How Autoimmune Conditions May Affect Your Eyes

People with autoimmune disorders — including several types of arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), lupus and multiple sclerosis (MS) — can also develop swelling and inflammation in the middle section of the eyes that can destroy eye tissue. Sometimes this results in an uncommon but serious eye disease called uveitis, which can cause significant vision loss, says Alan G. Palestine, M.D., professor of ophthalmology and rheumatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and chief of the Uveitis and Ocular Immunology Division at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center.