I haven't asked my dr about this yet because I forgot to do it last month. I will see him Monday. In the meantime.... Does RA affect your eyesight? On a day by day basis? I swear that I can see absolutely fine one day and then the next I can't figure out how to open the door because things are so blurry. I wear contacts and it is like someone has smeared a nice thick layer of vaseline over them. I thought that it was because my eyes were dry or something, but that doesn't seem to be the problem. Anyone? I find the same thing, maybe not to the same degree that you describe. But let me ask, when your vision is blurred, do your eyes also burn? Mine do.No, they don't burn. But it certainly is aggravating. It makes it difficult to schedule an eye exam. If I am having a good day (moment?!) then my prescription gets lower. If it is 'one of those days' the prescription will be strengthened. I need two wildly different prescriptions so that I can just switch back and forth
Thanks Cordy.
Take your time. I just think it's nice that you're doing it!
I always seem to be rubbing my eyes, trying to clear them. It sometimes seems as though there is a film over them. When I went for my last eye exam I thought for sure I would need a new prescription because it just seems like I can't see as well even with my glasses. But the Dr. said no, my prescription hadn't changed. So, I just keep rubbing and blinking until they clear up.
I'd really appreciate any info you dig up. Just before diagnosis my eyes would get better, then worse, then better. They're kind of 'off' now.
Yeah, Pip, no probs...it's ironic, I was going to put a post on today about this exact issue
My eyes do that, but not from RA. Mine are allergy related. I also break out in little red "sweat pimples" when my allergies are bad. We've attributed a lot of things to allergies. Dizziness (which I'm not 100% convinced about) vision issues, skin irritations. Maybe that has something to do with it? It seems like a lot of us with RA, also have allergy issues.Thanks everyone for the answers. It is nice to know that I am not crazy. At least about that.
Andrea
No, Andrea you are not crazy. Believe me, most of us that way, somehow and in some way with this disease.
I've been having eye problems, too. I was going to post about it but didn't quite know how to put it.
The blurry vision is there most of the time. I wear glasses, but it's like I'm looking thru the wrong part of the lens
I wear the kind of lenses that are like trifocals without lines? Does anyone know the word for it? I feel really dumb right now but the name of the lens absolutely escapes me!
Miles, I had my eyes examined, too, thinking I definitely would need a new RX, but mine hadn't changed either. I know there is something amiss, though. I also see double when I try to watch t.v. or read the paper. Mostly when I'm tired, but it is truly double. I've often thought there were 4 people in a scene, but when I brought my eyes back into focus, there were 2!
I have Sjogren's and use artificial tears a lot, but that just helps the dryness a little.
By the way, I'm not on anything for my RA at the moment, but I guess it could be one of my other meds.
Cordy, I really think your info is correct. I think it is the RA that is the problem. But what do we do about it? Have you heard of any treatment?
Hope you all have a good evening. (Or is it a.m. in Australia)
Hugs to all, Nini
See an opthomologist(spelling?) if you even think you are having eye
issues. I have had severe problems with my eyes. Autoimmune disorders
can directly effect the eyes and the treatments can also cause
complications. I see the dr. at least once a month due to reoccuring
issues. Mainly iritis and scleritis. Basically, inflammation of the whites of
your eye. A few months ago I had cellulitis of the eye due to pred and
immunosuppressents. If you think you have an issue go and hopefully
you will find nothing wrong. IF there is an issue-it needs to be treated
sooner rather than later so complications don't arise. Oh..I do have
Sjogrens as well. This will also cause problems and is common with RA.
Micheleb will have more input---she works in a eye dr. office.
BeckyHave done a little preliminary research but I can see I am going to have to dig deeper as I am not getting the information I need yet. Will keep going....
Okay, little big of a an update but still not getting the results I am looking for...
There is an eye disease called Uveitis that can go with RA but that is very rare and it usually happens with JRA not adult onset RA. It is basically about part of the eye becoming inflamed and can eventually cause blindness.
What is more common and fitting with adult RA is simply that as the joints can be effected by inflammation and the muscles and the organs so can the eyes so eye problems can occur simply because there is so much inflammation in the body.
My investigation continues...
Ok, I have worked for one type of eye dr or another (both optometrist and ophthalmologist) for the past 18 years, I can tell you what I know!
The no line trifocal lens someone referred to is called a progressive lens. There are many brands of progressive lenses, some are much better than others. It is also imperative that they be fit properly. The dr only provides the prescription, the optician (which is what I am) is responsible for making sure you have the right frame for your lens (and face!), we are responsible for taking several crucial measurements. If any of these measurements are off, or the lab that made your glasses made an error, you will have problems. The fit of your glasses also makes a big difference. In most states, you do not have to be licenses or have any formal training to do my job, so you need to be familiar with your optician and make sure they know what they are doing!
As far as ra affecting the eyes, the inflammatory issues, such as iritis and uveitis are he most common, I suffer from chronic uveitis. These are generally painful conditions which generally cause redness and some sensitivity to light.
People with ai issues are much more likely to have dry eye. When the cornea dries out, it causes distortion that can come and go. It can but doesn't also cause stinging or burning. It can but again doesn't always cause your eyes to tear excessively trying to over compensate for the dryness.
If your eyes seem to come and go out of focus, dryness is likely the cause if a new script is not needed. OTC (over the counter) drops like Systane work really well but need to be used often, several times a day. For severe dryness, there is a prescription called restaysis that can help. They can also insert small, silicon plugs into the tear ducts that help retain the moisture, this is a simply procedure done in office.
If you are a woman, hormones also play a part in dryness, especially around menopause time.
Generally, when people get into their 40's, they develop presbyopia. This is the medical term for needing bifocal or progressive lenses. As we age, the muscle that allows us to focus from far to close, starts to wear out, like an elastic band. This causes us not to be able to focus as well up close. When this first starts to happen, it may seem like it comes and goes but as time passes, it will get worse. It happens to all of us!!
For the people who wear contacts, be sure you are in a quality lens with a higher moisture retention. The acuvue oasys lens is really good for dry eyes. Also be sure you are using a good solution and not just a saline solution. Some brands of solutions seem to work better for certain people, you can always ask your eye dr if they have any samples of solutions to try but changing the brand of contact will require a new fitting and exam!
If you also have diabetes, your vision will change with your blood sugar! And if you take narcotics, some anti depressants, most muscle relaxers and several other medications, can also cause your vision to fluctuate!!
Hello all,
RA can affect your eyes as well as some of the medications we take. To the best of my understanding, it works the same way with the eyes that it does with our joints. I know plaquenil has the potential to cause eye issues as one of it's side effects. I've been on it for a long time and I have my eyes tested every 6 months by an opthamologist. Honestly can't tell you what the difference is between an optometrist and an opthamologist however the latter is what my RD recommended. I only know that RA affects the eyes because when I was first diagnosed many decades ago, the doctors said that at that point I had RA everywhere except my eyes and have watched my eyes closely for RA progression in them over the years.
Andrea
babyjeepwoman39332.3586111111An optometrist went to medical school to study eyes but is not allowed to do surgical procedures. Some are what we call TPA certified, that means they can prescribe drugs but others can not. If you are healthy and just need help seeing, go to an optometrist. They have the experience in refracting, which is the process of determining what correction you need. The are also usually more experienced in contact lens fitting. They should check your eye pressure to screen for glaucoma and look inside your eye. They can pick up problems in your eyes so if there is something medically wrong, they can send you to the right type of ophthalmologist.
Ophthalmologist continued further into school and are trained in surgical procedures. Some are also trained in particular problems, like glaucoma or retina problems. When you go to an ophthalmologist, the technicians do most of the refracting. The doctor doesn't usually want to be bother with routine vision issues, like regular glasses. They treat medical issues, either with medications or surgeries. They make their money treating medical problems and doing surgery and don't usually like being bother by someone who "just" needs glasses!
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com