Fibromyalgia's Deep Connection to Vision Problems

Fibromyalgia has widespread effects, and researchers are still trying to understand the condition's deep connections to other health issues.

A fibro patient can experience brain fog, insomnia, chronic fatigue, and in some cases, digestive issues. Other symptoms include tactile sensitivity, headaches, dizziness, and a lack of coordination, especially because both the muscles and brain are directly impacted over the course of time. The one characteristic that’s common among fibro patients is persistent achiness or pain in the muscles and tendons throughout various areas of the body.

One group of symptoms that is sometimes overlooked by patients and physicians have to do with eyesight. While this symptom would disrupt your ability to perform simple tasks, it's not necessarily well-known. This is because fibromyalgia is more often associated with body aches and headaches, along with fatigue. However, patients should be aware of the disease's direct impact on the eyes because they might experience increased difficulty with driving at night, writing, or reading. Patients may also deal with sensitivity or even pain.

The causes behind eye issues in fibro patients are directly related to the disease's influence on the brain or the medications that the patient is using. Another contributing factor is a lack of quality sleep. Some patients have reported symptoms such as:

• Pain in the eyes
• Extreme sensitivity to light
• Increased eye dryness
• Headaches
• Blurriness
• Issues with focusing

Side effects of treatment or direct results of the condition

Eye pain, headaches, light sensitivity and blurriness are brought on by the effect fibromyalgia has on the brain and ocular muscles; whereas dry eyes can result from side effects of medications or from the disease itself.

The eye pain, for instance, is caused by the muscles that surround it since they are directly impacted by fibromyalgia. Inadequate sleep and fatigue might also contribute to the problem. Likewise, the headaches have similar causes, but usually, the pain is located behind the eye as well as the temples; also migraines, another symptom of fibromyalgia, often cause the eyes to be more sensitive than usual. In regard to other types of lighting, natural light may not contribute as much to eye sensitivity, but many fibro patients prefer to wear sunglasses when outdoors. Depending on the brightness, indoor lighting and the glare brought on by headlights can be irritating. Additionally, blurriness and an inability to focus usually result from tired eye muscles that can be alleviated with a bit of rest. But, this can also lead to a change in their prescription if the patient wears glasses or contact lenses.

Read on to learn more!