Medications That Can Affect Your Eyes
Many commonly used drugs have the potential of affecting your eyes. Ocular side effects may be mild, like ocular dryness exacerbated by antiallergy medications, or sight threatening.
Even though steroids are great medications, necessary in the treatment of so many diseases, like COPD or asthma, some individuals respond to chronic steroid use with increased intraocular pressure. It may follow the use of eyedrops, pills or even inhaled steroids. This typically happens without ocular pain or changes in vision, but over time it can damage your optic nerves and cause glaucoma and permanent vision loss. Not everybody on steroids will develop increased intraocular pressures, known risk factors include a family history of glaucoma, diabetes mellitus, high myopia or some autoimmune diseases. Have your ophthalmologist check your intraocular pressure if you need steroid treatment.
If your eyes have narrow angles, medications commonly used to treat depression, allergies or Parkinson disease can dilate your pupils and cause acute angle closureglaucoma. Your doctor has to perform a test called gonioscopy to see if your angles are narrow. Short eyes, like those with hyperopia, are more likely to have narrow angles.
Sulfa containing medications can cause a form of bilateral angle closure glaucomaafter a few doses, even in eyes with open angles.
Many common medications used to treat allergies, anxiety, depression orhypertension can cause dry eyes or exarcerbate dryness.
Also medications used to treat infectious diseases can be toxic to your eyes. If you are taking ethambutol, isoniazid, linezolid and your vision is blurry , it could be related to your medications. Amiodarone can also have ocular side effects.
Also, if you are taking Plaquenil, your doctor will schedule eye exams for you where we will check your color vision, visual fields and examine your retina looking for macular toxicity.
Have your eyes examined by your ophthalmologist if you are taking any of these medications or whenever you experience blurry vision, redness or discomfort.
Even though steroids are great medications, necessary in the treatment of so many diseases, like COPD or asthma, some individuals respond to chronic steroid use with increased intraocular pressure. It may follow the use of eyedrops, pills or even inhaled steroids. This typically happens without ocular pain or changes in vision, but over time it can damage your optic nerves and cause glaucoma and permanent vision loss. Not everybody on steroids will develop increased intraocular pressures, known risk factors include a family history of glaucoma, diabetes mellitus, high myopia or some autoimmune diseases. Have your ophthalmologist check your intraocular pressure if you need steroid treatment.
If your eyes have narrow angles, medications commonly used to treat depression, allergies or Parkinson disease can dilate your pupils and cause acute angle closureglaucoma. Your doctor has to perform a test called gonioscopy to see if your angles are narrow. Short eyes, like those with hyperopia, are more likely to have narrow angles.
Sulfa containing medications can cause a form of bilateral angle closure glaucomaafter a few doses, even in eyes with open angles.
Many common medications used to treat allergies, anxiety, depression orhypertension can cause dry eyes or exarcerbate dryness.
Also medications used to treat infectious diseases can be toxic to your eyes. If you are taking ethambutol, isoniazid, linezolid and your vision is blurry , it could be related to your medications. Amiodarone can also have ocular side effects.
Also, if you are taking Plaquenil, your doctor will schedule eye exams for you where we will check your color vision, visual fields and examine your retina looking for macular toxicity.
Have your eyes examined by your ophthalmologist if you are taking any of these medications or whenever you experience blurry vision, redness or discomfort.