Arthritis effecting vision

I am a 48 year old female who had a Chiari Malformation done in 2000. I know I have severe arthritis in my shoulders and neck because of this. What I would like to know is can this inflamation (inflammation) spread to the face and eyes? On the "bad days" my vision is the bad with glasses. On the better days, I can actually see with my glasses. I take Celebrex at night before I go to bed and my vision is fairly good in the morning. Later in the day, when the Celebrex starts to wear off, my vision gets worse. This isn't a regular thing. I have bouts with this. It's an on and off thing.

And is there any medication I can take for this that doesn't have the side effects that Celebrex does?

Thank you for your time,

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases like lupus can present with some ocular or eye symptoms.  However, I would rule out other eye diseases first - which can be done with a referral to an ophthalmologist.

If there is concern about a rheumatological disease (i.e. lupus, arthritis, temporal arteritis), you can consider blood tests to look at the sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, ANA level and rheumatoid factor.  If negative, it is less likely that this would be the cause and points more towards a specific eye disease.  

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.  Referrals to an ophthalmologist and rheumatologist can be considered as well.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
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