As we know, Lyme disease has always been known to affect the whole body. Whether it be the nervous system, gut imbalances, and so on which has affected the quality of life.
One of the lesser known such complications is Optic Neuritis.
Let us take a look at what connects the dots between Lyme disease with optic issues, what is the mechanism behind it, the symptoms and the research evidence related to it.
Connection Between Lyme Disease and Optic Neuritis
One of the less commonly known complications is Optic Neuritis. This is an inflammation of the optic nerve that affects the vision. As Lyme disease is multifactorial and affects multiple systems of the body, this can be a result of the mere effect of the Lyme bacteria on the nervous system.
But how do you think it affects the nervous system? Let us find out!
- If the Lyme bacteria progresses and there is no treatment, the bacteria can invade and affect the nervous system. This causes neurological issues such as facial paralysis, peripheral vision loss, meningitis, and so on.
- There is a disruption in the immune system due to the invasion of the Lyme bacteria. That leads to the inflammatory responses all over the body, which can also affect the eyes.
- Impairment in the nerve signaling due to the inflammation can cause neurological or visual disturbances in the body.
Mechanism Behind Optic Nerve Inflammation
- Direct Infection: The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria can affect the optic nerve directly, leading to the triggering of inflammatory conditions.
- Immune Alterations: Optic neuritis is due to overactivity of the immune response. The immune system affects the neural mechanism of the optic nerve, causing swelling or impaired signalling.
- Inflammatory Cascade: The molecules responsible for the inflammatory responses, elevates the vascular permeability in the optic nerve that leads to vision impairment, pain, and delayed recovery.
Symptoms of Optic Neuritis in Lyme Patients
An inflammation of the optic nerve can be caused in individuals with Lyme disease due to the severe nature of Neuroborreliosis. Early diagnosis and early recognition of symptoms is quite vital to prevent long-term vision related symptoms.
1.Visual alterations
- Eye floaters: There is blurriness of the vision– it gets cloudy or hazy. Thereby making it difficult to tune in with fine details in the external environment.
- Fading: The colors might not appear normal. They might as well appear less vibrant and vision may seem dimmer than the usual.
- Distortion: Distorted or washed out colors may appear in the vision which often leads to significant changes in the color perception.
- A “curtain” over a part of vision, or loss of peripheral vision.
2.Photophobia
- This is resulted from the inflammation of the iris or choroid. The add on symptoms also include redness and eye pain.
- Exposure to extreme light or sunlight can lead to discomfort and reddening of the eyes.
3.Pain and Discomfort
- Due to the neurological issues, there might be pain and discomfort from the level of mild to moderate.
- If it is persistent in nature, there are chances of inflammation of the optic nerve or optic neuritis.
4.Other Red Flagged Conditions
- Temporary vision loss or peripheral vision loss
- Flickering light in the visual field
- Difficulty in distinguishing of the objects in the external environment
What the Science Says
Current Findings on Eye Involvement in Lyme : Scientific studies confirm that Lyme disease can affect the eyes, though this is often underreported. Documented complications include:
- Uveitis (inflammation of the eye’s middle layer)
- Optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve)
- Retinal vasculitis, conjunctivitis, and visual floaters
A 2023 review in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation notes that neuroborreliosis can lead to subtle but serious ocular symptoms, especially in late-stage Lyme.
Gaps in Traditional Literature
Mainstream medical journals often focus on early Lyme symptoms, overlooking long-term or chronic ocular issues. Many case reports are dismissed as anecdotal or attributed to co-infections rather than Lyme itself.
What’s Missing
- Lack of large-scale studies on persistent visual symptoms in Lyme patients
- Minimal representation of patient-reported eye issues in clinical guidelines
- Delayed diagnosis due to narrow diagnostic criteria and reliance on outdated testing methods
