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Does psoriatic arthritis affect your eyes? The answer may surprise you.
Research shows the same inflammation that causes joint problems in people with psoriatic arthritis can also damage other areas of the body, including the eyes, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
Eye dryness, eye pain, and conjunctivitis are some common problems associated with psoriatic arthritis. A less-frequent psoriatic eye condition is inflammation in the middle layer of the eye, known as uveitis, which can lead to permanent eye damage and vision loss if left untreated.
But psoriatic arthritis eye problems can be effectively remedied if diagnosed early. “Patients have to have an understanding of what the symptoms can be,” says Mark Fisher, MD, MPH, a rheumatologist in Fall River, Massachusetts. “Vigilance is really important.”
When you live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), some struggles like trying to open a sealed jar can be shrugged off as tough for everyone. But it’s the everyday tasks, like brushing your teeth or stirring a pot on the stove, that can make you say:
I can’t believe I can’t do this! “People come in with a list of things they can’t do or hate doing,” says Laura Landmeie, O.T., an occupational therapist at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago. “It’s like their heart and soul have been attacked, too.” Here are 13 such challenges plus tips for how to deal.