Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic illness that is commonly known to affect balance. However, many people with the condition also experience vision problems repeatedly. Managing these issues will be a paramount part of your care.
This is generally temporary and tends to affect one eye at a time. Most people with MS may experience vision loss at least once. It’s also more likely to happen when you’re having a flare. For some people, sudden vision loss is the first indication that there’s something wrong.
Your temporary blindness is caused by inflammation in the optic nerve, which can fluctuate. This is why it can get worse when you’re having a flare. As with many MS symptoms, though, it can resolve without medical intervention as your flare goes into remission. You should see your doctor if you lose your vision for longer than a couple of days or if it affects both eyes. A course of steroids is usually all it takes to fix the problem.
Another issue that can be caused by inflammation in the optic nerve is a condition known as optic neuritis. This vision problem has been seen in as many as half of those who have MS. Some of the other symptoms of optic neuritis include loss of color vision, pain when moving your eyes, and dimmed vision. Generally, you’ll only experience it in one eye.
Optic neuritis seems to be influenced by being exhausted or too hot. It can also happen as a result of an MS flare. In most cases, optic neuritis will go away on its own but some people need a short course of high-dose steroids to help.
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In nystagmus, people experience rapid uncontrolled eye movements that can affect how well they see. This movement can be up and down, rotating, or from side to side. For some people, nystagmus may only happen when they move their eyes while for others, it only happens when they look straight ahead. Additionally, nystagmus can happen off and on or it may be persistent. It can affect one eye or both.
Apart from affecting your vision, having uncontrolled eye movements can cause issues with your balance and make you nauseated. Since this issue won’t usually go away by itself, doctors recommend finding ways to cope. Some options are holding your head at an angle, planning your day according to when the condition is at its least noticeable, and getting prism lenses from your doctor. Doctors have also prescribed medications like gabapentin and memantine to treat nystagmus.
About one in three people with MS experience trouble with how their eyes move. The main consequence of this is that you’ll have double vision. While you may not always notice these changes, your neurologist might notice them when assessing your eyes. If you have double vision, you may see items as being side by side, on top of each other, or one item being slightly tilted. Regardless of what you see, you may get vertigo and nausea from the confusing messages being sent to your brain.
For some people, double vision occurs sporadically but others have it happen during a flare. With the latter, it’s more likely to go away without any help. If you need help, a short course of steroids can make a difference. Those with consistent double vision should discuss prism lenses with their doctor as they have been proven to ease the symptoms.
With INO, people with MS have both double vision and nystagmus. This condition is caused by a lesion growing on a particular area of the brain, which prevents the eyes from working together. If you have INO, your right eye might move while the left one stays looking ahead.
As far as treatments go, the options that address the symptoms of the issues separately can help.
When living with MS, you should always tell your doctor if there are any changes in your vision – even if they’re temporary. With MS, these issues can get worse over time or last longer if left unaddressed. You should also note your other symptoms and if the vision problems have any triggers. In that case, you may be able to prevent changes in your vision by avoiding these triggers.
There are several aspects involved in effectively managing multiple sclerosis. One area you have to pay attention to is changes in your vision. While they can resolve without medical intervention sometimes, you should talk to your doctor.
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