Symptom of the Week 5/29-6/5 - Vision
 

I have visual symptoms on and off since I was diagnosed. I get eye pain, blurred vision, and nystagmus. The jerking eye movements are really annoying. For me, it's as if my eyes are in some sort of spasm. I also have a blind spot in my field of vision. When looking at someone's face, I don't see part of their left face when looking out of my left eye. This comes and goes for me. It is mostly my left eye that gives me trouble.

Vision issues can be related to optic neuritis and cerebellum lesions. I've only had one documented case of ON but have had a lot of issues due the lesions in my mid brain.

Heat really increases this symptom for me. When I get too hot, my vision goes blurry. Once I cool down, things return to normal.

I can't really say I have vision problems unless they have been so gradual I don't find them as unusual. I did have optic neuritis once.

My only visual problem I have is my addiction to seeing well. I thought I had adjusted to wearing glasses all my life and was quite surprised at how well I could see without glasses after both my cataract surgeries. That is until I had to read something. OK, back to the glasses. At least they don't cost much.

Like Doydie, the only MS related problem I had, was one bad long case of ON.
I just wear Reading glasses now, but really could use multi/bi glasses. That's
age baby.:eek:

So sorry for all of your eye problems, (((((Trish)))))

I've lately been experiencing vision problems that seem as if my eyeglasses aren't on right...no blurriness, just "off"

I experience that when I get overheated.:eek:. I noticed that
when my A/C came back on, my eyesight improved.

Do we have a name for Grocery Store Syndrome? A more official name?

If I am in a grocery store for more than a grab and go trip, my vision stats to narrow and I become MS weak. I know that i must get out and get home. I think it is because of all of the labels in my peripheral vision which my brain is seeing even though I am not looking at them?

The same thing happens when flying. We have been going to see my mom every other month. We fly Jet Blue. There are TV sets at every seat and whether I am looking or not, I see many out of my peripheral vision. And both airports have Air Malls - more vision work to walk thru even if we don't shop.

Both of these situations sap me of any energy and all of my "eye time" for the day and often the next day. :eek:

Can anyone relate?
ANN

Sally - I can relate to what you experienced. I get that way all the time when I am overheated. I find that I keep blinking my eyes to clear my vision but it doesn't work. You would think I would have learned by now that blinking won't clear the vision. :D

Ann - I think I know what you are talking about. Everytime I went in to a certain Target and a certain Safeway, I got the same way as you described. DD24 who was in classes for interior design at the time, mentioned that it was a newer Target and the Safeway that I went to was recently remodeled. She said it may be the lighting that was effecting me as well as the color red in the Target. This particular Target had A LOT of red all over it. I really don't know why it would have such an effect on me but it did. I did talk to my neurologist about it and it was determined that it was a visual thing but the issue remained in my cerebellum not the optic nerve. The next time we went to that Target I used the store's scooter. That helped significantly and I was able to complete a full shopping trip. I tried the same at the Safeway store and found I was able to complete the trip there as well. Before, I'd be in there for all of 10 minutes and would have to leave. So frustrating. Now, when I go shopping, I always take the scooter (if the store has one). It makes such a difference for me.

I remember at one time someone on here posted that their vision felt like someone had smeared Vaseline on their eyes. I don't experience that often but have experienced it. I thought that was a good description.

I also get random blind spots. I notice it mostly when reading. As usual, it's my left eye that I experience that with and I have to move my head a little to read (if that makes sense). It's really weird. It only lasts for a day or so and then goes away.

Ah yes, the ole vaseline on the eyeball thingy. I had that bigtime, with the ON:eek:

Sally, you wrote, "vaseline on the eyeball thingy." Oh my gosh, that's an actual THINGY? I mean an MS THINGY? I've had that, on and off, in my left eye for months. I really started to worry about it, so I went and had a full workup on my eyes. That means Glaucoma test, measuring tear production, lights shinin' on the back o' my eyeball. The whole nine yards. Everything was A-ok, and now I find out that this has been a THINGIE all along? Live and learn.

:)

Sometimes you can learn more about MS from people who have experienced your symptoms than you can from doctors who have only read about it. :icon_neutral:

You described it so well. I’m having trouble seeing things thru my left eye. It isn’t exactly like they are out of focus. It is more like there is something in my eye that I need to blink away. If I blink enough, and roll my eyeballs enough, things come into focus. Unfortunately, I can’t always get it to work, so I eventually give up. Is that how you experience it?

Marion - I experience that as well. I keep blinking thinking it will clear up. It doesn't always and it can remain that way for a few days or so and then it clears up.

Vicky - So true! We learn so much from each other and sharing our experiences are so important.

Eye trouble sure has been on and off for me.
As for "Grocery Store Syndrome", i believe mine was pretty much entirely due to bad lighting. I had to wear dark glasses and a hat to shop back when my eyes were bad, just before diagnosis of MS. Now, I don't have to wear these to shop, although my eyes would become weary and blurry if I were in the store for a long time. I had to wear dark glasses when a community college teacher too, because the Dean wouldn't let me change the flourescents, even at my expense and with a doctor's note. That was a long time ago.
Now, my biggest eye problem is the smoke we have in the summer. I am hoping we don't have it this year, in spite of the drought. We may get an El Nino in time to bring rain and settle smoke from distant fires. I had to evac last year and the year before.
The 2011 evac was a "mandatory evacuation". The fire came right up to the perimeter of town and was put out by a thousand fire fighters. Last year was just smoke from five fives 20-40 miles away, but I still had to go.
My eyes blur and spasm in such smoke, and even began to roll back in my head, which sounds like a seizure but it's not like grand mal...I have no idea what it is. The eye doctor says my eyes are good but the "action" is in my brain behind my eyes. I can go temporarily blind from smoke--for ten minutes at a time.
It was eye problems which got me the MS diagnosis after MRI and Visual Evoked Response tests. The problem went entirely away after eight years and stayed away until "smoke time."

I have no peripheral vision anymore. I get really blurry vision and I have blind spots in my vision. I have never officially been dx with ON. But I have had severe pain in my eyes, pins and needles in my eyes, but that only lasted a few days, but the blind spots and peripheral vision, well, that's here to stay. I also see bubbles in front of my eyes. You know like if someone is blowing bubbles, only smaller, that's what I see. Eye doc said not to worry, just let her know if they increase in number of bubbles. I have to laugh at times, I will just yell out loud, Party time! My dh says why, and I tell him the bubbles are out in full force and he will start laughing with me! Gotta have a sense of humor with all this!

My very first symptoms included double, greyed out vision with BIG blind spots. Everything would bounce/shake if I walked - and still does if I am overtired or overheated - my Neuro calls it oscillopsia. Walking down supermarket aisles was really bizarre - I knew there were things on the shelves, but I couldn't see their labels.

I found this on youtube - thought it summed the oscillopsia up well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsD3RDUqgJU

Careful though - if you watch it in full screen it may make you feel dizzy - it does me.

I get pain in my eyes like something is stabbing them. Dim vision, like looking through sunglasses. I have large orange spots in my vision. When I look at black lettering on white background I see a yellow shadow around each letter. I have black floaters in my vision, have no depth perception and see two of everything.

I also have problems in stores, the florescent lighting is awful. We have a local store that has one section with light flickering problems I get dizzy, nauseous and weak within two minutes of being near it. Flashing lights, like emergency lights and fireworks do the same thing to me.

And no, I don't drive anymore, WAY too dangerous for me to drive. :rolleyes:

My vision went crazy the other day. I was out running errands with my neighbor, thank goodness she was with me, and the Vaseline covering started. Everything went blurry and I kept blinking to clear my vision. You would think that by now I would learn that blinking is not going to make a difference.:D

Had a new one today, after the stress of hearing my Dad was headed to the ER my vision looked like the clear vapors you see at a gas station on a hot day.

It went away pretty fast though, thank goodness!

Uhthoff's Phenomenon. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uhthoff%27s_phenomenon) I went through 2 periods of this. Felt like a cloud came over on a clear sunny day. Everything dimmed. Not a constant thing - just when I got overheated. I was living in Mississippi and then Louisiana when it happened. That was in the 1990's, before diagnosis. Has not recurred. (Yay!)

I don't think there's anything to be done about it; just keep your cool! (or reclaim it)

That sounds like it's stress related. I hope all goes well with your dad!:hug::hug: