Ophthalmology update
Jun. 11th, 2008 01:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taxladyI went to the ophthalmologist today, well, yesterday at this point. I'm not sure what to make of her. I showed her a printout that gives an idea of what I see, when my vision goes weird.
I explained that I see any one of those, depending on how severe the episode is. The last one is what I usually see.
She gave me the eye chart exam. She had me look through a thing with a bunch of tiny holes. She put eye drops. She did a bunch of tests. She put those awful drops that dilate your pupils. She looked in my eyes with some very bright lights shining in my eye.
She said I need glasses. She said it was an eye problem, not a neurological problem, because I could see more clearly through the thing with the tiny holes (pin hole camera effect). She also told me I have glaucoma. Yikes. She gave me a prescription for eye drops. I am only supposed to use them in my right eye. I have an appointment to come back on 31 July so they can see if these drops work on me.
I really don't understand about the glasses fixing the problem. Sure, I need glasses, but the problem varies enough that I'll need four or five different prescriptions.
She said that the skin below my eyes was puffy. That might be age or it might be thyroid. So, I will be having my thyroid levels tested as well as getting tested for diabetes, which could also affect my eyes.
One of the possible side effects of the eye drops is that my eyelashes might get darker, thicker, and longer. She said most women don't mind that one.
I explained that I see any one of those, depending on how severe the episode is. The last one is what I usually see.She gave me the eye chart exam. She had me look through a thing with a bunch of tiny holes. She put eye drops. She did a bunch of tests. She put those awful drops that dilate your pupils. She looked in my eyes with some very bright lights shining in my eye.
She said I need glasses. She said it was an eye problem, not a neurological problem, because I could see more clearly through the thing with the tiny holes (pin hole camera effect). She also told me I have glaucoma. Yikes. She gave me a prescription for eye drops. I am only supposed to use them in my right eye. I have an appointment to come back on 31 July so they can see if these drops work on me.
I really don't understand about the glasses fixing the problem. Sure, I need glasses, but the problem varies enough that I'll need four or five different prescriptions.
She said that the skin below my eyes was puffy. That might be age or it might be thyroid. So, I will be having my thyroid levels tested as well as getting tested for diabetes, which could also affect my eyes.
One of the possible side effects of the eye drops is that my eyelashes might get darker, thicker, and longer. She said most women don't mind that one.
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Date: 2008-06-11 03:41 pm (UTC)Actually, the problems seem to be the same in both eyes. That's one of the things that's weird about this. Seeing double with either eye open is pretty weird, even according to the neurologists.
The reason I am only supposed to put the drops in one eye is so they can tell if the drops are working. With glaucoma, it's trial and error to find the right medication. Eye pressure varies throughout the day, so having the other eye untreated, to compare to, will give a better idea of whether or not the drops are working.