If you have recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, your primary care doctor has probably given you a list of specialists that you should consult with to manage your condition and its associated symptoms. One specialist that should be included in this list is an ophthalmologist. Here are some of the reasons why you should see an ophthalmologist once you've been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition.

Rheumatoid Arthritis And Dry, Inflamed Eyes

Rheumatoid arthritis causes the body to attack the lining of your joints. In addition, it can also attack the lining of your eyes and your tear ducts. This causes the tear ducts to dry out, causing excessively dry eyes. Prescription eye drops may be necessary to help combat this.

In addition, it can also attack the whites of your eye. The inflammation can cause your eyes to be irritated, painful, and red. Without the help of ophthalmology services to control the inflammation, you may find that the tissue in the whites of your eyes suffers serious damage.

Lupus And Eye Tissue Inflammation

One of the effects of lupus is general tissue inflammation. It can affect tissue anywhere in the body, including in your eyes. When the inflammation from lupus affects your eye tissue, it can cause damage to the nerves of your eyes. In some cases, this damage may be irreversible.

In addition to damaging the nerves, inflammation and circulatory problems from your autoimmune disease can also cause severe damage to the delicate blood vessels in your eyes. As the vessels sustain damage, it can reduce your eyesight.

You'll need an anti-inflammatory eye drop treatment to help you restore the blood flow in your eye's blood vessels. Your ophthalmologist can help you with the right eye drops for your needs.

Multiple Sclerosis And Optic Nerve Damage

If you have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, it is important that you stay in touch with an ophthalmologist on a regular basis. Multiple sclerosis can cause inflammation of your optic nerve, which can reduce your field of vision and potentially block out your vision completely.

In fact, sometimes optic nerve problems are the earliest indications of autoimmunity that doctors identify—which may indicate the presence of multiple sclerosis. Make sure you seek medical care on an ongoing basis to better manage the inflammation and vision problems.

If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, you should reach out to an eye care professional today for more information.