I know I probably should head to an ophthalmologist, or optometrist, (not sure which or both), but I’d like to have the knowledge of a few experiences from you guys first.
Before PsA hit, my tear duct drains progressively blocked until my left eye pretty much was continuously streaming tears, my right eye very teary. I did see an optometrist about it, but the treatment seemed a little freaky and the tears didn’t bother me, so I ignored it.
When I got PsA, without treatment I got quite blurred vision when I was flaring, minor sun sensitivity, and had an optometrist look at it - not uveitis, but lots of connective tissue around the eye that is swelling to put pressure on the eyeball and cause blurring.
Without me really realising, the streaming tears have well and truly stopped. Now I’m getting sore burning eyes. In addition, since I’ve been on humira (since April) I’m having my fourth bout of conjunctivitis - plenty of pink eye, discomfort to pain and blurring, minor discharge, has not required treatment yet - seems to self resolve. I have a 3 yo, and she hasn’t got it, so it doesn’t seem contagious.
I guess I am now considering whether the conjunctivitis could be a consequence of mild sjogrens with non-draining tear ducts, mild recurring infection due to the humira, or simply a quirk that the humira doesn’t control my eye inflammation as well as the steroids and then enbrel did.
I’d really welcome any comments - it’s always easier to identify whatscprobable before stressing about things.
So I'm wondering if it's conjunctivitis, or blepharitis. Also, when your eyes were tearing, were you diagnosed with plugged ducts? Sometimes teary eyes are due to poor tear film.
While you're waiting to be seen, you can use warm compresses, and clean your eyelids 2X a day with a diluted no tears baby shampoo. I thought I had pink eye a few times, but it was diagnosed as blepharitis, and doing the eye cleaning has stopped this from recurring. That happened prior to being diagnosed w/ sjogren's. I've never had uveitis, but have had issues with inflammation and my eyes for the past 4 years.
Hi stoney, thanks for your answer. I was diagnosed with plugged ducts - he was very definite about it. I had to look up blepharitis, and that could be it by the looks of it. Lucky I’ve got a 3yo with plenty of access to baby shampoo! Thanks again.
My eyes swell and change shape, along with PsA attacks/flares. I talked with my rheumatologist about it and he seemed to think that I was a hypochondriac. But, my sinuses swell from PsA, my eyes swell from PsA - other varied soft tissues do also - it isn't just joints and under the nails.
I saw an eye doctor and had an eye exam. He said that I had astigmatism, or football shaped eye. Two months later, when a major flare had calmed down, I had a new exam and my eyes are fine again.
I know it is because of my autoimmune dysfunction. Why doesn't my doctor?
Jen, I have some strange eye "happenings" too. I get a blur that resolves with hard blinking and/or lubricant drops. Sometimes I think I need new glasses, but then everything is OK. On a windy day, my eyes stream. I think it comes with the PsA territory. My Mother, though, had blepharitis as well as very dry, irritated (red) eyes and streaming tears. She was never diagnosed, but I have a strong suspicion that she had PsA as well. She had plenty of other symptoms, poor woman. In retrospect, the eye issues were probably PsA.
I wouldn't bother with an optometrist: with all due respect to optometrists, their specialty is measuring you up for glasses. I think this is a job for an ophthalmologist, because it is about a disease process, and maybe medication.
So annoying, isn't it? But I also think you need to have it checked out.