What to Do If Your Medication Affects Your Vision

Some medications produce side effects that can affect your vision. If you experience any visual side effects, don’t hesitate to see your eye specialist as soon as possible.

It’s important for patients to have a basic understanding of common eye medications and their potential side effects. Downtown Eyes, your local eye doctor, shares a quick guide below. 

Commonly Prescribed Drugs and Their Side Effects

• Antihistamines – Antihistamines are prescribed by doctors to treat allergies. However, patients with a family history of glaucoma should be careful when taking them, as antihistamines can potentially increase their risk of developing this condition.

• Corticosteroids – Corticosteroids’ main function is to lower inflammation in the body. They’re used to treat several conditions, most notably asthma. However, the use of corticosteroids may cause swelling in the back of the retina and increase a patient’s risk of developing cataracts. For diabetics, cortisone, a type of steroid, increases their risk of blurry vision.

• Celecoxib – This drug is prescribed to treat and manage pain and inflammation. Some side effects include blurred vision and conjunctivitis. Discontinuing the use of this medication should reverse most of the side effects.

• Isotretinoin – This pill is used to treat acne, a common skin condition, but it can cause rare eye complications such as blepharoconjunctivitis (inflammation of the eyes and the eyelids), decreased tolerance for contact lens, photophobia (increased light sensitivity) and dry eyes.

Some commonly used medications can increase a patient’s risk for developing certain eye conditions. That’s why we highly recommend patients learn about their family medical history before seeing an eye doctor. The more detailed your knowledge of your family medical history, the better. Before prescribing any medications, your local eye specialist will take your family history into account.

Eye Conditions and Medications

What are some of the conditions that may be indirectly caused by common medications? And what are their symptoms?

Glaucoma

Steroid use can increase your risk of developing glaucoma.  A study conducted in 1997 included in the Journal of American Medical Association found that there was a 40% increased incidence of ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma in asthmatic adults that needed 14 to 35 puffs of steroid inhaler. Open-angle glaucoma, the most common type of glaucoma, is caused by clogged drainage canals, which can increase the eye pressure and damage the optic nerve. Symptoms of open-angle glaucoma include blind spots in the peripheral (side) and central vision, and eventually, tunnel vision.

Glaucoma is tricky to diagnose because symptoms progress very gradually. By the time a patient begins to notice changes in their vision, the condition has already progressed to an advanced stage. Remember: while treatment can slow glaucoma’s progression, it can’t repair the damage it already caused. As such, it’s important that you undergo a routine contact eye exam. Early detection through comprehensive eye examinations can help minimize damage to your eyesight.

How often should you undergo an eye exam? The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that patients under the age of 40 undergo a comprehensive eye exam every five to 10 years, while those aged 55 to 64 should go see their eye doctor every one to two years.

Cataracts

Cataracts, or the clouding of your eyes’ lenses, are a leading cause of blindness among senior citizens. Like glaucoma, cataracts tend to be asymptomatic in the early stages. That’s why undergoing a routine contact eye exam is key to early detection and prompt treatment, which can minimize the damage to your vision. As the condition progresses, you may start to experience symptoms such as blurry vision or double vision, sensitivity to bright lights and difficulty seeing at night.

What are the risk factors for cataracts? Long-term steroid use is one, but the biggest risk factor is age. Cataracts most often affect patients over the age of 60, although it’s not uncommon to 40s and 50s to develop age-related cataracts. Other risk factors include nutritional deficiency, high alcohol consumption, family history of cataracts, Diabetes Mellitus and smoking. Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce your risk of developing cataracts. Consult your local eye doctor to learn more about them.

Conjunctivitis – Conjunctivitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Other possible causes include allergies, chemicals or foreign debris that manage to enter the eye. Symptoms include itchy, red eyes, tearing and a gritty feeling in your eyes. If conjunctivitis is caused by a viral infection, antibiotics are not needed. Signs and symptoms of viral conjunctivitis should clear out on their own after a few days. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to see your eye doctor. Remember: if you notice changes in your vision, it’s best to see your eye doctor.

Drugs Prescribed to Treat Serious Conditions and Their Side Effects

Many common medications can have side effects that impact your eyes and vision. Here’s an overview:

• Antimalarials and antipsychotic medications – These drugs may have a toxic effect on the retina.

• Ethambutol and isoniazid – These antibiotics are used to treat tuberculosis. Potential side effects include changes in your color vision, visual field defects and optic neuritis or the inflammation of the optic nerve.

• Alendronate – This drug is classified as a bisphosphonate, a class of medications used to treat osteoporosis. Patients taking this drug have reported experiencing blurred vision, eye pain, conjunctivitis and double vision.

• Hydroxychloroquine – This drug is used to treat serious conditions such as malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other autoimmune disorders. Side effects include corneal deposits and toxicity to the retina. Due to these side effects, eye doctors recommend patients taking hydroxychloroquine undergo routine eye exams.

• Topiramate – Topiramate is prescribed to treat seizure disorders, migraine headaches and mood disorders. Side effects such as increased eye pressure, mydriasis (dilated pupil) and acute glaucoma (a condition that can cause damage to the optic nerve) have been reported. Symptoms of acute glaucoma include eye pain, headaches and blurred vision.

• Amiodarone – The side effects of amiodarone, a drug used to control the heart rhythm of people suffering from atrial fibrillation, depend on the dose administered. The higher the dose, the higher the risk a patient will develop certain eye conditions. Known side effects include bright lights, halos around lights, glare, hazy vision and dry eyes. Optometrists recommend patients taking amiodarone undergo regular eye exams at their local eye clinic.

• Tamsulosin – Cataract surgery, a procedure wherein clouded lenses are replaced with artificial lenses, is one of the most common and safest medical procedures, with approximately 98% of cataract surgeries having favorable outcomes. However, medications such as tamsulosin can create several post-surgery complications, including intraoperative floppy iris syndrome. Patients must inform their eye doctor about any medications they take before undergoing this procedure.

• Sildenafil – This drug is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). Side effects include changes in color perception, blurred vision, eye pain and photophobia. Fortunately, side effects rarely occur (although they are more common among patients that take higher doses) and resolve once the patient stops taking the drug.

• Tamoxifen – Optometrists recommend patients undergo routine eye exams during the first year of taking this drug. That’s because tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen medication prescribed to treat breast and ovarian cancer, can cause several eye problems, including corneal opacities and loss of visual acuity.

What to Do If You Experience Side Effects

If you experience any side effects, should you stop taking your prescribed medication? Don’t—not until you consult an eye doctor at your local eye clinic. Other factors, aside from the medication, could be causing complications.

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