eye symptoms questions - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

CJRT · 06-07-2007, 07:46 AM

When I am having a lot of pain, fatigue and spacicity, my eyes hurt. Almost like a burning pain. They feel dry, but aren't. I have had some "jumping" vision, but it doesn't last long. Almost like I need to adjust the horizontal on my tv if you know what I mean.

I also have a very small black spot in my left eye. It doesn't bother me, but I can see it if I concentrate on it, but otherwise, I don't really notice it.

My vision itself has worsened rapidly in the past 2 years. I have gone from not wearing glasses to having to wearing rather strong ones.

I do know that when I feel at my absolute worst, I can tell it more in how my eyes feel. I have a lot of pain in them.

Since I am still waiting on a Dx, and a visit to the neuro., does this sound like any of the eye problems that MS can cause?

NarLyB · 06-07-2007, 08:08 AM

Sounds like optic neuritis. That's what prompted my dx. Had been having occasional numbness prior to that, usually with the 'MS hug'.

Optic neuritis is one of the many sx of MS. But, it can also mean something else. Colds and allergies can cause your eyes to do weird things. The human body, such a mystery.

When are you seeing your neuro?

Bearygood · 06-07-2007, 09:11 AM

CJRT, do a search on this board for Optic Neuritis and you'll see much come up. There are a few different eye ailments -- what you're describing as "jumping" might be Nystagmus and that can happen not only in MS. Optic Neuritis can also be caused by a few different things but is VERY closely associated with MS. If an MRI shows lesions, it can be a short road to an MS dx.

Here's an "at home" Optic Neuritis color test.

Pick up something brightly colored and look at it out of one eye at a time. Before I knew I had ON and what it was, I described my vision as kind of dim and "filmy". It wasn't until I got to the eye doctor and she picked up a bottle with a bright orange cap and asked me to look at it one eye at a time that I realized that my color was impaired! Right eye, bright orange...left eye, not so bright!!

willo1980 · 06-07-2007, 11:56 AM

Bearygood,

The color test - does ON make things look duller or darker? I have a red Netlfix envelope, a bright light I notice in my left eye the color looks brighter than in my right. It's like someone added a little tint of black to the red when I look only with my right eye. Been having pains and a numb feeling in my right eye for a while now. Two eye docs looked and couldn't see any sign of ON though. My vision had changed drastically in my right eye though and had to get new lenses for my glasses.

Bearygood · 06-07-2007, 12:42 PM

The color distortion would be in the affected eye. ON would not necessarily affect the acuity of your vision -- mine was 20/20 even though the left eye was toally blurry. I'd also post what you're experiencing on the eye and vision board.

Also, do you by any chance wear contacts?