Losing my sight - scared

[InterstellarOverdrive]

Over the last year or so the sight in my left eye has gotten much worse. I'm already very short sighted, 18 months ago my prescription was R -3.75 and L -3.50. Now it's R -4.00 and L -5.50. I've been to the eye hospital about it before but they said eyes were "fine" other than very minor cataracts in both eyes and a posterior vitreous detachmentin in the left eye. After the appointment I was given a follow-up in 12 months but when I went back to the opticians the other day they said there's definitely something not right but they aren't quite sure what and I need to be seen again at the hospital. I've lost so much sight in my left eye and I'm really worried that it won't be reversible or will keep getting worse. Not knowing why it's happening is really getting to me. Is there anyone with any experience of this? Thank you.

I’ve nothing to add but that sounds awful. Could you ask them to send your notes somewhere for a second opinion?

Just to add the loss hasn't happened suddenly, it's been gradually getting worse over the course of the last year - 18 months.
I've already had a scan on the macula and apparently it was ok.The dr I saw at the hospital was not very good though, so I think I definitely need a second opinion.

Firstly I would go and see another optician as it’s so easy to do this and get a second opinion there but I would also write to the hospital and explain how worried you are and ask for another opinion there.

However, you aren’t actually that short sighted. High myopia is usually classed as being over -6. Many people have -12, -22 etc and can still see with glasses etc! (I’m -9.50 both eyes with bad astigmatism and with my contacts on no one would ever know). So yes you do have moderate short sight but it isn’t awful, you just need to know if there’s a reason it’s changed so much so suddenly. If the retina and macular is good that’s the main thing. Sometimes eyes do funny things. I’m 41 now and had glasses since I was 4 and over the years I’ve change huge changes in prescriptions and also times when I’ve had to go to the eye hospital for flashing lights and floaters - all been checked out to be okay. Sometimes the retina does get a bit pulled if you’re short sighted especially as you get older. It doesn’t necessarily mean a detachment or serious issue.

I hope you get some reassurance.

Also - you say cataracts so I’m guessing you’re an older person? They can definitely affect your sight as can eye changes related to age - dryness and changes to the surface of the eye during menopause and beyond can cause a lot of issues. Have a google of sjorgens syndrome and eyes / menopause (both these issues really affected mine, HRT has helped).

Can you see comfortably out of the glasses at the new prescription? I had an eye test in December and was told my prescription had changed significantly, which I thought was odd as my vision was fine with my old glasses. I collected my new glasses but just couldn't wear them comfortably, my eyes felt like they had to be crossed to focus through them. Went back for a free retest to be told my eyes hadn't changed at all. But my prescription is significantly higher than yours as well, you're not very short sighted. Mine are - 8.5 or - 9, I cannot see to find my glasses if my husband has moved them on my bedside table!

There clearly are some issues of concern, so do follow up on those.

However, you aren't really that short-sighted at all, so on that basis, don't worry about loosing your sight.

Yes just to add, your actual short sightedness is not particularly bad at all. I'm - 7 in both eyes and only in my 30s. I can see just fine with glasses. I also had a similar increase over the past 18 months.

Hope the issue that the optician has noticed is quickly sorted and that you are feeling much more confident about this soon.

Hi OP, in terms of your prescription it is still a fairly low vision loss and well within the range of normal. The cataracts even though mild will be affecting your vision, I have a cataract in my right eye which I'm getting repaired on 9th April and I can't wait. I definitely notice a foggyness and general haze in that eye.

If they've taken images and a scan of the macula and retina and that looks good then that is good news.

Did they score your visual acuity?
If you had a serious problem with your retina you would have symptoms such as:

• when looking at a grid the lines would be wavy and broken
• lack of central vision so if looking at a fixed point, you would see the stuff around it but not the stuff in the middle,or
• lack of peripheral vision

I've had a serous macula detachment in my right eye which needed surgery to repair and while the surgery was straightforward, if frustrating due to the need to lay face down 24hrs a day for 3 days afterwards, the actual detachment caused permanent damage and loss of vision. So my visual acuity is 6/48 ( I can see at 6 metres what you can see from 48 metres away) and I have severely reduced peripheral vision in that eye.

I would see about getting on the cataract pathway if I were you to get a date for those to be repaired. I have private health insurance through work and so have been able to be seen by a consultant and booked for repair within a 2 month window whereas I was told it would be 18months to 2 years through NHS due to current wait times. Even if you pay privately it's less than £500 per eye for cataract repair so might be worth investigating that, if medical insurance hadn't covered it I was going to pay as just want it done.

Thanks for the reassurance. I've always been told I'm really shortsighted so it's quite interesting to hear that I'm not that bad. I think my astigmatism is significant though. I've had a retinal detatchment in my right eye before due to a PVD so I know it's not that. What I'm seeing in my left eye is double vision and it almost looks like someone has smudged something over my glasses lens. I have lots of floaters and always have done. I'm actually only 36 so pretty young for cataracts. The opticians haven't changed my glasses yet as they don't know what is going on. I'm going to call the hospital on Mon.

@InterstellarOverdrive that's exactly what my cataract symptoms were, I actually went to the optician because I thought I needed new glasses due to the lenses constantly needing cleaning and figured the lens coating was ruined or something. That was October last year, since then I went back in Feb as it felt like it had suddenly got a lot more foggy and they confirmed that the film had thickened significantly and started the process to get me referred through the GP to opthamology.

I got in touch with private healthcare (vitality) end of Feb, had an appt with consultant first week of March and booked in for repair 9th April.

Oh and I'm 37 so about the same age. My cataract is due to the replacement lens they put in when I had the retina detachment surgery. It's a common side effect called posterior capsule opacity and the procedure to fix it takes a couple of minutes and is called a YAG procedure.

That's interesting. I had assumed it was a cataract causing issues but the other day the optician said my cataract in the right eye was actually worse than the left so god knows what is going on. It's the left eye that's been bothering me for well over a year now and I've been to the opticians and the hospital several times and got nowhere. I've had a prism lens in the left eye for about 6 months now as well as apparently the muscles aren't quite working in sync. It's all very frustrating and confusing.

I've always been told I'm really shortsighted

Who told you that?! Completely incorrect. Did no-one explain how the measurement worked?

Not really no. I've had glasses since I was 3 as well! My prescription was always around -4.00 -4.50 for years and years then very gradually changed to -3.75 and -3.50 over a period of many years. So to drop from -3.50 to -5.50 in less than 18 months was quite a shock. I'm not overly worried about my right eye yet as I can still see properly with that one but my left one definitely needs sorting out. Even when they changed my glasses 6 months ago it still didn't correct it properly and has continued to get worse since, hence them being hesitant to change the glasses again before they know what's going on.

Obviously, I can't say without seeing you, but the most likely cause is nuclear sclerosis - which is a type of cataract which causes a myopic shift and would also account for the smeary vision.

Some systemic conditions such as diabetes can cause you to become more shortsighted, but you would usually get the myopic shift in both eyes, rather than just one.

@underneaththeash would an optician be able to see that? My opticians seem clueless as to what is going on.

Pity you can’t get to Moorfields in London they really are best I’m under them they rescued my sight twice I’m still registered blind but the misties have the retina reacted the lens replaced twice, I travel from the midlands now to them, Birmingham won’t touch me I’m too complicated.

Sorry meant to say misties have gone.

Gosh that does sound complicated! I'm a bit far London being up north but I think if I manage to see a better consultant next time I'm at the hospital then maybe they'll get to the bottom of it.
I'm probably panicking about it all because I'm already severely deaf and wear hearing aids (I know I am severely deaf because I've seen my audiogram and the audiologist told me, unlike my mistake with how short sighted I am up thread I am quite relieved about that!)

Hugs wish I could magic you to London.

@InterstellarOverdrive yes, potentially. But it's one of those things where the clinical signs don't always match the symptoms and your optician has done the right thing by referring you.

Have you had poor hearing from birth?

@underneaththeash no not really from birth, hearing was always borderline as a young child but got much worse when I was in my mid to late teens. Short sighted from birth though.