eye care
06 Nov 2026
By Dr. Akshay Mitra
5 min read
7 views
The problems of the autoimmune system are related to the immune system and these occur when the immune system attacks on the healthy cells of the body. Several parts of the body get affected by the autoimmune system which further leads to inflammation and damage of the tissue of the eyes. There are different types of autoimmune diseases. The autoimmune
diseases also affect the eyesight of the person.
What is the definition of Autoimmune diseases?
The immune system protects the person from diseases and infections. It senses the pathogens that are the cause of any disease and creates the target cells to kill the pathogens. The human immune system is able to differentiate the body's own cells and foreign cells. However, in case of autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body’s own cells from different areas of the body such as skin and joints. At this time, a protein is released from the body known as antibodies that attack the healthy cells of the body.
Cause of autoimmune diseases.
There are several factors that are responsible for the autoimmune system.
- Sex of the person: People who are transgender (assigned as female at birth) and aged between 15 to 44 are more affected by autoimmune diseases than people assigned male at birth.
- Family history of the person: Family history plays a crucial role in the development of autoimmune diseases because of inherited genes.
- Environmental factors: The emission of sunlight, mercury, chemicals like solvents on the body, these chemicals are used in agriculture, cigarette smoke, or certain bacterial and viral infections, may increase your risk of autoimmune disease.
- Ethnicity: Some types of autoimmune diseases are very common in people in some ethnic groups.
- Nutrition: Your diet impacts the risk and severity of autoimmune disease. If you take a proper diet rich with minerals and nutrients, you will be less likely to develop an autoimmune disease.
- Other health conditions: Several health conditions, like obesity and diabetes, make you more likely to develop an autoimmune disease.
- Corticosteroids: These are used to reduce inflammation in the eyes. It is a type of eye drops that are recommended by the doctor and sometimes injected through injections.
- Immunosuppressive Medications: Drugs that suppress the immune system are prescribed to control the autoimmune response.
- Biologic Drugs: In some cases, biological medications are useful for the treatment of the immune system that causes autoimmune diseases.
- Topical Medications: Eye drops containing steroids or other immunosuppressive agents may be prescribed to directly address inflammation in the eyes.
- Surgery: In certain situations, surgery may be necessary to address complications or damage caused by the autoimmune disease. In some cases, LASIK surgery is beneficial for the treatment of eyesight. Book an appointment for the Lasik eye surgery in Jalandhar.
- Thyroid Treatment: In cases where autoimmune diseases affecting the eyes are linked to thyroid disorders, managing the thyroid condition is crucial.
- Lifestyle Modifications: Making lifestyle changes, such as wearing sunglasses to protect the eyes from ultraviolet rays and managing stress, can complement medical treatments.
