How Gluten Causes Blindness

Eye Disorders in Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity

"Something has to kill you, right?"

You may hear this from time to time, usually said in a joking manner to downplay this or that vice.

If the vice is cheating on the gluten free diet, then the answer is No. It doesn't have to kill you.

It can just blind you and leave you crippled for the rest of your life.

Most people recognize their gastrointestinal symptoms. Diarrhea, constipation, pain and bloating are tough to ignore. So, when those symptoms flare up after they eat gluten, they believe they just have to wait it out a few days. What they do not realize is they may be destroying their eyes.

Eventually, they may notice their eyes becoming dry and scratchy. Then painful. At that point, it may be too late. Chronic inflammation from gluten combined with the lack of nutrients their eyes need has resulted in a terrible complication.

Disorders of the eyes in gluten sensitivity and celiac disease generally result from inflammation and nutrient deficiencies. The disorders can progress for years without notice until a crisis situation develops. At that point, it may be too late.

The eyes are complex, delicate organs. They require certain nutrients and are affected by local and systemic inflammation. They can be injured by autoimmune disorders.

Young children can suffer permanent blindness quickly if certain nutrients, such as vitamin A, are deficient. Doctors in developed nations are slow to consider vitamin A deficiency, since it is added to milk and other dairy food products. But, for the child with celiac disease, malabsorption may mean he does not digest and absorb vitamin A. Blindness is a real possibility.

Therefore, it is important to know and understand how eye disorders develop in gluten sensitivity and celiac disease and how to treat them.

Tip: Review the eye disorders below. Note which issues are influenced by nutrient deficiencies. Review those nutrient deficiency pages, and look for symptoms that you may have. For example, you may notice Vitamin A causes Bitot Spots. Looking up Vitamin A Deficiency, you see dry, rough skin and dry mouth. These other symptoms can point out a nutrient you need to replenish in order to avoid an eye disorder down the road.

You can also look up your symptoms under the Health Condition Search. Note the causes. Then, follow the steps listed for treating the issues.

Disorders of the Eye

The following posts concern eye disorders. Eye disorders are important to understand as blindness can result if not treated promptly.

Cataracts

What Are Cataracts? Cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens in an affected eye characterized by blurred vision and progressive blindness due to loss of the len's ability to focus light rays on the retina. Cataracts can occur ...

Uveitis, Non-Infectious

What Is Non-Infectious Uveitis? Non-infectious uveitis, as opposed to that which is caused by an infection, is an inflammatory eye disorder characterized mainly by swelling of the uveal tract structures in the anterior (front) of the eye. Inflammation can also affect the ...

Night Blindness – Nyctalopia

What Is Night Blindness? Night blindness is a visual defect caused by lack of rhodopsin in the rods of the retina located in the back of the eyeball due to inadequate vitamin A. Q: How does inadequate vitamin A cause ...

Unexplained Blurred Vision

What Is Unexplained Blurred Vision? Unexplained blurred vision is unclear or distorted vision that is not caused by allergy, poor refraction (eye test), medication side effects, metabolic disorders, or defects in any part of the eyeball, optic nerve, or in ...

Bitot’s Spots

What Are Bitot's Spots? Bitot's spots are superficial foamy patches that develop on the exposed bulbar conjunctiva (white of the eye) as a manifestaion of advanced vitamin A deficiency. This painless eye disorder is reversible only with vitamin A therapy. ...

Sjögren’s Syndrome

What Is Sjögren's Syndrome? Sjögren's syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease with a chronic, progressive course that primarily attacks the lacrimal glands of the eye and the salivary glands of the mouth, which are exocrine glands. Exocrine glands secrete the substances they produce ...

Keratomalacia

What Is Keratomalacia? Keratomalacia is a severe non-inflammatory eye condition characterized by a hazy, dry cornea that becomes softened and denuded (loss of protective layer), which when liquified is then irreversibly destroying the eyeball and causing blindness. The conjunctiva and ...

Xerophthalmia

What Is Xerophthalmia? Xerophthalmia is a serious condition of extreme drying and thickening of the conjunctiva following chronic inflammation and failure to make tears, characterized by hazy, dry cornea. Vitamin A is obtained from the diet and is required in ...

Ocular Myopathy

What Is Ocular Myopathy? Ocular myopathy is an impairment of musculature of the eyeball that is characterized by abnormalities of eye movement that make initiating and maintaining eye movement and eye contact difficult. What Is Ocular Myopathy In Celiac Disease ...

Dry Eye, Autoimmune (Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca)

What Is Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca? Keratoconjunctivitis sicca is a distressing autoimmune form of dry eye that causes chronic bilateral dessication (dryness of both eyes) with inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea due to tear abnormality. Little sores develop that cause the symptoms and ...

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