Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group speaking of iritis...

HI, just curious...I have been reading posts about iritis off and on over the months and have began to wonder if you can have a little iritis for a long time.

You see I go thru phases of things for entertainment and the truth of it is that for a while i wondered if I'd watched one too many vampire movies and tho not aware of being bitten began to believe i was indeed becoming...one of the undead. why? you may ask...or might not... well, for the longest time now, when i walk out of the hospital and into the sunlight, I feel like my eyeballs are going to burst into flames and melt down my face!!! I groan when i walk out into it...it's truly painful. I have become one of these people that always wears sunglasses out in the sun now, even for a quick trot across the parking lot. so finally, it did occur to me that perhaps I'm not of the undead persuasion as I have lost my taste for rare steak and maybe the MTX makes me feel really uncomfortably hot in the sun, and maybe the AS is causing very sensitive eyes as well as lessened vision in the last year...or diabetes. anyhoo...just wondered if since I have had no attacks of pain or any of that sort of thing, once in a great while floaters...maybe there is such a thing as low grade iritis and perhaps I should get up off my can and find a decent eye doctor?? sincerely undead... Amy

Hi Amy--

Yes, if I were you I would have a proper eye doctor check out your eye! I have iritis at the moment, and it is not especially painful for me [although for some it is very painful!!!] It is painful/bothersome in the light, especially out in the sun, or bright clouds [if you know what I mean], sometimes even indoors, as well as driving at night [all the headlights seem to be on high beam and directed right at my eye!! I wear sunglasses a lot. But seriously, iritis can be very serious and you should get it checked out, the sooner the better.

Also, you said you've noticed a change in your vision? What changes? My eyesight has changed in that I have a lot of trouble focussing up close. I am usually closing my iritis eye if I need to do any close up work ie. knitting, cross-stitch.

Hope this helps,

Rita
Squeaky

my vision in general is less than it used to be. I noticed ironically I need brighter light to read indoors. It's harder to see the heart monitors at work..I have to get up closer to see them. I have less focus than I did. I'm not old but I kind of attributed it to "getting older" just thought that maybe it was getting time for glasses. My night vision is harder too but that was kinda happening before the diagnosis. But I also think I've had AS for quite some time before symptoms began to announce themselves as rudely as they did the day I decided I wanted to be hospitalized for "feeling like crap". Ames

Hey if it is iritus you have to see your docter. It could permanently hurt your eyes. Mine took a while to come on but when it did OUCH!!
Like hot knifes.

If it isnt iritus it could be a reaction or side effect to a med. Check your lables, and if you are on more than one it could stack.

Best of luck

Amy, I would suggest that you get in to see an opthamologist ASAP. It may not be iritis, but it sure sounds like it is. If it is, you need to start treatment for it to ensure that you will not permanently damage your eyes.

Iritis is no fun at all. I've felt the unbearable pain in the sunlight, clouds, going from a well-lit area of the room to a more shady one, going from outdoors to indoors at night. It's pretty brutal. And it sounds like that's what you're describing. So, get yourself checked out, OK? Even if it's only to ease our minds that you're all right.

Many hugs,