Although it’s not all that common,psoriasiscan affect the skin around the eyes and on the eyelid like it can affect skin elsewhere on the body. This can cause dryness, cracking, and irritation. But psoriasis eye problems aren’t limited to that. This chronic disease can also lead to problems within the eye itself—problems that, when left untreated, can cause permanent damage and vision loss.
Psoriasis on Skin Around the Eyes
Although they are relatively rare, psoriasis flare-ups near the eyes can be especially painful and hard to treat.
Jodi Jacobson / Getty Images
Symptoms of psoriasis around the eyes are:
Persistent dryness and rubbing from lashes can cause further eye irritation.
Treatment Options
When psoriasis flares close to the eyes, the National Psoriasis Foundation recommends the following:
Uveitis and Iritis
Frequently,uveitisand iritis arise as a complication of a disease, such as psoriatic arthritis orlupus.Such diseases cause the body’s immune system to attack its own healthy tissue.
Uveitis is an inflammation of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye’s surface. The uvea includes the iris, which makes up the colored area at the front of the eye. When uveitis is localized at the front of the eye, it’s called iritis (or anterior uveitis).
Uveitis can be localized to the ciliary body, too, which produces aqueous humor—the fluid that fills the eye. It can also be localized to the choroid, which are the small blood vessels behind the retina.
Symptoms of uveitis can include:
Because of the connection between psoriasis and uveitis, your ophthalmologist may want to consult your primary care provider, your rheumatologist, or any specialists you are seeing to determine a treatment plan.
In most cases, corticosteroid eye drops given at home will clear any inflammation. In recurring cases, you may need a systemic drug that suppresses your immune system to fight the root cause of the inflammation.
Surgery may be necessary if other problems—such as glaucoma or cataracts—are diagnosed along with uveitis.
If you have uveitis associated with psoriasis, you’re more likely than people without an autoimmune disease to have recurrent uveitis problems.
A Word From Verywell
Psoriasis skin disease around the eye is not uncommon but can be tricky to treat and can lead to eye problems in more than one way.Psoriasis-related uveitis and iritis can cause notable damage and, without treatment, permanentvision loss.
Frequently Asked QuestionsPsoriasis itself cannot, but untreated uveitis—which can result from psoriasis—can cause irreversible damage to the delicate eye tissue. Untreated uveitis represents the third most common cause of preventable blindness in the U.S.The condition itself doesn’t go away. But successful treatment can mean remission (clear skin and no symptoms) for years at a time.Common psoriasis triggers include:StressSkin damage (e.g., injures, sunburns, bug bites)Getting sickCold weather
Frequently Asked Questions
Psoriasis itself cannot, but untreated uveitis—which can result from psoriasis—can cause irreversible damage to the delicate eye tissue. Untreated uveitis represents the third most common cause of preventable blindness in the U.S.
The condition itself doesn’t go away. But successful treatment can mean remission (clear skin and no symptoms) for years at a time.
Common psoriasis triggers include:StressSkin damage (e.g., injures, sunburns, bug bites)Getting sickCold weather
Common psoriasis triggers include:
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rajguru J, Maya D, Kumar D, Suri P, Bhardwaj S, Patel N.Update on psoriasis: A review.J Family Med Prim Care. 2020;9(1):20. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_689_19Campanati, A., Neri, P., Giuliodori, K. et al.Psoriasis beyond the skin surface: A pilot study on the ocular involvement.Int. Opthalmol. 2015. 35(3):331-40. doi:10.1007/s10792-014-9950-8Demerdjieva Z, Mazhdrakova I, Tsankov N.Ocular changes in patients with psoriasis.Clin Derm. 2019;37(6):663-667. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2019.07.029National Psoriasis Foundation.About psoriasis.Tseng ST, Yao TC, Huang JL, Yeh KW, Hwang YS.Clinical manifestations in uveitis patients with and without rheumatic disease in a Chinese population in Taiwan.J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2017;50(6):798-804. doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2015.10.007Burden-Teh E, Murphy R.Psoriasis and uveitis - should we be asking about eye symptoms?.Br J Dermatol. 2014;170(3):756-757. doi:10.1111/bjd.12731Chaiyabutr C, Ungprasert P, Silpa-archa N, Wongpraparut C, Chularojanamontri L.Psoriasis and risk of uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BioMed Res. Int. 2020;2020:1-8. doi:10.1155/2020/9308341American Academy of Dermatology Association.How long will I have to treat my psoriasis?National Psoriasis Foundation.Causes and triggers.Additional ReadingAbbouda, A., Abicca, I., Fabiani, C. et al.Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis-related uveitis: Different ophthalmological manifestations and ocular inflammation features.Seminars in Opthalmology. 2016 July 15. doi:10.3109/08820538.2016.1170161
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rajguru J, Maya D, Kumar D, Suri P, Bhardwaj S, Patel N.Update on psoriasis: A review.J Family Med Prim Care. 2020;9(1):20. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_689_19Campanati, A., Neri, P., Giuliodori, K. et al.Psoriasis beyond the skin surface: A pilot study on the ocular involvement.Int. Opthalmol. 2015. 35(3):331-40. doi:10.1007/s10792-014-9950-8Demerdjieva Z, Mazhdrakova I, Tsankov N.Ocular changes in patients with psoriasis.Clin Derm. 2019;37(6):663-667. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2019.07.029National Psoriasis Foundation.About psoriasis.Tseng ST, Yao TC, Huang JL, Yeh KW, Hwang YS.Clinical manifestations in uveitis patients with and without rheumatic disease in a Chinese population in Taiwan.J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2017;50(6):798-804. doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2015.10.007Burden-Teh E, Murphy R.Psoriasis and uveitis - should we be asking about eye symptoms?.Br J Dermatol. 2014;170(3):756-757. doi:10.1111/bjd.12731Chaiyabutr C, Ungprasert P, Silpa-archa N, Wongpraparut C, Chularojanamontri L.Psoriasis and risk of uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BioMed Res. Int. 2020;2020:1-8. doi:10.1155/2020/9308341American Academy of Dermatology Association.How long will I have to treat my psoriasis?National Psoriasis Foundation.Causes and triggers.Additional ReadingAbbouda, A., Abicca, I., Fabiani, C. et al.Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis-related uveitis: Different ophthalmological manifestations and ocular inflammation features.Seminars in Opthalmology. 2016 July 15. doi:10.3109/08820538.2016.1170161
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Rajguru J, Maya D, Kumar D, Suri P, Bhardwaj S, Patel N.Update on psoriasis: A review.J Family Med Prim Care. 2020;9(1):20. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_689_19Campanati, A., Neri, P., Giuliodori, K. et al.Psoriasis beyond the skin surface: A pilot study on the ocular involvement.Int. Opthalmol. 2015. 35(3):331-40. doi:10.1007/s10792-014-9950-8Demerdjieva Z, Mazhdrakova I, Tsankov N.Ocular changes in patients with psoriasis.Clin Derm. 2019;37(6):663-667. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2019.07.029National Psoriasis Foundation.About psoriasis.Tseng ST, Yao TC, Huang JL, Yeh KW, Hwang YS.Clinical manifestations in uveitis patients with and without rheumatic disease in a Chinese population in Taiwan.J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2017;50(6):798-804. doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2015.10.007Burden-Teh E, Murphy R.Psoriasis and uveitis - should we be asking about eye symptoms?.Br J Dermatol. 2014;170(3):756-757. doi:10.1111/bjd.12731Chaiyabutr C, Ungprasert P, Silpa-archa N, Wongpraparut C, Chularojanamontri L.Psoriasis and risk of uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BioMed Res. Int. 2020;2020:1-8. doi:10.1155/2020/9308341American Academy of Dermatology Association.How long will I have to treat my psoriasis?National Psoriasis Foundation.Causes and triggers.
Rajguru J, Maya D, Kumar D, Suri P, Bhardwaj S, Patel N.Update on psoriasis: A review.J Family Med Prim Care. 2020;9(1):20. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_689_19
Campanati, A., Neri, P., Giuliodori, K. et al.Psoriasis beyond the skin surface: A pilot study on the ocular involvement.Int. Opthalmol. 2015. 35(3):331-40. doi:10.1007/s10792-014-9950-8
Demerdjieva Z, Mazhdrakova I, Tsankov N.Ocular changes in patients with psoriasis.Clin Derm. 2019;37(6):663-667. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2019.07.029
National Psoriasis Foundation.About psoriasis.
Tseng ST, Yao TC, Huang JL, Yeh KW, Hwang YS.Clinical manifestations in uveitis patients with and without rheumatic disease in a Chinese population in Taiwan.J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2017;50(6):798-804. doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2015.10.007
Burden-Teh E, Murphy R.Psoriasis and uveitis - should we be asking about eye symptoms?.Br J Dermatol. 2014;170(3):756-757. doi:10.1111/bjd.12731
Chaiyabutr C, Ungprasert P, Silpa-archa N, Wongpraparut C, Chularojanamontri L.Psoriasis and risk of uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BioMed Res. Int. 2020;2020:1-8. doi:10.1155/2020/9308341
American Academy of Dermatology Association.How long will I have to treat my psoriasis?
National Psoriasis Foundation.Causes and triggers.
Abbouda, A., Abicca, I., Fabiani, C. et al.Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis-related uveitis: Different ophthalmological manifestations and ocular inflammation features.Seminars in Opthalmology. 2016 July 15. doi:10.3109/08820538.2016.1170161
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