Are blue sclerae ever normal and what could cause these symptoms?

[inksmudge]

I know that having a blue sclera can sometimes be a symptom of certain conditions, but is it possible to have blue sclerae not caused by a medical condition? I also understand that anemia can sometimes cause it and I've been anemic in the past but my most recent blood test said that my iron levels were normal and the blue is still there. It's not striking and you can't really tell unless you know to look for it or if I turn my eyes to the side and you can see in comparison to the side of my eye that it is in fact bluish. I have never broken a bone so I doubt that it's any brittle bone disease just in case someone suggests that.


A bunch of extra information (if anyone has any ideas or guesses what could cause these things I would really, really appreciate it because I haven't been able to get any answers and it bothers me that I don't know what's going on):
I have symptoms similar to those of a bleeding disorder (easy bruising, heavy bleeding, huge bruises that appear without trauma, nosebleeds, mild bleeding under the skin, blood blisters in my mouth) and my blood apparently clots more slowly than most but since I have type O- blood it's borderline normal so no disorder was diagnosed. Sometimes I faint or come very close to it and my vision blacks out; I also have occasionally spells of dizziness without fainting, chronic joint pain, and recently saw an oral surgeon for a purplish swelling under my tongue on one side that appeared without cause. The oral surgeon says it's either a hematoma or a vein malformation. I also have a quick heartbeat and chest pain but when a doctor listened to my heart with a stethoscope they said they didn't hear anything like a heart murmur. Lately I've been excessively fatigued. I have headaches and apparently ocular migraines that never go away?? (There are little sparkles in my vision that have appeared every couple of minutes for the last year but there's no pain or typical migraine aura. I had my eyes checked by three doctors and there's nothing physically wrong with them so I guess it originates in my brain. Migraine medication did not help.) One doctor says I have joint hypermobility too which sometimes indicates a connective tissue disorder but as far as I know, I have no family history of any. I drink plenty of water but get dehydrated REALLY easily though the symptoms I describe do not go away with water. I also have asthma and allergies.

Any ideas anyone? Anything at all? I would really be happy to hear what people have to say because like I said, I feel lost. Thank you in advance =)

[someoneshere]

Look into Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and related connective tissue disorders.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[HA12345]

Hello, I‘ve never used this site before and I am not 100% sure how it works but I wanted to get in touch - I happened to come across your post and I am experiencing exactly what you described - blue sclera with all the same symptoms (except my vein malformation is in my leg), two blood tests came back normal so not anaemia, I’ve never broken a bone and the doctors I’ve spoken to haven’t been able to explain what might be causing my symptoms. I was wondering if you managed to find out what was causing your symptoms? I hope you are doing really well (especially in these unprecedented times!) and that everything worked out in the end. Thank you :)

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

The answer is the same:   Thin sclera can occur very rarely as a result of a disease osteogenesis imperfect.  HOWEVER by far the most common cause is thin sclera. This is more common in myopes who have long eyes; more common in front of the medial and lateral rectus where the muscle pull thins sclera (3 and 9 o'clock) on the cornea and in fair skinned, blue eyed people.  So it's likely what you see is not a sign of systemic disease however do see an ophthalmologist to tell you for sure.   See an Eye MD ophthalmologist and discuss.

[inksmudge]

Thank you for your answers. I managed to see the ophthalmologist this afternoon and they said that the blue is probably not normal. I described some of the other things I've been experiencing and they think that it is in fact an issue with my collagen (citing the joint hypermobility, joint pain, and mentioned that sometimes collagen synthesis disorders can aftect blood vessels explaining the bleeding. I don't know why exactly but apparently issues with fainting are pretty common for people with those disorders too). I was very lucky in that the ophthalmologist had one other patient with many of the same issues I have so they were familiar with the topic, especially since apparently it's rare and not specific to the eyes alone. We don't know for sure yet of course if I actually have a disorder like that but I got a referral to someone who will test me for it. I'm surprised that there's a condition that can explain so many of my symptoms because I didn't think one existed! Thanks again for the answers.

[JohnHaganMD]

Okay best of luck to you.  Sorry it was not a variation of normal

[JohnHaganMD]

Thin sclera can occur very rarely as a result of a disease osteogenesis imperfect.  HOWEVER by far the most common cause is thin sclera. This is more common in myopes who have long eyes; more common in front of the medial and lateral rectus where the muscle pull thins sclera (3 and 9 o'clock) on the cornea and in fair skinned, blue eyed people.  So it's likely what you see is not a sign of systemic disease however do see an ophthalmologist to tell you for sure.

[SassyLassie]

Hello~

Blue scleras are very uncommon. ... The white of our eyes, also known as the sclera, serves as a protective outer coat. It is a tough, leather-like tissue that surrounds the entire eye. The white sclera takes on a bluish tint when this normally thick tissue thins.

Collagen synthesis diseases should be considered. Congenital defects in collagen synthesis cause thinning of the sclera, which causes a bluish hue on examination.

I would see your physician again and ask for a complete blood work panel to include test for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.. My first thought was anemia, but you say you are not anemic.