Hi all,
I am new to the forums but just wanted some advice. For the last few days I have had blurred vision in my right eye. Its a bit like something has steamed my glasses up from the middle to the bottom and my vision is hazy. This came on after I wearing contact lenses and I thought I had something in my eye.
I went to an opticians today and they can't see anything wrong so are now sending me on an emergency hospital appointment. Two opticians looked at my vision and I could hear them discussing tumours, ulcers etc. I am now waiting for a call to go to hospital and am petrified!! I do have crohns disease but that is under control at the moment so not sure that could be a link. Im actually sat in tears though worried sick!
Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks
Sounds a bit like a retinal vein occlusion. I've had three! When you get to the eye clinic, they will probably take a picture of the retina which will show if it is. I'm still trying to establish the cause of mine - though have found I have a higher risk factor for thrombosis. If it is -don't panic! Let us know how you get on and we can talk more if it is a RVO. Good luck -when is your appointment? If it doesn't come through quickly, get your optician or GP to fax an urgent request through, or if necessary, go and camp out in A&E until they forward you on to the eye clinic!
Hi Alison,
Thank you for your quick response and suggestion. I think the opticians put me into a state with their worried looks to each other then mentions of tumours and all sorts!!
I have just had a call from the hospital and said they would see me at 4pm this afternoon. Just got everything crossed its nothing major. Trying not to panic but had about 3 meltdowns today.
How long have you been wearing contact lenses? When I had them I was OK for about 18 months and then developed an allergy to them. I tried different ways of cleaning them but it did not help.
I think that their dicussion must have been pretty general as they would have seen any ulcer or tumour in their examination.
Are you expecting the hospital appointment today? Eye departments are usually quck to respond. If not get yourself to A&E and remember that hospitals have better equipment and more qualified staff than your local optician.
Good luck with your appointment and report back to the Forum.
Hi Derek I have had contact lenses for over 3 years.
That re-assures me that they would have seen things like that, Just such a worry especially as I was recently diagnosed with crohn's disease and been handling that really well think this just knocked me sideways!!
Im going at 4pm today so fingers crossed. Will let you know and thank you for the advice.
Sounds like they could not see anything and were theorising between themselves. A friend did have a brain tumor and they told him and sent him straight to hospital. He made a good recovery and was glad he had taken an eye appointment that his wife could not keep.
Hmm...my reply seems to have disappeared. Bit late to tell you not to panic now -you're probably on your way! Glad you got an appt quickly - I have resorted to camping out in A&E several times, even though I probably know more about my eye problems than the poor over-worked medics there!
Let us know how you got on.
(p.s. To help with future meltdowns, have you tried Resue Remedy?! )
Hi, tried to reply to both of you but for some reason wont let me! Anyway I'm a bit baffled after my hospital apt. The doctor looked at back of my left eye then said do I have a problem with low blood pressure, which I don't and the she stated ive had a drop in blood pressure possibly whilst asleep which has caused a blockage in back of eye and in turn killed the cells.
Then was told nothing can restore the sight go see my doctor about blood pressure and i will get a letter to see consultant. The doctor asked a more senior one about still seeing pulse at back of eye and senior one said that's a good thing but then vanished before I could be told why its a good thing!
I'm very upset that nothing can be done and I was basically booted out the door, have a feeling the staff just wanted to get home!!
This does not sound good enough at all! Did you see a retinal consultant? If I were you, I would ask for a second opinion - I'm on the Isle of Wight and was not happy with aspects of my treatment and was told I could ask for a second opinion from wherever I liked - Moorfields in London being probably the best choice. I have opted for Southampton because it will cause a lot less stress getting there for a morning appt, and it is a university teaching hospital. (I'm going there on Friday and they are repeating all the tests -angiogram, photo of the retina etc)
don't her when she says nothing can be done to restore sight -if it is a RVO the sight may improve if there is swelling in the macular. (I have had injections in the eye to help with this) but the first two times it happened to me, the sight just restored slowly and naturally.
please get yourself a second opinion asap - and no meltdowns in the meantime!
Have just reread that you are being referred to the consultant - for your peace of mind, I would push for the appt to be asap. However, if I am right about it being a RVO, there is no immediate rush -once the episode happens, you will have time to get it sorted and treatment assessed.
Hi Alison, I just saw a lady who was working in the urgent eye care unit but it was a case of going on about drop in blood pressure and nothing can be done. Just rang opticians and lady there said oh yes can happen you need to inform dvla and get eye test to see if you can drive!!
Ive now arranged to see my gp who has been great since my crohns diagnosis and my dad said he will pay for me to go private if necessary. Just felt totally deflated to be such a healthy person then in space of year crohns and sight loss and only in 30s.
Thanks for the info its first reassuring thing ive read since yesterday. I'm going to ask gp about condition you mentioned and see what is said. Will try stop having a meltdown its good to know people out there that I can discuss this with.
Please don't just accept what was said about nothing can be done! I had my first RVO when I was in my thirties -at the time they put it down to the Pill I was on (it was killing women with thrombosis -so I counted myself lucky I could see the thrombosis!)
wait to see what the consultant has to say.
don't panic about telling DVLA - if your other eye is unaffected, you can still drive one-eyed! My sight becomes very poor in my left eye, when the swelling is bad -but the hospital say it's absolutely fine to drive because I've still got good vision in my right eye. You don't need extra stress at the moment!
Thanks, I was on the pill for years but came off it after my crohns diagnosis and did wonder if any of the meds ive been on have contributed to it.
I just said to my dad about optician going on about dvla hes not happy with that at all not at this stage of things. Did seem a bit insensitive with it all being so raw at the moment.
Nice to hear positive comments from you with you having your own issues. I need glasses for distances but left eye has actually got slightly better. I do feel like my right eye became bit clearer this morning but not sure if that's me getting used to the vision in it.
Dreadful that you got such an uncaring person to do the consultation. I'm sure that Alison is right and that better attention will get an improvement in your eye.
Will be interesting to see if you have had a RVO. - when I had the second one, five years ago, the consultant (who I don't see anymore!) said he couldn't work out why I had it -didn't have any risk factors, so told me it was because I chose to lead a stressful life...! Eventually, this time, they have admitted that 5years ago I tested positive for a blood clotting factor ( factor VLeiden) that means I am more liable to have thrombosis. So, as you can imagine, I can foresee a battle, once I get my sight sorted this time! If yours is RVO, it may be worth asking them to check for FVL when they do the blood tests -it is a more detailed, genetic test but would be worth eliminating, especially if you are anticipating having children -can have implications with pregnancy.
Hi Derek, yeah definitely felt like I was just a number and wanted me out the door because they wanted to get home! Will let you know how I get on, my gp is very good shes already sent my to new consultant on my crohns cause she wasn't happy with first one so my gp is on the ball.
Sounds like you have had some rubbish health professionals too! Seems like we all have to push for answers.
Im going to jot these things down that you've mentioned so ive got some more information to hand. Ive been told with crohns if I want a child to do it now whilst that's in remission so got lots to think about.
Hope you get sorted too and are in better care now changing consultants. I will see what gp says then go from there.
Crohns disease and eye problems can be linked to vitamin b12 deficiency. I presume you have been checked for this.
Hi no I've not been checked for b12 deficiency. I do take iron for anaemia though.
I did mention crohns to opticians and hospital but they didn't even check for any links. Thank you I will ask my GP about that too.
So glad I've come onto this site and getting much more info from you all.
After being diagnosed with pernicious anemia and lack of vit b12 I then had a lot of eye problems including macular hole in eye. I had to have a vitrectomy and then cataract surgery. AI now also have a lot of stomach and bowel problems. From what I have been given to understand they are all related.