Vislon issues, sunlight & headaches

[MaryB]

Curious how many have vision issues? Are they worse with sunlight? Computer work? Any kind of light? Any have permanent vision loss? How do you avoid the headaches? How can you read ( over 45 years old) if you do not have good light and does that good light give you a headache?

Thanks for any replies in advance.

maryB

[Sandi K]

Mary I have some permanent damage to my right eye but I don't always notice it anymore. I guess my brain is figuring out how to compensate?

As with any of my stuff it depends how tired I am. The more tired I am the worse my symptoms are. Vision is one of the this that gets messed up, not just my right eye damage but my ability to generally see clearly. Things get fuzzy and blurry. I haven't had double vision for awhile but since I've been off work I've not been so fatigued that it would get that bad.

I read on an iPad. It helps because I can change the font with my fingers and adjust the brightness easily in settings. I still use those cheap drugstore glasses almost all the time now though. Some days I don't need them but more and more often I do.

I never go anywhere without sunglasses. I drive in the rain with sunglasses on.

Sandi K.

[VanessaW]

HI Mary

since my SAH my vision has deteriorated quite a bit in terms of reading. I haven't lost any of the visual field or distance vision. Went to the opticians last week and have to have a new prescription for reading glasses which varies depending on whether it is computer or hard copy that I am reading which is a pain so I am going to try out these varifocal things which has both prescriptions in them. My eyes get tired and blurry after a while, so I try and give them a rest periodically. I have to have good light or it hurts and if I have a headache to start with, then reading a lot makes it worse and makes me have eye pain.

best wishes

Vanessa

xx

[Daffodil]

Yes to what Sandi and Vanessa said. Sunglasses are great, I even watch tv in them sometimes. My pre discharge eye check showed the need for glasses or reading which was new post SAH but in general my 'windows on my world' are the first warning sign if I'm headache bound or overdoing it.

[Winb143]

Sunglasses do seem to help me a lot especially after a good cry (hides th bags) lol

Light brown seem more calmer

Win the Sunglass Queen xx xx

[sallym25]

Hi Mary,

This thread will hopefully help me out too. I have lost the upper left quadrant of the visual lfield in both my eyes. Three years down the line, I still query whether my moments of confusion are down to cognitive difficulties or just because " I didn't see that!". I often wonder if I am still in denial there.

I am very very lucky in the fact that I rarely have any head pain. Reading is often difficult and I know the vision I do have is quite bad. I also have glasses for reading, distance and intermediate also. It's a nightmare having so many and I spend much of my time frantically looking for the right pair and chopping and changing them. Like Vanessa I hope to have varifocals soon. My eyes revert to double vision as my mind wanders but I can personally sort that out by just concentrating more. I've been visiting a cheap optician and as I have astigmatism now, I think there's a possibility he's not getting the angles right on my prescription, I have to permanently tilt my reading ones in order to stop the text doubling up and overlapping itself:shocked:.

The only time I find lights to cause me problems is if I'm in the car in the dark and oncoming headlights ( being on the side I can see ) seem to overpower my full vision and blind me. I then have to liook further to the left in order to have the road in "front" within my field of sight. Again this will be just down to the missing area and not cos I'm " cognitively challenged".

I love to read in bed. Hubby usually sleeps early and I'm not very hi tech with kindles or ipads so I have a ( don't you laugh at me now) light on an elasic which I strap round my head to point at my magazines. The family have a field day teasing me about this and I must admit It does look a bit strange. :redface: Sometimes I forget I have it on and will look around the room and "accidentally" point it in his face or at the mirror ( reflecting back all over the room).

[MaryB]

Thank you everyone., I waited almost a year after SAH / stroke to get a new prescription pair of glasses. I had lost a little vision in each eye at like 3:00 and 10:00. I feel as if I need new glasses again already ( 3 months later).

I cannot see TV without them or read. I could not really read anyway as the lines are jumping for me. I know I have not got my processing down all the way yet as I cannot read simple directions to knit a scarf or if someone tells me how they cook something different - I say "AUGH!".

This fall I had an issue with the leaves on the ground. I felt like I was going to fall, I must look at all times where I am walking. I do cut corners short with my "Trolley" or shopping cart. But the sunlight if I just get it in my eyes I am shot for the day. Maybe I just did not go outside this summer to notice how bad it was / is???

My pain has always been in my right eye but this past weekend it was my left and the pain was worse. Sometimes I wonder if I just did not notice the lights before or is it getting worse. I just never felt dizzy or unbalanced. I think if I was in a city and looked up at the skyscrapers I would fall down! I sometimes feel as if the floor is moving? I just do not have the confindence walking as I should or did.

Four years ago I started having a problem with processing, and strenght in my hands and tripping. I had 3 black eyes in 3 months. I was a mess. They thought it was Peripheral Neuropathy with Fibromyalgia so that is how I ended up on Cybalta. I do not know if my vision- balance are fibro or SAH/stoke bla bla bla related. But I certainly feel different. have 2 appointments coming up Gp and Neuro. I am just trying to sort this out a bit. The cybalta has worked wonderfully for those problem but the past few months have been different or maybe it is because I do more than I should or do more in general than lay on the sofa most of the time???

Maryb

Thanks, mary

Edited November 19, 2012 by MaryB

[KeithH]

Interesting thread here!!

I say that, because I've noticed a change in my sight over past year or so, GP say's it comes with age-if thats the case, why is my right eye OK--there the same age!!!!!

NO SERIOUSLY, my Stroke Affected side is the side with medical problems.

Yes it might be age related, but seems strange.

Deaf in Left Ear,

Left Eye a lot weaker than Right,

Muscle waste in Left side.

That's on top of the weaknees overall in left side of body.

Yes a lot is to do with the Stroke, but why is my sight and hearing problems only on Stroke effected side???

Any one else, simular??

It's not until I sat down and thought about this, I've realised how much I've had to adapt to do everyday things.

Silly things I used to take for granted, even down to washing and dressing.

Think I'll wait a bit before going back to GP, got enough going on at the moment!!

[DawnS]

Like Sally, I struggle with night driving. To me, it looks like everyone has their full beam on. I get confused by reflective road signs. I have adopted an avoidance response to this and generally try not to go out and about at night.

The other thing I have noticed is that I have lost my night vision. I used to be able to see very well in the dark and could read easily in very low light. That has all gone now. One night, I got up to go to the loo and ended up in entirely the wrong side of the room trying to get through the mirror instead of the door. I did feel very silly, even though I was alone.

Sunlight isn't so bad now as it was in the first few months, it used to make me physically sick but not any more. That might be because we never actually get any of course!