Systemic diseases involve many organs or the whole body. The eye is important in systemic disease since it is composed of many different types of tissue that can be affected. In fact, an eye exam sometimes leads to the first diagnosis of a systemic disease. This unique feature makes the eye susceptible to a wide variety of diseases as well as provides insights into many body systems.
Systemic diseases that commonly affect the eye:
- Diabetes Mellitus – an imbalance in blood glucose (sugar) levels.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
- Multiple sclerosis – a disease that damages nerve coverings, causing weakness, coordination and speech disturbances.
Working with other health care specialists and your family physician, we often play an important role in treating systemic diseases. Depending on the condition, systemic treatment may be needed. Ophthalmic treatment can range from drugs for inflammatory diseases (e.g., uveitis) to laser therapy for retinal vascular diseases (e.g., Diabetic Retinopathy) to surgery for tumors.
Contact us for an individualized treatment plan that ensures state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic technology for improved eye care.
