Someone please reassure me about my eye test

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I had a follow up test at the optician yesterday, the visual field test. The machine wouldn't print results but said he would phone me if any concerns.

Phone call today to say I'd missed some of the spots, and they would like me to go back in in 4 weeks. They did say it was only slight and not severe.

Since then I've made the mistake of googling. Causes can be glaucoma, stroke, hypertension.

I phoned them a few weeks ago as I was having blurred peripheral vision. They were only able to take a picture of my eye due to covid but couldn't see any concerns but wanted me in for follow up. He put it down to 'visual migraines '.

I'm 35, have had hypertension for 5 years, am over weight and now thinking I'm going blind.

Has anyone had this test failed and passed a second time ?

My mum did that. She just wasn’t paying her full attention to the machine as she was a bit tired. Fine second time round. Perhaps your attention was on other things? It’s a difficult time just now for everyone.

Blurred vision could possibly be related to diabetes? If you are eating a lot of sugary foods you could mention this to your GP to get your bloods checked?

If you do get type 2 it’s possible to improve your diet and get back to better health again.

If you’ve had hypertension for 5 years then I assume you are on medication to control it.
They would have noticed glaucoma, that’s what the puff of air is for, to check your intra optical pressure.
You haven’t had a stroke.
Some of those points on the fields test are hard to see, it’s a strange environment and, if you’ve never done it before it can throw you. If the optician was concerned they would have referred you straight to the eye clinic. Try not to worry and stop googling.

They never did the puff of air test, though maybe they will do that in a few weeks ?

Yes my bp is controlled with medication, first signs of my bo rising is usually headaches so I would say it's well controlled.

God, since turning 30, I have to say I feel like I'm going down hill fast.

Do you think it could be related to covid at all ? Tbh, I dont know if anyone knows long term effects of covid:(

Hopefully I was just having an off day

Please try not to worry. I am an optometrist and quite often have to get a patient to come back for a repeat visual field test. The majority do pass it or achieve a better result on the second time. The test is quite difficult to concentrate on (as it is testing what you see at the edges of your vision) and there is a learning effect, so the results can vary. Getting you back will be to check whether it is a repeatable reliable result. If you wear glasses for close vision it may help you to wear them for the test as long as the frame does not obscure the edges of the screen. If that is likely to happen the optometrist can put a trial lens in the machine for you to look through.

Glaucoma risk is assessed by considering visual fields, eye pressures and health of the optic nerve heads ( optic discs). They have photographed your fundus so the optic nerves must look ok. Did they check the eye pressures ?

Stroke would give a larger visual field defect than just missing a few spots, and you would have other general symptoms. Are you taking any medication to control the hypertension as it is a risk factor for stroke ?

I agree that the blurred peripheral vision episode was probably visual migraine if it was temporary.

If there are concerns after the review the optometrist will refer you to your GP or eye clinic, and will explain this fully to you. Try to leave Dr. Google out of this, but if you can't, try www.lookafteryoureyes.org

I've had a repeat field test followed by an opthalmology referral. It was bags over my eyes. A bit of tape to hold the lids up, passed first time.

Thanks very much bitmynailbrokemytooth

Can I just ask, was I supposed to be wearing my glasses for the test (I wasnt )

If you can see the lights without your glasses you don't need to be wearing them, most opticians seem to prefer you not to which isn't an option for me.

Last time they refused to accept I needed my glasses on, so the test took ages because it keeps going and going and going to test areas where you have blank spots and it was all blank to me.

They tell me my prescription is 'not that bad 'I have no idea what it is just that I'm long sighted. I do know that I struggle when they're off. I find it really difficult to focus

The visual field tests are awful - you start seeing lights where there aren't any and find yourself clicking just because you think you ought to!

I have glaucoma - it's hereditary on my Dad's side. It's been stable for 8 years, controlled by drops and my vision is fine.

I failed this test 3 times in a row last year.

I also have blurry spots in my vision but they are floaters and not serious in any way. They come and go. Oddly enough I’ve noticed them today for the first time in ages.

My optician obviously got me back twice last year to re-do the test, but in the end just said she believed I was fine, but recognised that I find the test very hard work and therefore it’s probably not a very accurate result.

I have a problem with my binocular vision (my eyes don’t work well together) and while my prescription isn’t strong, my eyes do tire very easily without my glasses - serious eye strain and pretty much permanent headaches. I find the peripheral vision test exhausting and I come out with the worst headache. (Actually I come out of all eye tests with a terrible headache, but that’s the test I find hardest work.)

I trust my optician completely - she’s been treating me for a good many years and I completely trust her judgement. I can honestly say that stroke, diabetes or glaucoma never even entered my head!