Vision problems

Did you see an opthamologist -- a licensed medical doctor with a specialty in eyes and vision care?  Depending on how thorough the exam, the doctor would have been able to determine if you had optic neuritis, and any other disease or injury to your eyes.  Having optic neuritis does not necessarily mean you'll need glasses, though.  Some vision problems caused by MS aren't correctable with glasses. Some double vision problems caused by MS are correctable, or at least helped, with prism lenses.

An eye exam to determine whether you need glasses is where you read that eye chart, and the doctor puts lenses of differing magnification in front of your eyes until you can see most clearly.

Many folks who never needed glasses before find themselves needing glasses as they get around age 40.  Seems like the close up vision is the first to become affected by age, but this can happen at any time (obviously, or kids would never need glasses!  :)  )

anyway. Probably a good thing to have an eye exam and see if you do need glasses...

I remember the first time I got glasses, years ago, now: I'd already been diagnosed with MS, was aware of MS-related vision problems (which I still get -- very blurry vision if I'm ill, or over-heated, or otherwise having a bit of a flare). So I finally went to an eye doctor, with great fear and trepidation, sure he was going to tell me that my MS had progressed so that I had uncorrectable vision problems now..

He carefully examined my eyes, asking questions, asking specifically about how long I had MS; told me he could see the damage on the optic nerve (optic neuritis); asked about my mother having cataracts. We did the eye chart thing...

He excused himself, came back looking very somber. Said, "..I'm sorry to tell you this..." at which time I braced myself for the horrible news I just KNEW was coming..

"...but you've turned 40. Your vision problems aren't related to your MS, but you will need to be fitted for glasses...." Oh. :)