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Red Eyes

Hello,

I have had chronic red eyes for about 2 years now and I am not sure if it's related to Crohn's as I am doing fairly well and no active disease...I think. But when I saw a doctor two years ago and with subsequent doctors they just say it's related to Crohn's without really looking into it. Kinda frustrating. I guess they could be right. Anyhow I am going to an eye doctor tomorrow and will not tell him about crohn's.

My question is if anyone else has problems with red eyes? It's getting annoying and I think people think I have pink eye or am stoned or been crying or had a real late night (sometimes that is the case!). Eye drops help somewhat. I assume it's inflammation, but maybe it's something else.

Also any similar situations where docots just blame Crohn's when maybe it is not that simple?
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
If you haven't seen an opthamologist then you need to do so sooner than later. Eye involvement and Crohn's Disease is not something to be trifled with. Is it potentially not the Crohn's? Sure. But if it is related to the Crohn's, you need a specialist to evaluate you and determine the proper course of action.

We have some other threads regarding eye involvement in our eye EIM forum.
 
My daughter has the eye thing when she is symptomatic with her CD. Before she was diagnosed, we took her in for "pink eye" more times than I could count.
Normally the red eye accompanies other symptoms (gut pain or mouth sores). From what the GI says, it is rare.
 
Also, because of that, she sees an optometrist every 6 months. Please heed the advice given to seek consult with the eye specialty field.
 
Hello,

I have had chronic red eyes for about 2 years now and I am not sure if it's related to Crohn's as I am doing fairly well and no active disease...I think. But when I saw a doctor two years ago and with subsequent doctors they just say it's related to Crohn's without really looking into it. Kinda frustrating. I guess they could be right. Anyhow I am going to an eye doctor tomorrow and will not tell him about crohn's.

My question is if anyone else has problems with red eyes? It's getting annoying and I think people think I have pink eye or am stoned or been crying or had a real late night (sometimes that is the case!). Eye drops help somewhat. I assume it's inflammation, but maybe it's something else.

Also any similar situations where docots just blame Crohn's when maybe it is not that simple?
Hi Flavraphil,

I have had the same problem for about 2+years now. I repeatedly asked my Doctor and recieved no real answers as such, just statements like, "come back if it gets any worse" or "let us know if it spreads into the iris". It wasn't until recently, as I've been getting diagnosed, that I have had it confirmed as 'Iritis' and that it is directly related to my crohns.

For me I think the infalamation in my eyes has been reflecting the inflammation that I've been experiencing abdomonally.

:ghug:
 
I think I will be making an eye doc appt. for my son, he had one prior to Crohn's dx which said he had 20/20 so have not worried about it, but he does have the red eyes and extra eye goop (my technical term). Not bad but... guess it is better to have it checked
 

Nyx

Moderator
Definitely get it checked out...I've been having eye problems for the past year. What started out as red eyes, turned into an infection in my right eye, which brought on a corneal ulcer. The ulcer then got infected and caused a perforation (I know...good times!!). Right from the start the doctors (first the regular eye doctor, then my specialist) has said it's related to the Crohn's. Also, if you have rosacea, it can be a cause as well. That's what the ophthalmologist said caused the blephritis in my perforated eye.

If you have to, kick and scream till someone does something for you. Walking around with a patch for a year kinda sucks....and the pirate jokes get old fast (I've been wearing a patch for almost 6 months now)....lol
 
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