Do glasses/contacts help MS related issues with vision?

Just a quick question - if poor vision is a result of MS will prescription glasses help? If you see what you see because of the way your brain interprets it then won't that be the same even if you're wearing glasses?

I'm sure the answer is more complicated than yes/no though.  

[LATW]

From my experence I have to say no except for my glasses do help keep my eyes from becoming overly fatiuged.  That does seem to help a little.  

I was using a lap top computer screen but have had to go to the desk top 19 in to see now.  Now that I am using a bigger screen my vision is ok.  

I have had ON in my right eye and double vision.  I have been told by my eye doctor that my perscription is correct.  If I am having vision problems it is because of the MS.  So I guess the answer must be no.  ???

LA  dx'd ms 2008

[schnauzerlady257]

I have noticed that my contacts make my eyes more fatigued and my glasses seem to be better for my vision even though they are both the same prescription.  I am definitely wearing my glasses much more than my contacts.

[Tammy826]

I am still a limbolander & recently got a new presciption for glasses in January. I was sent to the opthamologist by my neuro at the time but the neuro didn't send my MRI so she couldn't tell if I had ON or not but agredd that I had all the symptoms of it. The ON at the time was in my left eye & it did test worse than my R. eye so she made the prescription accordingly. I have since had symptoms in my R. eye which left me with double vision. My left eye has been continuously blurry & my glassed don't help. The right eye symptoms kinda hit me & hang around a few weeks but then get some better but never has completely resolved. I have bifocals & they no longer help much. I hope this helps you! Take care!!

[Deb61]

I've had ON, and the prescription change didn't help--my vision was blurry or doubled.  My opthalmologist did suggest prisms for my eyeglasses, however.  But when I went in for a follow-up visit, the ON cleared and so did the double vision.  I do have double vision still, but it's usually when I'm tired or too hot.

[jensequitur]

When I wear my glasses, I don't get monocular double vision... when I wear my contacts, I do.  And when I'm symptomatic, I feel weird with my contacts on.

[doublevision1]

Prisms can be helpful for binocular double vision if it is not too severe and has reached a point where it is not changing.  In my case, initially it was so severe (misalignment was off the charts) that they wouldn't have helped.  Since this eventually improved to the point of 95% recovery, I ended up not needing them.  There was no point getting them while vision continued to improve, as the prism measurement was constantly changing.  No point investing in them until it is determined that no further improvement is likely to occur.  Temporary fixes can be stick on occlusion lenses (basically same effect as an eye patch) or stick on prisms, as these are relatively inexpensive and you can change them as needed.  Of course double vision in MS is not a vision problem per se, ie: not a problem of the eyes, but of the muscles controlling the eyes which are out of sync, due to damage to the cranial nerves which innervate those muscles.

ON is another story but as well I guess would depend on how severe and how permanent any vision loss may be.  My one experience with ON was brief and I luckily had no long term vision loss, just a couple of days of blurriness which I stumbled through.  

[twopack]

Wow, what an excellent question!  I've been telling the opthomologist for years that the Rx in my glasses doesn't help the ghosting image (is that really double vision?) that I thought he said was astigmatism.

He also informs me that my age is a factor (bless his heart) and has allowed me to believe that the RK vision correction surgery from 1993 still causes vision fluxuation.

He didn't have the answer for the flashing bars I'd see periodically in my peripheral vision.  Maybe optic migraines?

Last month my visual evoked potential showed evidence of optic neuritis.  Now I'll be trying to figure out just what is correctable and what isn't.  I'm starting a new journey.

~Mary