Systemic Eye Diseases

Systemic diseases are conditions that affect the whole body, and the eye is one of the main organs they involve.

Before Treatment

You may experience blurred vision or loss of vision, pain, redness, swelling, dry eye, watering or sensitivity to light.

After treatment

Unfortunately, most systemic diseases cannot be cured, but treatment reduces or eliminates most of the symptoms.

What we treat

Many diseases of the whole body show themselves in the eye, and some are first discovered there. The conditions covered in this service include thyroid eye disease, in which an overactive or underactive thyroid affects the tissues around the eye, and HIV and AIDS, which can affect the retina and the front of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy, the most common systemic eye disease of all, is described under our retina service. Retinal vein and artery occlusions, which are linked to high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol, are covered there too.

How we investigate

A systemic eye examination looks at every part of the eye that a general disease can involve: the eyelids and the movement and position of the eye, the ocular surface, the pressure inside the eye, and the retina and optic nerve after dilating the pupil. OCT and OCT angiography, fundus photography and, where needed, fluorescein angiography document the retina so that change can be measured from one visit to the next. Visual field testing and orthoptic examination are added when the optic nerve or the eye muscles are involved.

When to book

• Every year: if you have diabetes, whether or not your vision has changed.
• Within days: if you have a thyroid condition and notice bulging, staring or retracted eyelids, gritty or watering eyes, double vision, or pressure behind the eyes.
• The same day: sudden loss of vision, sudden double vision, or a red painful eye with reduced vision, whatever your underlying condition.
• When starting a new medicine that your doctor has told you needs eye monitoring, such as hydroxychloroquine, and for the regular checks after that.

Your specialists

Systemic eye disease is seen by Dr Nikolaos Vryonis, Dr Eleni Rapti and Dr Elisabeth Tsianda, working alongside the retina, neuro-ophthalmology and oculoplastic teams when a condition crosses into their fields.