---
title: "Leprosy-related eye disease | Eye Health Guide"
description: "How leprosy affects the eyes through nerve damage, lagophthalmos and corneal exposure, and why WHO includes it in preventable blindness programmes."
url: https://eyehealthguide.org/conditions/leprosy-related-eye-disease/
source: Eye Health Guide
licence: "General information only. Cite the URL and the named medical reviewer."
---

Condition

# Leprosy-related eye disease

Medical reviewer [Mr Mohamed Mohyudin](https://eyehealthguide.org/reviewers/mohamed-mohyudin/)· Last recorded site review July 6, 2026

### About this review

This page inherits the site’s previous review record. A separate, current article sign-off has not yet been recorded.

[How review works](https://eyehealthguide.org/reviewers/) · [Official biography & credentials](https://mohamedmohyudin.co.uk/author/mohamed-mohyudin/)

Quick answer

Leprosy (Hansen disease) can damage the nerves that blink and protect the cornea, leading to a dry, exposed eye surface, ulcers and preventable blindness. Eye problems are not contagious once leprosy is treated, but lifelong eye care matters. WHO programmes combine leprosy treatment with eye protection and surgery where needed.

### On this page ⌄

1. Your next step
2. What it is
3. Eye symptoms to know
4. WHO prevention and care
5. Relevance elsewhere
6. Related conditions
7. Frequently asked questions

## What it is

Leprosy is a chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae that mainly affects skin and peripheral nerves. When facial nerves are involved, the eyelids may not close fully (lagophthalmos), tears dry up, and the cornea becomes vulnerable to scratches, infection and scarring.

## Eye symptoms to know

Eye involvement may develop quietly as nerve damage progresses.

- Reduced blinking or incomplete eyelid closure
- Dry, gritty or red eyes
- Reduced feeling on the eye surface
- Recurrent corneal ulcers or white scars on the cornea
- Blurred vision if the cornea is damaged

## WHO prevention and care

WHO recommends integrating eye assessment into leprosy care: teaching regular lid closure exercises, lubricating drops, sunglasses, and timely surgery for lagophthalmos. Multidrug therapy cures the infection but nerve damage may persist, so eye follow-up continues for life in affected people.

## Relevance elsewhere

Leprosy-related eye disease is rare in high-income countries today but remains important in some endemic regions. It illustrates how nerve damage, not just infection, drives preventable blindness — similar principles apply to other causes of exposure keratopathy.

## Related conditions

## Frequently asked questions

### Can leprosy cause blindness?

Yes. Corneal damage from dryness and inability to blink fully is a leading preventable cause of blindness in people affected by leprosy, which is why eye care is part of WHO leprosy programmes.

### Is leprosy eye disease contagious?

Leprosy itself is transmitted before treatment in endemic settings, but corneal problems from nerve damage are not spread person to person. Treated leprosy is not contagious.

### Can lagophthalmos from leprosy be treated?

Yes. Lubricating drops, taping lids at night, and eyelid surgery to help closure can protect the cornea and prevent further vision loss when done early.

Your next step

## Take this to your appointment

Write down what has changed, when it started, your current medicines and the questions you want answered. Take these to your eye-care appointment.

Sudden loss of sight, severe eye pain or a dark curtain across vision needs immediate assessment. Do not wait to complete a worksheet.

## Sources for this information

These references support the information on this page. Follow the linked source for its full context.

- [World Health Organization - Leprosy](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/leprosy)