Sarcoidosis is an auto immune disease that can affect major parts of the body. The lungs are affected by Sarcoidosis in most cases but that doesnt mean that other parts of the body cannot be affected also. Sarcoidosis can cause problems with the skin, liver, heart and even the eye.
Sarcoidosis will flare up in cycles. A person can go for months with no symptoms and then all of a sudden, symptoms will appear. Doctors think that environmental triggers may be responsible for some flare up of Sarcoidosis but more research needs to be done to confirm this.
Sometimes a person with Sarcoidosis will have very mild symptoms. If this is the case, treatment is held and the patient is observed for worsening symptoms. A lot of the time the symptoms will disappear on their own.
On the other end of the spectrum, people with Sarcoidosis may manifest with severe symptoms that require immediate treatment. There have been a few cases in which Sarcoidosis has been fatal.
Sarcoidosis of the eye affects about twenty to twenty-five percent of the people who have this disease. These people will complain of burning, itching, redness or dry eyes. Sometimes the affected person will complain of watery eyes. Blurred vision and sensitivity to sunlight are problems for people that are affected by Sarcoidosis of the eye. If the eye of a Sarcoidosis patient is examined closely, small, pale yellow bumps may be seen on the eye.
A severe condition that people with Sarcoidosis may face is something called uveitis. This is an inflammation of the blood rich membranes in the eye. The uvea is located in the center of the eye in between the sclera and the retina.
When a patient develops uveitis, white blood cells will collect on the front of eye and make the eye very sticky. This can cause the iris and the lens to stick together which can result in an increase in eye pressure. When a person is suffering from uveitis, they may complain of redness and eye pain with sensitivity to light. In rare cases, blindness can occur with uveitis.
The treatment plan for Sarcoidosis of the eye is usually steroids. This may be in the form of drops, pills or injections. If Sarcoidosis is causing severe pain in the eye, the doctor may use drops to dilate the eye to reduce the spasms of the eye muscles. He may also use drops to reduce the pressure in the eye.
If you have been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis and are having eye symptoms it is important that you see your doctor right away. The sooner you receive treatment, the sooner you can be free of these annoying symptoms. It may just save your eyesight.
RESOURCES
Sarcoidosis Network: Sarcoidosis of the Eye
Scientific American: What is Sarcoidosis
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What are the Signs and Symptoms of SarcoidosisFoundation for Sarcoidosis Research: Symptoms