Eyesight issues-not improving-anxious

AmberBeaker · 2024-10-26T18:33:44+00:00

Sorry if this is long and complicated but thought there might be some eye experts on here! I've been shortsighted my whole life, -8.0 in both eyes. Wear contacts 99.9% of the time. Have been told by opticians my eyes are v dry. 2 weeks ago I noticed I felt uncomfortable reading on screen at work, felt I couldn't focus, words swimming a bit, dizzy when I looked away. Made me feel totally out of sorts for the day. Saw optician 2 days later and she was very thorough and reassuring- basically put it all down to dry eye strain and advised drops 4x per day, no changes to prescription. Said my eye health looked fine on exam. Since then I've been using the drops more- struggling to remember 4x but definitely 2x and wearing glasses much more, every other day. But I still feel totally out of sorts with my eyesight. Its so strained, I'm squinting all day, getting headaches, at times I feel nausea and lightheaded e.g. if I look away from a screen or change from my contacts to glasses. Finding it hard fo concentrate on anything even walking I can feel a bit disoriented. Feels like my eyes are not working together, that's the best way I can describe it. Can this all really be explained by dry eye? And has anyone experienced similar? I'm stressing about neuro causes and thinking should I go back and ask for another check up or try to see a doctor. Not criticising the care I got just worried.

2ofthebest · 26/10/2024 19:49

I don't know if this will help. I'm longsighted and can't wear contacts anymore since I switched to office work. Even the most moisture retaining ones tend to make my eyelids feel like sandpaper when using a screen. But I never had the issue you describe when I wore them.

One thing that has got worse for me though, as I've got older, is sensitivity to light. The light above my desk in the office tends to give me a headache and even dizziness sometimes. Fortunately I'm mostly working from home now but when I'm not I have got a visor cap I use sometimes to shield my eyes from a lot of light.

Original poster

AmberBeaker · 26/10/2024 19:55

Thank you for replying to me. Yes I forgot to mention I'm more light sensitive too. Had to pull the blinds at work which is not like me. A visor is an idea, I'll definitely try that.
It could be ageing for sure, I'm 35 and wondered if maybe I'm getting more longsighted and there's some sort of clash with my shortsightedness. But she didn't mention that on my exam.
The weird thing is I don't really feel any dryness discomfort like grittiness.
I also forgot to mention covering one eye makes me much more comfortable- totally new for me.
I definitely feel there is something slightly more than dry eye at play, but it could just be getting older and hopefully nothing serious. Thanks for the info.

OP posts:

AlderGirl · 26/10/2024 20:38

You could try another optician. Years ago I knew that something was wrong, but my optician couldn’t pick up on what it was. I switched to another one who picked up that I had a cateract.

Original poster

AmberBeaker · 26/10/2024 20:45

AlderGirl · 26/10/2024 20:38

You could try another optician. Years ago I knew that something was wrong, but my optician couldn’t pick up on what it was. I switched to another one who picked up that I had a cateract.

Thank you. Definitely might be worth a second opinion. I do think you have to trust your gut sometimes. Glad you got sorted in the end

OP posts:

MumonabikeE5 · 26/10/2024 21:00

This is how I was for a couple of months last year. I stoped wearing contact lenses totally, much to my dismay.

and then in April i noticed the lines on a spreadsheet were wavy. So I contacted optician and made apt for 2 days time .
the next day i noticed I had lost peripheral vision in one eye.
I called moorfields. And was seen the same day.

and that was my introduction to myopic CNV.

im not saying that you’ll get myopic CNV but I hadn’t heard of it, yet it’s one of the main causes of vision loss in myopic people.

there is good treatment, but it needs to be done within hours for best outcome.

I now need to know where a good ophthalmologist is in any city that I will visit over nights, just in case.

talk to your optician ask them about it.
learn about it .

MumonabikeE5 · 26/10/2024 21:00

If you are in London moorfields a&e has a video call triage, which is excellent.

poetryandwine · 26/10/2024 21:24

Hello, OP -

I am so sorry you are going through this. Please don’t think I am minimising any of it; I think you should consider the experiences of PPs seriously and you know your body best.

But when I was about your age I began experiencing severe dry eye out of the blue, with halos around lights, resulting in the inability to wear the contact lenses I’d had for years. I had some stabbing pain and redness but nothing like your headache or nausea.

Now that we are a bit older, DH has terrible dry eye as a side effect of medication; again, no headache or nausea. His optician monitors his dry eye carefully.

Do you use contraceptive pills? This was mentioned as a likely cause for me, but stopping them did not help very much.

Given the headache and nausea I think you need to understand this better. Best wishes

ForPearlViper · 26/10/2024 21:29

I have chronic dry eyes, identified by a hospital consultant after an eye injury. I have never experienced what you are experiencing as a result of it.

I have experienced similar symptoms previously because there is big difference in the sight levels of each of my eyes but that has been cured by glasses. I have also had weird symptoms due visual migranes. I had to give up contact lenses because of the dry eyes and couldn't manage even with the ones supposedly developed for dry eyes.

I would drop the contact lenses immediately just in case there is a problem with them. But you need to get a second opinion from another optician quickly (maybe Specsavers where they have OCT scanners) and, given that it takes a while to get in to see a GP, book an appointment just in case. Don't take a chance with your sight.

Pebbles16 · 26/10/2024 21:41

You're a bit young for peri-menopause but hormones can play havoc with dry eyes.
Mine are like the Sahara, I use Thealoz Duo (you have to ask the pharmacist), they really help.
I wear gas permeable lenses which are kinder on the eyes - but can be a bugger to get used to.
If I wear my glasses, I get very disorientated but I have barely worn glasses for 40 years so I think that's a me/depth perception problem.

Original poster

AmberBeaker · 26/10/2024 21:55

MumonabikeE5 · 26/10/2024 21:00

This is how I was for a couple of months last year. I stoped wearing contact lenses totally, much to my dismay.

and then in April i noticed the lines on a spreadsheet were wavy. So I contacted optician and made apt for 2 days time .
the next day i noticed I had lost peripheral vision in one eye.
I called moorfields. And was seen the same day.

and that was my introduction to myopic CNV.

im not saying that you’ll get myopic CNV but I hadn’t heard of it, yet it’s one of the main causes of vision loss in myopic people.

there is good treatment, but it needs to be done within hours for best outcome.

I now need to know where a good ophthalmologist is in any city that I will visit over nights, just in case.

talk to your optician ask them about it.
learn about it .

Thank you for telling me about this, it's a condition I wasn't aware of and I've been reading a lot but hadn't come across it. I'm sorry it happened to you and hope you are doing OK .
I am going to talk to my optician again

OP posts:

Original poster

AmberBeaker · 26/10/2024 21:58

poetryandwine · 26/10/2024 21:24

Hello, OP -

I am so sorry you are going through this. Please don’t think I am minimising any of it; I think you should consider the experiences of PPs seriously and you know your body best.

But when I was about your age I began experiencing severe dry eye out of the blue, with halos around lights, resulting in the inability to wear the contact lenses I’d had for years. I had some stabbing pain and redness but nothing like your headache or nausea.

Now that we are a bit older, DH has terrible dry eye as a side effect of medication; again, no headache or nausea. His optician monitors his dry eye carefully.

Do you use contraceptive pills? This was mentioned as a likely cause for me, but stopping them did not help very much.

Given the headache and nausea I think you need to understand this better. Best wishes

Thank you for the kind reply. It's good in a way to hear that severe dry eye can come on like that because it could explain why it's suddenly affecting me more.
I'm not on pill but have noticed some hormonal changes recently was wondering if it could all be tied up with that. Going to look for some bloods at GP. Thanks again

OP posts:

Original poster

AmberBeaker · 26/10/2024 22:00

ForPearlViper · 26/10/2024 21:29

I have chronic dry eyes, identified by a hospital consultant after an eye injury. I have never experienced what you are experiencing as a result of it.

I have experienced similar symptoms previously because there is big difference in the sight levels of each of my eyes but that has been cured by glasses. I have also had weird symptoms due visual migranes. I had to give up contact lenses because of the dry eyes and couldn't manage even with the ones supposedly developed for dry eyes.

I would drop the contact lenses immediately just in case there is a problem with them. But you need to get a second opinion from another optician quickly (maybe Specsavers where they have OCT scanners) and, given that it takes a while to get in to see a GP, book an appointment just in case. Don't take a chance with your sight.

Thank you for replying. You're so right I can't take a chance with sight. I am crying and nauseous with anxiety tonight at the thought of something serious happening to my vision so I think I am going to chase up an opthamology referral or the eye hospital near me. And going to stick to my glasses to be on the safer side. Thanks for the support

OP posts:

Original poster

AmberBeaker · 26/10/2024 22:01

Pebbles16 · 26/10/2024 21:41

You're a bit young for peri-menopause but hormones can play havoc with dry eyes.
Mine are like the Sahara, I use Thealoz Duo (you have to ask the pharmacist), they really help.
I wear gas permeable lenses which are kinder on the eyes - but can be a bugger to get used to.
If I wear my glasses, I get very disorientated but I have barely worn glasses for 40 years so I think that's a me/depth perception problem.

Edited

Thanks its funny you say that as I have had a few other hormonal symptoms/changes and have been worrying about peri (I did start cycles young so it's possible). Going to look for some bloods from GP in case it could by thyroid or hormones
Thanks for the info and advice

OP posts:

ForPearlViper · 26/10/2024 22:26

FFS. Does everything on Mumsnet have to be peri or menopause? By all means get your hormones tested and it may be an issue in making dry eyes worse. But just go and get another opinion on you eyesight first as you have other symptoms.

Just go to a different optician first to get a second opinion. It could be something very simple and your mind could be at rest within the week. Don't go to a small independent, go to one with all the lastest equipment like Specsavers. They can refer issues to the hospital that they think are serious.

theeyeofdoe · 27/10/2024 21:55

So
does it basically seem to be coming from one eye?

are you still getting the same symptoms when wearing your glasses (the reason I ask is that it could simply be a dodgy batch of contact lenses).

have you changed brand of lenses and did the optician check the actual lens in your eye once it had settled for an hour or so.

are you -8.00 in contacts or glasses? (They’ll be significantly different at your prescription)

maverickfox · 27/10/2024 22:05

I had to give up contacts when I was in my late thirties because of dry eyes. I still have dry eyes, or at least that’s what the hospital has told me, but I rarely feel discomfort. I do get blurry vision. Using drops regularly and something like Hylonight ointment at night helps.

theeyeofdoe · 27/10/2024 22:06

Oh and if you didn’t have an OCT the other day, I would find an optometrist who has one. You are at much higher risk of an eye problem being so short sighted.

ForPearlViper · 27/10/2024 22:22

theeyeofdoe · 27/10/2024 22:06

Oh and if you didn’t have an OCT the other day, I would find an optometrist who has one. You are at much higher risk of an eye problem being so short sighted.

Specsavers have OCT. Last time had it it was £10.