Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Do Eye Problems Go Along With Celiac?


JulesH

Recommended Posts

JulesH Rookie

About a year ago, after I'd been gluten free for 6-9 months, I noticed that my left eye was blurry. I got it checked and I had some weird spot on my cornea or lens or something. The doctor couldn't figure out what the cause was (whatever it was is usually something present at birth) and gave me steroid drops and sent me on my way.

Since then, my left eye has been completely clear, but a couple of days ago, my right eye suddenly went blurry. I'm getting it checked out tomorrow, but I was wondering if there's any correlation between celiac and eye problems.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



trents Grand Master

Jules, how old are you? Could this be "floaters"?

Yenni Enthusiast

I read in one of the gluten books (Dangerous Grains I think..) that the vision can get affected and it was recommended to check the vision 1-2 /year while healing. I had blurred vision while being real sick and got glasses. I don't know if it would have happened anyways though.

Joni63 Collaborator

For me, blurred vision is definately a symptom. My vision progressivly worsened before I went gluten free. Once on the diet I had clearer vision than I've had in years. Then I got glutened and had terribly blurry vision for 2 full weeks. It cleared up again, but it's one of my main symptoms when I get gluten in my system.

I tend to get it worse in my right eye. But that is where I have an astigmatism and my vision is always slightly different in that eye.

darlindeb25 Collaborator

I want to add here though--never take anything with your eyes for granted! Don't think--I must have been glutened because my eyes are blurry just because it happens to someone else. Bellyfat knows this happens and is aware of it from past experience.

The other day, we had a patient come in for a regular exam. The doc asked her if she was prone to high blood pressure and she responded with, not to her knowledge. He recommended that she go straight to her doctor and have it checked. Her doctor immediately put her on blood pressure meds, it was so high. Many medical problems show up through your eyes, before you even realize you have them.

Besides that, your eyes are the windows to your world, you want to keep them healthy. Things I took so for granted before, I realize now are very important!

JulesH Rookie
I want to add here though--never take anything with your eyes for granted! Don't think--I must have been glutened because my eyes are blurry just because it happens to someone else. Bellyfat knows this happens and is aware of it from past experience.

The other day, we had a patient come in for a regular exam. The doc asked her if she was prone to high blood pressure and she responded with, not to her knowledge. He recommended that she go straight to her doctor and have it checked. Her doctor immediately put her on blood pressure meds, it was so high. Many medical problems show up through your eyes, before you even realize you have them.

Besides that, your eyes are the windows to your world, you want to keep them healthy. Things I took so for granted before, I realize now are very important!

Don't worry, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac, so I make sure everything gets taken care of. I was just wondering if there's anything I can tell the doctor today that can help us find an underlying cause. Last year I went to the top eye guy at the local hospital (though there's a huge eye center near by that is considered the top eye place in this part of the world, which I've been given instructions to go to as an emergency case if this ever happens a third time) and the top eye guy couldn't figure out an underlying cause. He thought it would be vitamin A deficiency, but when I had my vitamins tested, my A levels were just fine.

Thanks for the information, everyone. I'll see if the doctor today has any information about celiac affecting vision.

Firegirl43 Contributor

Ive had spots on my retnia for years and no one knows what it is.Sometimes my eyes will hurt.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



ptkds Community Regular

Wow, this really caught my attention!

About a month ago, I had blurry vision one day, so I immedietly went to see my eye dr. She discovered that the vessels in the back of my right eye were very small, and my left eye was fine. She told me it looked systemic and I needed to see my regular dr. So I did and got an MRI which turned out normal. Last week, I went to a different eye dr (recommended by my new PCP) and he said my eyes were fine, and the blood vessels looked normal. So I figured it was just fluke that day w/ my eye. But I still wonder if there is something seriously wrong, and the dr.s just havent' discovered it yet. Now I am wondering if it is because of my Celiac.

num1habsfan Rising Star

Very interesting. I've had issues with the vision too from time to time. Sometimes it's like I can't even see, its just a blur nearsighted and farsighted. Other times my vision is terrific...

ptkds, does anyone else in your family has eye issues? that sounds EXACTLY like my dad's case. He pretty much can't see out of his right eye, and has had every kind of possible tests done and nothing has ever showed up positive!!

~ Lisa ~

georgie Enthusiast
Since then, my left eye has been completely clear, but a couple of days ago, my right eye suddenly went blurry. I'm getting it checked out tomorrow, but I was wondering if there's any correlation between celiac and eye problems.

This has been happening to me too. I saw a new Endo last week and within 5 mins he had a name ..... Not a nice name BTW ..... and I have since freaked - as my auntie had this disease - its autoimmune and genetic ( she also had thyroid and B12 issues like me - don't know about Celiac )

Myasthenia Gravis. Symptoms include drooping eyelids that get worse with fatigue and better with rest. Also the vision - gets blurred with fatigue and better with rest as ....... the eye muscles are affected.....

There are blood tests now for MG - about 50 - 80% accurate. And Neuros can do muscle stim testing..... However - not all Neuros know about MG that well.... And ...MG can go into remission too - so may explain strange 'episodes' that come and go.....

There are treatments and sometimes surgery is needed.... so ...be aware ...

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

petemoss Newbie

This is one of my biggest concerns with celiac disease. I have been gluten free for 1 year and 2 months. My eyesight continues to get worse and worse. I am now noticing daily changes. Particularly at night I am seeing ghosting where the lights and images seem to be almost doubled up and down to the right. I also have a problem with glare. I can't see things if looking into the light. faces and objects are black it is sooo frustrating. Anyone else with ghosting and glare problems??

darlindeb25 Collaborator

Petemoss, you have to understand, everything can not be blamed on celiac disease. There may be something going on with your eyes that has nothing to do with your celiac disease. Some people have terrible night vision, my night vision is getting worse. I am 52, it happens. Go to an optometrist and get an eye exam. Don't just assume celiac disease is to blame. Even if celiac disease as an autoimmune disease is part of the problem, you should still have your eyes checked out. Diabetes is an autoimmune disease too and diabetes must always get eye exams for the safety of their eyes.

georgie Enthusiast

Petemoss - see a Optician and a Dr. There are many conditions affecting the eye - glaucoma, macular degeneration,Pituitary Tumours and Diabetes are some I know of - and they have similar symptoms to as you describe. Time is of the essence as early treatment can help stall these conditions and prevent total blindness. Left too late the damage is irreversable. Never overlook eye symptoms.

Joni63 Collaborator
I want to add here though--never take anything with your eyes for granted! Don't think--I must have been glutened because my eyes are blurry just because it happens to someone else. Bellyfat knows this happens and is aware of it from past experience.

Yes! You are absolutely right. I diddn't mention that I went to the optomotrist and had a thorough exam and they did find an astigmatism, but no serious problems. It is worth getting those eyes checked.

This has been happening to me too. I saw a new Endo last week and within 5 mins he had a name ..... Not a nice name BTW ..... and I have since freaked - as my auntie had this disease - its autoimmune and genetic ( she also had thyroid and B12 issues like me - don't know about Celiac )

Myasthenia Gravis. Symptoms include drooping eyelids that get worse with fatigue and better with rest. Also the vision - gets blurred with fatigue and better with rest as ....... the eye muscles are affected.....

There are blood tests now for MG - about 50 - 80% accurate. And Neuros can do muscle stim testing..... However - not all Neuros know about MG that well.... And ...MG can go into remission too - so may explain strange 'episodes' that come and go.....

There are treatments and sometimes surgery is needed.... so ...be aware ...

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

This is exactly what happens to me. My right eye is worse than my left eye. But when I am overtired or during PMS they tend to blur more. I'll have to go and read these links. And sometimes when I'm catching a cold I can tell because my vision changes.

This is one of my biggest concerns with celiac disease. I have been gluten free for 1 year and 2 months. My eyesight continues to get worse and worse. I am now noticing daily changes. Particularly at night I am seeing ghosting where the lights and images seem to be almost doubled up and down to the right. I also have a problem with glare. I can't see things if looking into the light. faces and objects are black it is sooo frustrating. Anyone else with ghosting and glare problems??

I have the ghosting due to an astigmatism in my right eye. But it does get worse from time to time. Glare bothers my eyes to. I've always had sensitive eyes and wear sun glasses even on cloudy days.

Gemini Experienced
Petemoss, you have to understand, everything can not be blamed on celiac disease. There may be something going on with your eyes that has nothing to do with your celiac disease. Some people have terrible night vision, my night vision is getting worse. I am 52, it happens. Go to an optometrist and get an eye exam. Don't just assume celiac disease is to blame. Even if celiac disease as an autoimmune disease is part of the problem, you should still have your eyes checked out. Diabetes is an autoimmune disease too and diabetes must always get eye exams for the safety of their eyes.

Good post! One of the most common causes of changing eye problems is plain old aging! Not sure how old the original poster is but once you get past 40, it's mind blowing how bad your eyes can get in a very short period of time. A person has the most glass Rx changes between 40-50 years of age. Plus, the dryer eye sets in and can cause many of the problems listed here. Unless a person has serious eye problems as part of their family history, don't worry so much and accept that your eyes will never be the same as when you are younger. Plus, there are many things that can be done to improve symptoms.

itchygirl Newbie

Of course there is the well known connection between celiac and Sjogren's, which causes severe dry eye. There is a simple test (the Schirmer test) for the dry eye where they put little strips of blotter paper in your eye and see how long it takes them to get damp, lots of fun (NOT!)

Open Original Shared Link

OBJECTIVE: Many autoimmune diseases occur concomitantly with celiac disease. We investigated prospectively the occurrence of celiac disease and small-bowel mucosal inflammation in patients with primary Sj
JulesH Rookie
Of course there is the well known connection between celiac and Sjogren's, which causes severe dry eye. There is a simple test (the Schirmer test) for the dry eye where they put little strips of blotter paper in your eye and see how long it takes them to get damp, lots of fun (NOT!)

Open Original Shared Link

That's very interesting. Though whatever problem I had last year was not related to dry eyes, with all the testing them were doing, they found that my eyes were very dry as well. (This was despite the fact that my eyes are usually teary due to allergies.) This time around, the doctor said he couldn't see anything wrong with my eyes, so it could just be dry eyes, though I need to get to an optometrist to see if maybe I just need glasses. Though the little bit of testing the ophthalmologist did, I still have 20/20.

By the way, for those who asked, I'm 24, so it's not likely an age related problem. I'm mostly concerned because it's a repeat of a problem that they couldn't find a source for last year. But the doctor seems to think it's all in my head, so...

itchygirl Newbie
. But the doctor seems to think it's all in my head, so...

I hope to goodness your eyes are in your head :o

I had to go to a major teaching hospital before I found an eye doc who had a clue. Pacific College of Vision, actually. The guy I'd been seeing just told me I "needed to blink more" :angry:

Its amazing how many doctors I've had to sort through over the years to find a couple with some brains :D

JulesH Rookie
I hope to goodness your eyes are in your head :o

I had to go to a major teaching hospital before I found an eye doc who had a clue. Pacific College of Vision, actually. The guy I'd been seeing just told me I "needed to blink more" :angry:

Its amazing how many doctors I've had to sort through over the years to find a couple with some brains :D

Ha, yeah. He actually said it sounds like it could be something or other, but that's something that you can only see when it's actually happening. (The blurriness has faded since the first day of very severe blurriness.) But he basically told me that there's nothing he can do. Oh well. At least I was a very interesting anomaly to the first doctor. Too bad his office was so horrible.

  • 7 years later...
Lizzybat71 Newbie

As a dental hygienist of 42 years I can vouch for the number of times I have noticed dental infections and eye issues. Abscesses and gum disease with significant bone loss can have negative impact on other areas of the body. A genealogy buddy of mine was told he would be blind in 6 months. l suggested he get his problem teeth removed to try to save his sight. He laughed, then said, "How do you know I have tooth problems?" I replied that I didn't know, it was something a famous doctor once told me.

 

Long story short-he had 2 teeth removed (there was no bone around them  at all) and his retinapathy stopped running away with him. This was 2004 and he can still see, although not perfectly as the eye stuff had gone too far. At least he is not blind as predicted.

 

I have both celiac genes, so I have to watch the eyes well.

 

Christine0125 Contributor

I just had optic neuritis in Feb/Mar which causes severe blurriness - this was my 2nd time (1st time was pre-celiac diagnosis).  At first the ophthalmologist indicated it was uveitis which can also cause blurriness but when it didn't improve with drops, diagnosed it as optic neuritis.  I'm not sure if it's my celiac or something else autoimmune going on with me.  I get the MRI and neurology follow up in the next couple weeks.  I had no signs of MS when tested in the past but they need to go through all the tests again to rule that out.  I wish there was a specific doctor that specialized in auto-immune conditions as a whole as I feel like if the MRI doesn't show MS, the neurologist will dismiss it as a fluke.  Would love to figure out what's causing my ongoing inflammation. 

  • 2 years later...
Helenco Newbie

1. Read Celiac for Dummies by Doctors Blumer and Crowe, pp.149-150

Yes, celiac can affect your eyes.

2. Please see an Opthomologist!

 

kareng Grand Master
9 hours ago, Helenco said:

1. Read Celiac for Dummies by Doctors Blumer and Crowe, pp.149-150

Yes, celiac can affect your eyes.

2. Please see an Opthomologist!

 

The OP has not  been on since 2008 - hopefully she has been to the eye doctor by now.  ?

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,059
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Lynda Huber Davis
    Newest Member
    Lynda Huber Davis
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.1k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
      Soy has been on our safe list for nearly 30 years, it is gluten-free. Most soy sauces do include wheat, and should be avoided. The following two lists are very helpful for anyone who is gluten sensitive and needs to avoid gluten when shopping. It's very important to learn to read labels and understand sources of hidden gluten, and to know some general information about product labelling--for example in the USA if wheat is a possible allergen it must be declared on a product's ingredient label like this: Allergens: Wheat.       In general if you see "gluten-free" on a label in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, etc., it does mean that the food is safe for those with celiac disease, and it does NOT mean that there is 19ppm gluten in it, as some people might lead you to believe. Whenever a company detects gluten in the 5-19ppm (most tests can't accurately go below this level) in foods which they have labelled gluten-free, especially a USA-based company (lawsuits in the USA are far more common and easier to win in such cases), they will immediately seek to find and eliminate the source of the gluten contamination. There is a very common myth or misconception that companies don't care at all if their products test between 5-19ppm, but they definitely do because a product recall could be just around the corner should they hit the 20ppm or higher level. Many people, including myself, now have home test kits like Nima, and companies are definitely aware of this.  
    • trents
      Kathleen, I am not sure I agree with you that your son is asymptomatic with regard to his celiac disease. The horrible stomach pains you describe in your first post could be celiac symptoms as easily as they could be H. Pylori or viral infection symptoms. Yes, the social impact of having celiac disease is perhaps the most difficult dimension of the disorder to deal with. It requires thinking ahead and providing safe substitutes for snacks and party foods so that your son doesn't feel left out and singled out or different. Some of those feeling are unavoidable but they can be minimized. Dining at eateries is a huge challenge to celiacs as even when you order gluten free menu items they are often heavily cross contaminated back in the kitchen from being cooked together with wheat things or handled with the same utensils. You need to be bold in asking a lot of questions and requesting that your son's food be cooked in separate pots and pans. It's awkward at first but you get used to it. Speaking of CC (Cross Contamination), how careful you have to be with this will depend on the sensitivity level to gluten your son will demonstrate. This can be a challenge to get a handle on for those celiacs who are of the "silent" type. By "silent" is meant they are largely asymptomatic. It is common for sensitivity levels to increase over time when gluten is withdrawn from the diet as whatever tolerance we may have had to gluten when we were being exposed to it constantly may disappear. Whether or not that proves to be the case, it would be important for you to have his antibody levels checked at regular intervals (say every six months to a year) to check for compliance with the gluten free diet. And I would not worry about him touching wheat food products. It is highly unlikely that any significant exposure will occur transdermally. That would only be an issue for the most extremely sensitive subset of celiacs. Of course, you wouldn't want him getting wheat flour on his hands and then putting fingers in his mouth.  At school, you will need to pack his lunches and also have conversations with the school dietary staff to ensure his safety.  I know this all seems overwhelming right now but you are not the only parents who are having to go through this kind of thing. Celiac disease is not uncommon and thankfully there is much more public awareness about it than there was a generation ago. It can be done. It's the kind of thing that requires parents to be willing to find that extra gear of assertiveness in order to keep their child safe and to guard his/her psyche as much as possible. Count your blessings. It could be worse. He doesn't have cancer. This might be helpful in getting off to a good start with eating gluten free. Some of it may be overkill depending on how sensitive to minute levels of gluten your son is:  
    • trents
      Staci, take note of the forms of magnesium and zinc I recommended. With some of the vitamins and minerals, the formulation can be very important in how well they are absorbed. Many of the vitamin and mineral products on supermarket shelves are in a form that maximizes shelf life rather than bioavailability which, in your case, would seem to be a critical issue. And with magnesium, if you use the typical over the counter form (magnesium oxide) you may find it has a definite laxative effect (think, "milk of magnesia") simply because it isn't well absorbed and draws water into the colon. Spend some extra money and get quality vitamin and mineral products and research the issue of bioavailability. There are forum members who are knowledgeable in this area who may have recommendations. Do you have Costco stores where you live? Is Amazon available to you?
    • Kathleen JJ
      And yes, of course it's better to know and we will adjust.  It's just, he's 7 and in our house we can control what he gets. But he plays soccer 3 times a week and in the changing room the boys share candies. I can and will tell him not to accept them any more, but "mistakes" will be made.   I'm really burdened by the potential social impact for him. He so loves to go to a restaurant as a family - I'll guess that's finished. Going to birthday parties at another kids house? I am reading about Coeliacs and apparently the fact that something as much as TOUCHED something with wheat is enough, even if he doesn't feel the symptoms - how can we control that bar from keeping him locked up?    And the worst worry of all: how do you tell a little boy to do all of this to not have symptoms that he does not have. If he'd been having horrible diarrhea or feeling really tired, we could tell him 'see, you feel so much better now, that kind of food was just not good for your body', but now, what will our argument be? For clarity: of course we will put him on the diet, I am not saying I don't believe in the necessity of that, it is just that it will be quite a stretch to 'sell' it to him 😞
×
×
  • Create New...