MS & Eye Problems

Eye symptoms are very common with multiple sclerosis (MS). Sometimes the first sign of MS is a problem with vision or movement of the eyes. These are some of the eye problems that can be found in patients with MS.

Optic Neuritis

• Optic neuritis often occurs at the onset of multiple sclerosis; people with optic neuritis lose some degree of vision in the affected eye, but for some patients the vision returns over time.

Double Vision

• Multiple sclerosis can impact the muscles that control the movements of the eye which can lead to double vision; this condition will usually resolve itself without treatment.

Intranuclear Ophthalmoplegia

• Intranuclear ophthalmoplegia is caused by uncontrolled movements in one eye because of a lesion on a specific section of the brain; this can sometimes cause double vision.

Nystagmus

• Nystagmus is abnormal horizontal or vertical movements of the eyes and can be either mild or visually disabling.

Ocular Dysmetria

• This condition is the constant overshooting of the eyes when attempting to focus on an object; this is caused by a lesion in the cerebellum, the area that controls movement.

Afferent Pupillary Defect

• When one pupil does not react to light appropriately, one pupil can often be larger than the other; this can be caused by damage to the optic nerve by optic neuritis or other conditions.