RA and eyesight | Arthritis Information

 

I realize that I am in my mid 40s but I feel that my eyesight is getting worse
and worse since my RA diagnosis. Has anyone else been affected like this?
Does anyone know exactly what can happen to the eyes as a result of RA? I
can only find that it can damage your vision. What are the exact symptoms
of this? I have difficulty with night vision, reading small print, forget looking
up a number in the phonebook, print is too small and light. Is this aging?
Or RA? I know plaquinil can affect color vision but I don't have problems
with that. Any insight or experience?Lorster, do you wear contacts or glasses? Reason being I too was having trouble seeing, reading in bed at night etc. I went for my eye exam (I've worn contacts for over 20 years) and he said my eyes actually IMPROVED ever so slightly.

I asked him if RA can affect the eyes and he said it's really the meds that can affect our eyes moreso than the RA (unless it's sjogrens). He said specifically Plaquenil is rough on the eyes.

I know that Plaquenell can possible cause eye damage some rare thing and you must have your eyes checked every 6 months. Prednisone also causes Glaucoma ( i am 25 and my glaucoma levels have risen since starting pred) the eye doc says tht the glaucoma levels can go back down when you stop taking it.

If you are taking either of those meds that could possibly be the case. Or some other meds can cause just plain blurriness...

Good luck!

I've developed Dry Eye over tha last few years and that effects my vision at times. Lately my eyes have begun to get real red in the evenings. Not sure if that's due to inflammation or not.

I hope other's will chim in here because I know we have several here that have really bad problems due to RA. I too would like ot know more about it.

My actual eye sight has gotten steadily worse over the last few years but I'm afraid that's more due to age than anything else.

I have had problems with my eyes during the year of dealing with RA.  I went in for a regular eye exam and my Dr.  told me that I had corneal abrasions and my tears were drying out so fast that I had no lubrication.

She started me on Restatsis eye drops and then put in plugs in my inner ducts where tears drain.  I can no longer wear contact lenses

All of this helped so much.  Just a note, Before I had RA I had a soft contact lens tear in my eye and had an abrasion on my cornea.  I was in agony, even went to the ED because I was sure there was something left in.  I received antibiotics and pain pill.  I was surprised at how little I noticed my abrasions when I had RA, I guess I was in so much pain already that is didn't matter.
Have been having changes since I started MXT and Remicade.  Am going to the eye dr. in 2 weeks because my glasses that I got 1.5 years ago are no longer doing their job.  I've been having trouble with tearing, dryness, eyes are red, and if I read and then stop it seems like it's taking my eyes forever to adjust to distance vision.  My RD said that it was most likely the meds than RA.  We'll see. LindyI am an optician, I have worked for eye doctors for 18 years.  What you are describing, honestly, no offense, sounds like aging.  Thanks for the very informative post, micheleb!

Michelle -

I've noticed my eyesight has become worse.  Now don't get freaked, but what do you think of the Bates Method?  I know it sounds crazy, but I was crosseyed as a kid and accidentally got a Bates opthamologist.  Really into eye exercises and stuff.  I still remember my mom trying to make me lie on the couch and do these tracking exercises.  Anyway - what have you heard?  I expect you think it's hogwash but...

Just checking.

Pip

Having an autoimmune disease can lead to eye issues. I have reoccuring
bouts of scleritis which the dr. says is due to inflammation. He and the
RD talk back and forth. Like MicheleB said...see an ophthalmologist. I
have secondary sjorgens which is the culprit for a lot of my eye problems.

BeckyYou know Pip, I am not familiar with the Bates Method!  My doctor will be in today and I will ask him!  Generally, any sort of eye exercises can work on small children but once your muscles have developed, like over the age of 18, not much you can do! Micheleb---what else can be done to prevent the "itis's" that I keep
getting? Keratitis and scleritis are the two big ones. Thankfully my eye
dr. doesn't charge me for 2/3 of the visits but it is still driving me crazy.
He mentioned taking fish oil supplements-does that sound right to you?
I also use the refreshPM lubricant at night. I have already had the puntal
plugs inserted. I guess I just get so frustrated with this junk! His main
concern is that the steriod drops that I use cause the eye pressure to
increase. When he cuts back on the drops-the eyes flare up again.    I am
really just desperate for any other ideas.   I see the RD on the 2nd so
maybe he will have an idea. Hi Rebecca, I just saw this.  The answer they give me, is to get my ra under control!
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