Does anyone know about this.? Another surprise for me.
I’ve been feeling well, getting out and about, decided to have a rest day today. This afternoon I sat outside in the sun but sheltering from the sharp wind. I was wearing sunglasses and not directly facing the sun reading a book. My eyes became so blurred that I couldn’t see. I had to come indoors and close the blinds but they are taking a long time to clear and it still hurts now to look out of the windows
I gather Sjogren’s causes dry eyes. Is that what this is?
I will speak to my gp about it but I’m praying this will not be an ongoing symptom. I m feeling pretty upset at the thought of it.
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IsleofWight1
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Hi, I know it’s easy to say try not to worry but I experienced this quite recently and was quite concerned but it has corrected itself after a couple of weeks. I used eye drops for dry eyes, gave myself rest away from a screen and it’s passed. I have developed a change in my eyes where they are sensitive to light ( daylight and artificial) so almost always have tiny pupils now but vision has restored with no discomfort. Another Lupus friend has the same experience. Try eye drops and vision rest from intense focusing for a while and of course if worried discuss with your GP/Consultant but it will most likely pass. I hope that helps give you some reassurance in the meantime. x
Blurred vision, temporary, permanent etc has many causes: cataract formation, blood glucose levels interfering with the eye lens focusing ability, retinal damage, retinal detachment, optic nerve malfunction etc etc .
With Sjögren’s disease the lack of tears may affect focusing ability. These eye conditions are beyond the remit of any GP. 👆🙄
You need to see a properly qualified ophthalmologist and rheumatologist for a definitive diagnosis of Sjögren’s disease and to get your eyes properly checked out!
I’m grateful for your straight talking advice Thank you Suv8901 for sharing this information.
You sound so knowledgeable and well informed. Just out of interest are you a medical professional, do you have first hand experience of this subject or are you good at research? Or ll of these? Whatever applies , thanks for your time
I’m actually a sad case of being a dropout from a large family of medical docs 🙄but hold a masters in medical science. Have always been argumentative perhaps due to sibling rivalry/put downs, personal experiences etc and having to deal with many instances of my own siblings’ (4 docs) GP ignorance.
Sad so I’m on here to support whenever possible…hopefully without prejudice but?👆🙄
totally right, I have first hand experience. my dry eye situation was so extreme I experience the lot. My rheumatologist up my medication and referred me to the ophthalmologist. Now I see them both, to cut the long story short.
Hi IOW1, you can get blurry eyes with sjogrens, the same as having a feeling of grit in your eyes as well as tired and sore eyes. some also can become light sensitive.
SUVI is correct that there may be others reasons for blurriness however I would suggest making an appointment with optician ( don't know when your last visit was) i have yearly appointments as well as seeing optometry as the hospital every year, this is more because of the medication i take. Opticians can advise whats best and can send you to the hospital as an urgent patient if necessary . The optician has advised me on what drops to use, best type of sunglasses and any other quirky problems the arise. my eyes tend to get blurry and sore because of too long reading or screen time, ive adapted to listening to reading books so my eyes can rest 😊 Theres always a solution to the problem. hopefully yours is just temporary. x
I went for an eye test yesterday for similar reasons. I've been struggling with sunlight for a long time (I'm also autistic, so put it down to that), but now glare. I mostly went for the eye test because I've been having daily headaches/migraines and the rheumatology nurse suggested I go there first. I do get blurry vision, usually when I get up in the morning and very tired in the evening. I think I'd get an eye test if I was you and it can't hurt to contact your GP too in the meantime. That way hopefully various causes of blurry vision can be looked into.
In my case, my eyes look healthy and my prescription is exactly the same as it was 2 years ago. After looking closely into the eye (the bit where they get uncomfortable close to you) she asked if my eyes water when I'm outside and if I feel like my eyes are very tired a lot of the time. She said they looked very dry and recommended some eye drops to try. She did mention Sjögrens to me, as I'd had to explain that we're currently trying to work out if what I have is Lupus. I always have an incredibly dry mouth, so I wouldn't be surprised if I have Sjögrens too. Although at this point I keep thinking "not another thing!"
My eyes have been light and sun sensitive for 20+ years. I have to have my eyes examined 2x/year because of medication may cause blockage(s) behind eyes. Also I have to protect against macular degeneration
I'm sorry you're experiencing this. It's a source of contention for me as well. I was diagnosed with Sjogren's officially last August. Prior to that, I've experienced dry, blurry eyes for years. It's something I'm still having issues with, even after being on the prescription Restasis for dry eyes and taking Hydroxychloroquine for Lupus. I really thought the latter script would help with the inflammation I have with my eyes but thus far neither scripts have proven successful. I hope you're successful in finding a solution. If so, please follow-up and let us know what it is.
Hi I am also having the same problem, GP and also Ophthalmology has given advised me that I have to put warm compresses on the eyes and eye drops . hope you feeling better
Hi. I’ve had RA since i was 21. (52 now). With this lovely disease, i’ve got a nice ‘package deal’. I also have Iritis. Which is inflammation of the eye. It can cause very blurred vision, severe pain. Aching, throbbing, burning. I’ve had so many steroid injections in the eyes. A Trabeculectomy. (I also have Glaucoma). Which is very high pressure in the eyes. A trabec is when they drain the eye of excessive fluid. 2 catarracts removed. I’ve had thousands of steroid eye drops over the yrs. Other procedures. Maybe you should go to an optician. That’s how my ‘health journey’ started. I’ve actually got a flare up of Iritis right now! Good luck. X
The dry eye thing can also be the sodding menopause. U don’t say how old u r. But i’m 52, as i’ve said. I’m going to c about HRT. I have an infusion every 6 weeks for my RA. HRT can cause other problems. But i’m going nuts with my dry eyes & dry mouth. Sometimes i wake up feeling 90. Really miserable. Especially if i have a painful flare. I’m drinking water while i write this. Again. Good luck x
Hi Beautiful Island. A lot of good advice here. Also nothing wrong with wait and see.
Sorry no pun intended. Lupus/Sjogrens always affects our eyes sooner or later:dry, inflamed, sensitive to light. Now you have learned about sitting in the sunlight with dark glasses may not work well anymore. I’ve had issues with my eyes way before diagnosis. I’m wearing shades as I type this with blue light glasses. Frequently wear sunglasses in the house and do not go into shops with overhead lighting. Yay Amazon. An ophthalmologist is a Doctor to have on board with all the rest. MM
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