posted
Hi all - I wanted to let people know of a recent success I've had! I've had blurry vision/double vision that's been gradually getting worse for months to years. I can't remember when it started.
I was seeing a mold doctor, because I had some exposures and relapses (of Lyme & co as well as mold) over the winter, and I mentioned blurry vision that comes and goes.
Rather than chalking it up to biotoxin illness, she recommended I see a "functional optometrist". Wow! The optometrist was one of the best medical experiences--least judgmental--I've had from a new doc ever!
I was put through about 30 vision tests. Almost right away the doc said I was wearing the right prescription but my eyes aren't working well together. The other tests were to figure out what was happening.
My eyes are focusing behind objects automatically, then I'm manually fixing it (or rather my eyes are forcing themselves to cross a little to see the object). This leads to a lot of fatigue and blurry vision that comes and goes (depending how tired I am or what else is going on in my life).
I'm also apparently perceiving the world a little down and to the right of where it is - she had me walk down the hallway, and as per usual, I stumbled/veered part way down a totally straight hallway.
She said it's because my eyes and brain aren't interpreting where the world is, so I stumble when something isn't in the right place (I'm probably totally botching that explanation, but I showed her the bruises on my shoulders from walking into doorframes constantly).
So, she put me in special prism glasses, and she said they're like a retainer for teeth - the more I wear them, the more they're re-training my eyes to focus at the right distance. We'll swap them out every 4-6 weeks depending what my eyes are doing.
I've been wearing them for 4 days now and WOW. I can actually read words on the computer screen and in books (haven't read a regular paper book with unadjustable font size for probably a year and a half now). I could even decrease the font size on my phone again (I'm 35 years old and it was on the biggest font size!), and I can see it crystal clear.
She said I have to get some structural body work done, though, because some off-kilter muscles are pulling my eye muscles out of alignment (?). That's scheduled for later this month.
I am so happy I can read and work comfortably on the computer again, and look forward to the process of fixing this issue, even if it takes years. The doc said that this has likely been an issue for a long time (longer than Lyme. Is it possible I have a health issue unrelated to Lyme/mold/etc.??!), possibly my whole life, but it's definitely gotten worse lately as I've gotten older.
As you can expect, the visit and new lenses weren't covered by insurance, though I did submit a super bill. Fingers crossed!
Just wanted to share the success in the hopes it helps someone else with blurry vision. Get thee to a functional optometrist!
Posts: 243 | From Southern Arizona | Registered: Jun 2015
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posted
OH and also partway through one of the tests my left ear starting ringing and I lost hearing temporarily in it.
The doc said that can happen because of the way the eyes and inner ear are linked, and she wrote down what test/eye movements caused it.
Interesting stuff, and I hope this helps someone else!
Posts: 243 | From Southern Arizona | Registered: Jun 2015
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- paleogal,
So glad your peepers are perkier! Thanks for the posts.
Indeed, the inner / middle ears (vestibular system) has a strong connection with what our vision sometimes sees or experiences.
I deal with nystagmus due to various causes. When my ears (actually more my balance, though) have more irritation, act up or I'm in very busy environments,
my vision might shimmy, quiver, spasm and that is often called nystagmas.
I've even had a whole paragraph seeming fly off the page, just a sudden right swipe off and out, before computer notepads ever came along with that "swipe" option.
Most disconcerting, though, was the time my vision totally flipped over. Really. I was at a museum for the TerraCotta Chinese Warrior display years ago and was so balance challenged that day &
the moment I turn the corner and looked into that vast - dark - room with hundreds of "soldiers" & some creative use of tiny bright spot lights on their heads
- I think seeing the dramatic light contrast was the trigger that pushed me over what was already a slippery landscape, so to speak -
- my vision did a full flip - I was seeing upside down (and my body tried to follow in a contorted way. That was, uh, interesting. Glad it flipped back!
Low magnesium can also cause it.
For myself, though, a hole in one of my ear canals also has an influence in nystagmus.
It's called SCD (Superior Canal Dehiscence if anyone else wants to look that up with best research done on SCD at Johns Hopkins).
I wondered that, although a structural problem exists, if maybe the prism re-training might still help. But I have to settle for "Yoga for the Eyes" for now.
And, as you and your very informed eye specialist see, there are all sorts of ways the eye can go bonkers &/or the ears can sort of "short circuit" depending on the stability of each other.
Dyslexia - or similar symptoms - can also be due to vestibular (inner ear) conditions.
I looked into the prism glasses a while ago but the access stopped me in my tracks. For some, though, there may be ways to make this work - to at least get assessed.
A few years back, an eye specialist gave a presentation at ILADS annual conference on a program / prism glasses that sound like what you describe.
There is also a colored lens system IRLEN (I think? - often helps those with dyslexia) that seemed to hold some promise, yet, access cut my exploration of that short, too.
Thanks, again. So great to hear of improvements and also that some professionals out there are broader scope & more informed than the average ones. -
[ 07-31-2019, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
Keebler - thank you for your post (coincidentally, I just posted about my low Magnesium levels - didn't know that could be related).
Your vision-flipping-over thing sounds terrible! I would probably have fallen over and puked if that happened to me suddenly...I don't handle quick movements of my eyes at all well. Has anything improved the nystagmus?
The doc just put me in slightly blue prism lenses this time - to help calm down my adrenals. Apparently vision can also be related to your fight-or-flight system.
I didn't fully understand the explanation, but I tested better in the blue lenses than the clear ones. Trying these for 8 weeks and we'll see what happens next.
This doctor has a cool price system where after the first visit you just pay $40-60 for new lenses each time, as the prescription is being adjusted and your eyes are being re-trained.
Still expensive to start, but I was pleasantly surprised at the follow-up costs.
LisaK
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 41384
posted
wow!
gives me more to think about!
I took my kids to a Behavioral optometrist. Is this the same thing??
they did all kinds of funky stuff too . I wish I had better insurance. back then this was all covered. not any more
-------------------- Be thankful in all things- even difficult times and sickness and trials - because there is something GOOD to be seen Posts: 3558 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Jul 2013
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