Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis

I have been making repeated visits to opticians and eye specialists over the last two years especially, and have noticed my vision decline every couple of months. After having gotten 6-8 different numbers over this short period, my optician recommended getting a detailed eye examination done with a specialist. This was to ensure that Rheumatoid Arthritis or its treatment had not affected any of the internal eye structures.

I just heard back from the specialist last evening, and it has left me in yet another downward spiral mentally. Every thing on the inside is fine. The reason for all this worsening of vision is a severe case of dry eyes. It is not only responsible for rhe constant change in number, but has also resulted in cataract starting to develop in my eyes.

Dry eyes is another one of the complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is caused due to decreased tear production which can make your eyes may feel extremely dry. They may also itch or burn, leading to excessive blinking. It may feel like grains of sand are lodged in your eyes. Or they may be red or watery, and you may have blurred vision or be sensitive to bright or fluorescent lights.

Remember to always keep your physician informed of any change or worsening in symptoms. It is quite possible that you may have also developed Sjogren’s syndrome, another autoimmune condition, that very often accompanies Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I have been using eye drops off and on for over a year already, because of the same, but that seems to not have been enough. I have now been told to keep my eyedrops with me at all times, and use them as frequently as once every hour, along with steroids to reduce inflammation in the eyes.

My RA is quite aggressive, it was only diagnosed recently, definitely a little late, but it seems to be wreaking havoc throughout my body. 😔

I was struggling with a mix of symptoms since 2013 but the doctors at the time failed to connect the dots. I went from general physicians to specialists to oncologists to even faith healers. I don't think I can blame them though. RA affects everyone so differently, and especially with seronegative RA, it is hard to pinpoint until its wreacked quite a havoc. I have been blessed however to have found a good doctor now, not a rheumatologist, but a general physician, Dr. Azmat Rao at National Hospital Lahore, who has both the time and patience to listen to all the various symptoms, and then specifically answer for and treat every one of them. And to top it all, he gives you such encouraging prayers, that you always come out of the appointment feeling very positive. 😊