What should you know about Crohn's disease and eyes?

Inflammation related to Crohn's disease may affect parts of the eye and can occur during digestive symptoms or at another time. Features may include a red or painful eye, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, or a gritty feeling. Mild irritation can also have unrelated causes, such as dryness or infection.

Some Crohn's treatments can have eye-related side effects, which is why the timing of symptoms and your full medicine list matter. Eye symptoms should not be used to judge bowel activity by themselves.

Contact a GP Consultation service or an eye professional for new redness, pain, light sensitivity, or vision change. Mention your Crohn's history, current bowel symptoms, previous eye problems, contact-lens use, and every medicine or supplement.

A Blood Test may help assess inflammation or anaemia, but it cannot replace an eye examination. Do not use someone else's steroid eye drops, and avoid wearing contact lenses while a painful or red eye is being assessed.

Seek same-day urgent assessment for severe eye pain, sudden or worsening blurred vision, marked light sensitivity, a new blind spot, injury, chemical exposure, or a red eye with headache and nausea. Sudden loss of vision is an emergency.

Ask whether the symptoms suggest inflammation, whether any medicine could contribute, whether an eye examination is needed, how to use prescribed drops, and which vision changes require immediate help.