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System – Sensory

This category comprises disorders affecting vision, smell, and taste.

Sjögren’s Syndrome 

What Is Sjögren’s Syndrome? Sjögren’s syndrome is a systemic inflammatory 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 ...

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Iron Deficiency

What Is Iron? Iron is an essential mineral that is required for normal body function. Almost two-thirds of iron in the body is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues. Smaller amounts of ...

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Dry Eyes, Chronic

What Is Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome? Chronic dry eye syndrome is an inflammatory condition of the conjunctiva with inadequate tear production or distribution over the eye surface. It is characterized by surface damage to the conjunctiva, giving the appearance of ...

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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 ...

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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 manifestation of advanced vitamin A deficiency. This painless eye disorder is reversible only with vitamin A therapy. ...

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Smell, Loss of  

What Is Loss of Smell? Loss of smell is a disorder that is characterized by impaired olfactory sense, or olfaction. Partial or complete loss of smell can result from malnutrition, chronic rhinitis, polyps, chronic sinusitis, medications, old age, head trauma, ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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Blepharitis, Non-Infectious (Swollen Eyelids)

What Is Non-Infectious Blepharitis? Non-infectious blepharitis is an inflammatory condition of the eyelids that is NOT caused by an invading organism but rather nutritional deficiencies. It is characterized by non-ulcerative inflammation of the hair follicles and lacrimal glands along the eyelid edges. Q: ...

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Dysgeusia (Impaired Taste)

What Is Dysgeusia? Dysgeusia is impaired or altered sense of taste characterized by the inability to distinguish the flavor of a substance. Q: What causes loss of the ability to taste? A: Some causes of impaired taste include these health conditions: malnutrition, hypothyroidism, ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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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Blurred Vision, Unexplained

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 ...

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