Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post here to exchange iritis general information and support with others.

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jenruss
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:34 pm

Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by jenruss »

Hello everyone,

Am mostly (I hope) recovered from my recent bout of iritis. It started in July and was fairly severe, but now I am on only one drop of prednisone a day, and eye doc said I can stop today.

I told him that my vision was still affected, and he checked my eyes, and said that I just need to change the right lens in my glasses because I've developed an astigmatism.

I've never had that before the iritis. I asked him if it was caused by the iritis, and he said probably not. So, what the heck? Can iritis cause astigmatism? Or is this some sort of strange and unlikely coincidence?

Thanks!
Mike Bartolatz
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Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

It isn't linked to iritis, as we age things develop, the cornea has changed shape.
this happened to me as well worsening as I grew OLD.

Wish you the very best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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jenruss
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:34 pm

Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by jenruss »

Thanks for the response, Mike. I guess I find it hard to believe that a serious vision change developed over a two month period and just happened to coincide with a case of iritis! I'm only 24, and have never had astigmatism before this case.
Mike Bartolatz
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Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

I don't know how iritis could cause the shape of the cornea to change. do you have elevated intra ocular pressure going on, glaucoma?

did you do a google search on uveitis causing astigmatism?

Wish you the best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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jenruss
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Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by jenruss »

I did do a Google search on iritis and astigmatism, and didn't find any significant results, but many websites said that eye injury could cause astigmatism...I assumed that severe inflammation could equal a kind of eye injury, but I'm obviously no ophthalmologist.

Another strange question...I think I'm all cleared up now (fingers crossed), but when I close my eye I see blobs of light separating that look like blobs in a lava lamp going in opposite directions. Also a new development since the flare up. Do you have any idea what that might be? I'm not really worried about it, just curious.
Mike Bartolatz
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Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

the lights that you describe are often related to the vitreous tugging on the retina. the most common cause is from cells and other material sloughed off the vitreous membrane called fibrin settling out and causing the weight of the material to cause the tugging. this type of traction is related to inflammation in the vitreous. As we age there is annother cause as the vitreous tries to detach in all of us as we approach our 60's. vitreous detachment in younger individuals is unusual but it can happen. sometimes as the viteous detaches from the retina, it causes a tear to occur and bleeding. should a 'veil' come accross your vision or black blobs appear you should get in to see your opthalmologist right away so that the bleeding can be sealed off with a laser or the retina re attached should it loosen from the choroid with laser surgery as well.
most of us have this occur with no problems by the way. just be aware of what rarely happens and then take action should it occur in your eye.
I have had this occur in my eyes without detachment or tear. it is annoying to say the least. it started in my twenties when inflammtion was present. the viteous is now partially detached in both of my eyes and will most likely contiinue to do so as I am now 60.

I hope this helps,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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MMMatt
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Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by MMMatt »

jenruss wrote:Hello everyone,
I told him that my vision was still affected, and he checked my eyes, and said that I just need to change the right lens in my glasses because I've developed an astigmatism.

I've never had that before the iritis. I asked him if it was caused by the iritis, and he said probably not. So, what the heck? Can iritis cause astigmatism? Or is this some sort of strange and unlikely coincidence?
I'm certain Mike is right and most changes are due to aging, but I'm in the midst of a bilateral flare up and have noticed something similarly odd.

Before the flare-up, my glasses were slightly out of date, I admit, but I was still seeing close to 20/20. (Better than that with the right prescription.) Now, after over a month of prednisolone drops, my ophthalmologist says the inflammation is clearing up and that I should be seeing fine. When she discovered I wasn't, she blamed it on the old lenses... however I *know* my eyes weren't this bad a month ago. Everyday distances such as watching tv from the couch or reading license plates at a stoplight are now tinged with significant blurriness that I am certain wasn't there weeks ago. I'll keep researching and asking questions and let you know what I find out.
Mike Bartolatz
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Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

it can take a month or more for the prescription eyedrops to get out of your 'system'. if your pressure has been elevated from the steroids, that can change the shape of the eye resulting in a different focal point thus your vision will be off until the pressure comes down. this happened to me many times. I do suggest that you purchase the eyeglass insurance when you do get glasses. this is because often vision changes and then you can get a new lens if it occurs within six months of getting the lens.
when my eyes were having allot of on and off inflammation, I would switch back and forth between old prescriptions looking for the one that allowed me to see.
once my eyes were quiet for about a year, my vision went back to a prescription I had used several years before to see as my intra ocular pressure slowly came down to about a 10 - 12 in both eyes ) Normal.

wish you the best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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MMMatt
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Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by MMMatt »

Mike Bartolatz wrote:it can take a month or more for the prescription eyedrops to get out of your 'system'. if your pressure has been elevated from the steroids, that can change the shape of the eye resulting in a different focal point thus your vision will be off until the pressure comes down. this happened to me many times. I do suggest that you purchase the eyeglass insurance when you do get glasses. this is because often vision changes and then you can get a new lens if it occurs within six months of getting the lens.
when my eyes were having allot of on and off inflammation, I would switch back and forth between old prescriptions looking for the one that allowed me to see.
once my eyes were quiet for about a year, my vision went back to a prescription I had used several years before to see as my intra ocular pressure slowly came down to about a 10 - 12 in both eyes ) Normal.

wish you the best,
Mike
Thanks, Mike. I wouldn't have thought to consider eyeglass insurance. That's a great idea. I have to ask my ophthalmologist about the pressure, as I seem to have been passing the pressure tests just fine. To be continued!
Mike Bartolatz
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Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

My pressures would slowly rise at first many years ago. over the course of the disease, it would inch up a little more each time I would take steroids until it went to about a 40 at one instance.
normal limits are between about a 10 and 24. if YOUR normal pressure is lets say a 12, you use the steroids and it goes up to a 18 that might be enough to change correction temporarily. once the steroids get out of your system and inflammation is gone then vision should return to about normal. Of course other issues can develop as well such as cystoid Macular Edema, epiretinal membrane formation, vascularization of the retina, iris etc.

Wish you the best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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lwarrensford
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Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by lwarrensford »

Hate to bring up a thread that's almost a decade old, but I can't find anything else on the internet that mentions this issue. I just had a bilateral flare-up and was on prednisolone drops for 2 months. My ophthalmologist just cleared me on inflammation and had me quit the drops, but I've been getting "ghosting" (almost like a double vision) and seeing lights as streaks since I started taking the drops. I asked my doctor about it and she was unsure of what caused it but was sure it wasn't the iritis. They did a full exam and couldn't find any issues with my eyes. I also asked an optometrist and they said they had never heard of iritis causing astigmatism, but prescribed me glasses to correct it. I've never had to wear glasses in my life (I'm in my 20s), and I also find it hard to believe that my vision worsened in 2 months. Was this issue resolved for anyone in this thread?

Thank you!
vancouver
Posts: 153
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 2:04 pm

Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by vancouver »

lwarrensford wrote:Hate to bring up a thread that's almost a decade old, but I can't find anything else on the internet that mentions this issue. I just had a bilateral flare-up and was on prednisolone drops for 2 months. My ophthalmologist just cleared me on inflammation and had me quit the drops, but I've been getting "ghosting" (almost like a double vision) and seeing lights as streaks since I started taking the drops. I asked my doctor about it and she was unsure of what caused it but was sure it wasn't the iritis. They did a full exam and couldn't find any issues with my eyes. I also asked an optometrist and they said they had never heard of iritis causing astigmatism, but prescribed me glasses to correct it. I've never had to wear glasses in my life (I'm in my 20s), and I also find it hard to believe that my vision worsened in 2 months. Was this issue resolved for anyone in this thread?

Thank you!
Of course it causes astigmatism. But might only last a few months like me. Not sure about the streaks you see.
A lot of people say the drugs cause the temporary vision loss but I was on hourly drops of steroids for two weeks and dilation with no vision loss. I think the inflammation
Affects the pressure ,lens shape, cornea shape, eye muscles etc. It will likely self correct. Iritis can blind you if not treated so it certainly can reduce vision. Anyway,
Bilateral means you have to see specialist. And learn to catch it early. Hopefully, u r mir alert than u sound.
vancouver
Posts: 153
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 2:04 pm

Re: Astigmatism caused by iritis?

Post by vancouver »

Took 6 months for left eye. Right eye gained vision after really bad untreated iritis.
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