Symptoms
Chronic GVHD can affect the surface of your eye, the inside of your eyelid and can damage tear glands. Symptoms may include:
- tired, gritty, itchy or burning eyes
- difficulty keeping your eyes open
- sensitivity to bright light or wind
- intermittent blurry vision
- red and swollen eyes (eyelids)
- crusting on the eyelids
- excessive tears and discharge without much discomfort
Treatment
The treatment for ocular GVHD eyes depends on the severity of the symptoms. Most cases can be managed with:
- artificial tear drops or ointments (make sure they are preservative-free)
- steroid drops or ointments
- cyclosporine eye drops
- plugging tear ducts so that moisture remains in your eyes
- adding humidity to your home
- wearing goggles to limit exposure to the wind (see 7eye.com/collections/dry-eye or zienaeyewear.com for examples)
If the problem is more severe and is affecting your vision, your doctor may recommend:
- eye drops made from your blood serum (autologous serum drops)
- a bandage contact lens to protect the surface of the eye
- a scleral lens, such as the PROSE system offered by BostonSight®, that can relieve symptoms and improve vision
What to Avoid
If you have GVHD in your eyes:
- do not wear regular contact lenses
- avoid rubbing your eyes
- use only eye drops that do NOT contain a preservative
- do not dig crusted mucous from the corner of your eyes with your fingernails or a tissue; instead, use warm, wet compresses to soften and remove it; applying warm compresses for 5-10 minutes at night may help prevent morning crusting
- avoid using redness relievers such as Visine®, Opcon A®, Naphon A® or Clear Eyes® which can make dry eyes worse
- do not use allergy eye drops such as Alaway® or Zaditor® because they will not treat the root problem
Take Action!
- Tell your doctor immediately about any eye discomfort or vision changes you experience. Prompt treatment may prevent severe damage to the eye.
- When in the sun, be sure to wear sunglasses with UV protection to protect your eyes from further damage. Use wrap-around sunglasses for added protection.
- Take frequent breaks from viewing screens on electronic devices.
- Be careful when applying make-up near your eyes and avoid unnecessary eye surgeries such as cosmetic eyelid surgery and lash extensions.
- Ask your transplant team to recommend an ophthalmologist who is familiar with symptoms of ocular GVHD or consult BMT InfoNet’s GVHD Directory for a specialist near you at bmtinfonet.org/gvhd-directory.
Watch this video about your eyes and chronic GVHD. Click here to read the transcript of this video and download the slides.
#GVHD
If you use social media, learn more about living with graft-versus-host disease and advances in treatment at #GVHD. Connect with others and show your support for GVHD patients.
(To view this page in Spanish click here.)
Next Page: Mouth and GVHD
Updated August 2022
English
