Boy Goes Blind From Diet

One rare case documented in the Annals of Internal Medicine this past week is that of a young boy, aged 17, who has almost completely lost his sight and is now legally blind due to his poor dieting choices. The unidentified patient told doctors that since elementary school he had only eaten “fries from the fish and chip shop, Pringles potato chips, white bread, slices of processed ham and sausage,” and  he  “avoided foods with certain textures.” According to the case report, he first visited the doctor at 14 years old complaining of tiredness. At the time, he was taking no prescribed medicine, had a healthy BMI and normal height, and did not demonstrate any signs of malnutrition. Doctors did, however, discover that he had anemia and low vitamin B12 levels, for which he has treated with vitamin B12 injections and offered dietary advice.

After a year, he returned to the doctors with signs of hearing and vision loss, but doctors were unable to identify the cause. By age 17, his vision had declined to the point of blindness, and doctors identified many issues, including low copper and selenium levels, reduced vitamin D level, in addition to reduced bone density, a high zinc level, and vitamin B12 deficiency. At this time, his vision damage was irreversible. 

Researchers from the Bristol Eye Hospital and Bristol Medical School examined this rare case and came to the conclusion that the patient had suffered from a dysfunction of the optic nerve, called nutritional optic neuropathy. In developed countries, this condition is typically only caused by bowel issues or “medication that interferes with the absorption of nutrients” and is rarely associated with poor dieting alone because healthier food is available. According to a statement, malnutrition caused by war, poverty, and drought has been linked to higher rates of nutritional optic neuropathy. This condition is treatable if caught early but will lead to permanent blindness if left alone. 

Doctors have been “urged” to ask patients about their diets and dietary history during routine check-ups to prevent similar circumstances from occurring. Vegans have also been warned to take supplements for vitamin B12 in order to prevent deficiency.