muscular atrophy, commonly called SMA, is a group of genetic neuromuscular disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness and muscle wasting.
The most common form is 5q SMA, which usually results from changes involving the survival motor neuron 1, or SMN1, gene. The condition causes the loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscle movement. Age at onset and severity vary among patients.
Does SMA Affect the Eyes?
Typical 5q SMA is not considered a primary eye disease. The motor neurons controlling eye movement are relatively resistant to the condition, and eye movements are usually preserved.
Significant weakness of the eye muscles is not a typical feature of 5q SMA. New double vision, restricted eye movement, eyelid drooping, or reduced vision should receive medical evaluation instead of automatically being attributed to SMA.
Rare genetic disorders may include “spinal muscular atrophy” in their names while having different causes and clinical features. Some uncommon SMA-related syndromes can involve eye movement.
Eye-Tracking Technology
Because eye movements may remain controlled even when movement elsewhere in the body is severely limited, some people with advanced SMA use eye-tracking technology to communicate or operate computers.
The use of eye-tracking technology does not indicate that SMA has damaged the eyes. It relies on the relative preservation of eye movement.
People with SMA can still develop common eye conditions unrelated to the neuromuscular disorder. Eye examinations should be based on age, symptoms, medical history, and individual risk factors.
Gastroparesis Awareness Month
Gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a digestive disorder in which food moves too slowly from the stomach into the small intestine even though no physical blockage is present.
Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal discomfort, feeling full shortly after starting a meal, and remaining full long after eating. Diabetes is the most common known underlying cause of gastroparesis.
Does Gastroparesis Affect the Eyes?
Gastroparesis is not generally considered a direct cause of eye disease. Its primary connection to eye health is diabetes.
Long-term diabetes can damage nerves that control movement of the stomach, contributing to diabetic gastroparesis. Diabetes can also damage small blood vessels in the retina and cause diabetic retinopathy.
Gastroparesis and diabetic retinopathy are separate complications, but they may occur in the same person with diabetes.
Blood Glucose and Vision
Gastroparesis can make blood glucose management more difficult because food may enter the small intestine at unpredictable times. This can create a mismatch between glucose absorption and the action of insulin or other diabetes medications.
Short-term changes in blood glucose can temporarily blur vision. Persistent high blood glucose can damage retinal blood vessels over time.
Diabetic eye disease includes:
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Diabetic macular edema
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
Early diabetic retinopathy often produces no noticeable symptoms. People with diabetes should receive comprehensive dilated eye examinations according to the schedule recommended by their healthcare professionals.
When to Contact an Eye Doctor
Prompt eye evaluation is appropriate for:
- Sudden or significant vision loss
- Eye pain
- Significant light sensitivity
- Persistent double vision
- Eye redness with reduced vision
- New flashes or floaters
- A curtain or shadow in the visual field
- New or persistent eyelid inflammation
Eye Care in Roswell and Cumming, Georgia
North Fulton Eye Center and Cumming Eye Clinic provide ophthalmology and comprehensive eye care for patients in Roswell, Cumming, Alpharetta, North Fulton County, Forsyth County, and surrounding North Georgia communities.
North Fulton Eye Center Providers
- Susanne Hewitt, MD
- Hannah Park, MD
- Lauren Snellings, MD
To schedule an appointment with an ophthalmologist in Roswell, GA, or Cumming, GA, call (770) 475-0123.