In some circumstances, many of us would not bat an eye at a mouth ulcer that will mostly go away on its own. However, a man in China stopped taking medication for his mouth ulcers, and unexpectedly “paid a price” for it.
36-year-old Li from Xi An, China, lost sight in his right eye after he stopped taking medications for his ulcers.
A 36-year-old man in Xi An lost sight in his right eye after he stopped taking medications for his ulcers
Li has been burdened with the pain of oral ulcers every month for the past 20 years, but he often attributed it to “heat” in the body. Not until 5 years ago, when several ulcers reappeared, accompanied by blurred vision and painful eyes.
After examination at the local hospital, doctors finally diagnosed Li with Behcet’s disease and uveitis, inflammation of the uvea, the pigmented layer of the eye between the inner retina and the outer fibrous layer composed of the sclera and cornea.
Behçet’s disease is a type of inflammatory disorder that affects multiple parts of the body. The most common symptoms include painful sores on the mucous membranes of the mouth and other parts of the body, inflammation of parts of the eye, and arthritis, as per the explanation by the Cleveland Clinic.
His symptoms gradually subsided, and his condition was brought under control after taking the medications prescribed by the doctor.
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Li, however, stopped taking medications after his condition improved
After Li was transferred to the rheumatology and immunology department, a treatment plan was immediately initiated. However, due to long-term inflammation and repeated attacks, the optic nerve in his right eye was severely damaged, and his vision could not be restored.
Fortunately, Li maintained the vision in his left eye thanks to timely intervention, according to a Chinese media.
The doctor also said that Li only took medication intermittently, without regular check-ups or consistent treatment, which led to permanent damage in his right eye.
