Can oral and injectable medications affect your vision? Did you know some drugs may cause side effects?
Most of us don’t think about how a new prescription can affect vision, but some prescription medications as well as over-the-counter drugs can impact your eyesight. The impact can range from minor, temporary vision issues as well as blurred vision, vertigo and more. At Vision For Life and Success, we can assess any vision problems you may be having from oral or injectable medications and offer treatment options.
Some medications stand-out in particular, but always consult with your doctor about any side effects when beginning a new medication. From allergy medications to anti-depressants and injectables, there can be many vision disturbances that could possibly occur.
If you get a new prescription, receive an injection or start a new over the counter medication, be alert to any changes you may notice to your vision including eye pain or distorted vision. Side effects that you may experience could include crossed eyes (strabismus), double or blurry vision. Other vision problems like vision field loss, blurry sight or oscillopsia may occur.
Oscillopsia happens when patients see and have the sensation that their surroundings are constantly in motion when in fact, they are not. The sensation is similar to vertigo.
It is recommended that if a minor side effect occurs, talk to the doctor that has prescribed the medication and let him or her know a problem exists. It is not recommended that you stop taking the medicine without talking to your doctor first. They will want to consult with you and then decide the best course of action.
However, if you experience significant side effects such as double vision, vertigo, or visual field or vision loss then go to the emergency room, as these can be signs of more serious reactions. Obviously, any palpitations of your heart, severe headaches or blood pressure changes should also be taken very seriously. Remember that life threatening reactions to medications can occur and your health and safety come first, so please go to the emergency room should you be concerned.
Let’s assume that your reaction is not life threatening and that your vision problem is not getting better by removal of a medication, then it is time to contact us at Vision For Life and Success.
At Vision For Life and Success, we offer a variety of successful treatments that can help with any side effects of oral or injectable medications. Syntonics, or light therapy, improves many vision problems including those listed above, and is highly effective. Using Syntonics with vision therapy in a program that is customized to each individual will help lessen the side effects that you or a loved one may be experiencing.
Often when people join our program who have experienced vision problems as a result of medication or injectable medication, we are even able to recommend a nutrition counselor to help our patients navigate the effects.
As a functional and developmental optometrist, Dr. Julie Steinhauer offers customized vision therapy for individuals suffering from a wide array of vision challenges. The Vision For Life and Success practice focuses on restorative and rehabilitative vision, syntonic phototherapy and binocular vision conditions. If you or a loved one is suffering from side effects from a medication or injection, contact Vison For Life and Success to schedule an appointment with us at (618) 288-1489. You can also learn more about Vision For Life and Success, our staff, and our services by visiting our website at https://visionforlifeworks.com/.