Hi everyone.

I was coming on here about a month or two ago as a way of coping with my PCS. However, I stopped coming because I felt that maybe talking about it all the time might have a bad effect of dwelling too much on my symptoms. Still, I explained my original situation in my thread when I joined here, so if anyone needs more details to my question now, I'll dig up that thread and link to it.

Anyway. I've returned because I have a question that I've been stressing a lot over. Basically, over the past month or so, I've started to have a lot of vision problems again. My original vision symptoms at the start of my concussion had me feeling foggy, but I feel like currently it's kind of evolved into something else.

Today my vision has just been very blurry overall. I can't seem to focus on anything, because everything just feels like it's a blur. These kinds of things are especially sensitive when I'm in brightly lit rooms or there's a lot of motion, but even without those conditions I'm experiencing these kinds of problems.

Overall my vision has just been weird too. Like if I only have one eye open I can't see very well at all (either eye). Having both eyes open is a little better but I still always feel like things just aren't quite in focus. I'm constantly trying to focus on one object or look at the ground because when I have too many things in my line of sight things are just blurry and foggy. I also noticed at one point that my peripheral vision seems to be blurrier than when I'm looking at something head on.

I'm just coming here because I'm wondering if you guys think this is normal PCS stuff and I'm overreacting, or if I might have a serious problem that I should be concerned about? I've started doing a lot of internet searches again which I haven't done in a long time and I'm starting to scare myself, thinking that my injury might have damaged my optic nerve and that I'm going to go blind or something. I really hope I'm just overreacting because I'm really scared. Being blind is one of my biggest fears. I'm seeing an ophthalmologist in a week and a half to get my eyes checked but in the meantime it's hard not to dwell on it.

Thanks.

Oh and I feel like maybe I should provide some other information that could be relevant. This is stuff that I've been telling myself as to why this could just be normal.

One thing is that this Friday I will officially be six months into my recovery. So I know many other people take much longer and that experiencing these symptoms could just be part of the PCS.

Also, I've had periods of good times. My vision problems haven't been constant over the past six months. They've been the most constant symptom overall, sure, but like I said the vision problems just kind of came back over the past month or so. Before that, I actually had a period of about two weeks where I had little to no symptoms at all. Even since they started to come back on, I've had days where it didn't really bother me at all. I'm not sure if this makes it any less likely that I have something wrong with my eyes, but I feel like it definitely doesn't make it seem any MORE dire. I guess I'm just scared right now because today was a particularly worse day than usual for my symptoms.

And finally, I had a thought that maybe this could just be acting up really badly because of my sinuses. I remember one of my worst periods during this six month process was in late April when allergy season started. My symptoms were a lot worse and my doctor told me that my allergies could be making the symptoms more severe. I've had some sinus problems again lately so maybe it could be exacerbating the symptoms again? I have been getting headaches again too (although not often), which I haven't had in a while. Sometimes it's a pain headache but sometimes it just feels like there's pressure in my head.

Again, thanks for any responses.

Sorry about your vision, but understand. I have double vision from 4th nerve pulsy. I have to wear glasses with prisms in them, but sometimes its not enough. If I'm tired or sick or have my normal headaches? Glasses dont matter. Double vision wins. I have to close one eye to see one image. Very bothersome. So I am very much understanding of your post

Sounds like my situation opposite? I have to close an eye to see better, not both open cuz if I have both mine open I have double. That is the WORST!!


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Greetings,

Hope your opthomologist is thorough - I say that as first one I went to did a few tests (8 months post accident) and said nothing to really worry about, typical symptoms and should resolve themselves in time.
Psychologist suggested I go to a behavioural opthomologist who was very thorough, stating that many folk will sustain eye problems of some sort after brain injury and turned out I was no exception. Coloured lenses for light sensitivity, prism in one lens and bifocals to address other issues; not picked up by former appt.
Life has now changed, depth of perception much improved and no more heavy, draining eyes. Better still I can read and understand plot, etc as not having to put so much energy into light bouncing off page, words are able to be read at speed, not individually as I was having to do. . . .
All the best with appt next week, sometimes 2nd opinions pay off if no satisfaction.

Deuce,

I think you may be onto something when you consider allergies. They can effect all kind of things. Meds can compound these problems. I can have blurry vision in the morning that takes a while to resolve.

There are no degenerative vision problems that result from a concussion. Rather, vision problems caused by a concussion start at their worst and tend to get better as inflammation settles down and the brain heals.

The pressure necessary to damage the optic nerve would cause an excruciating headache. So, try to let go of these anxieties. You'll do better if you do.

Thank you both to chrybmb and chasann for sharing your issues. I feel that sometimes one of the hardest things about dealing with this stuff is that feeling of being alone, that no one else gets what I'm going through. So having people to relate to it, even if they're not the same kinds of problems exactly, is definitely comforting. Hopefully the ophthalmologist is thorough next week, because I'd definitely feel a huge wave of relief if I knew that my symptoms were just part of my PCS recovery rather than a bigger problem. And if it is a bigger problem, hopefully it'll be a type that can be dealt with after it's detected. I did have another appointment scheduled with a different ophthalmologist for a week later as a "just in case" sort of thing, so if I'm not satisfied with the first one I'll get a second opinion.

And Mark, thank you so much, reading your post eased my fears a little bit. I was trying to hold on to the allergies as a likely explanation. I just get nervous because on a day like today they weren't really acting up, yet the vision symptoms were a lot. But it's like you said, they can do all sorts of weird things, so who's to say for sure? It could explain why I get relief at certain points throughout some days too. As for meds, aside from some vitamins I only take an allergy pill and nasal spray daily, so I wouldn't think that would be messing me up. As for the vision conditions, I'll admit I don't know a lot about the subject and only have information that I gathered from some quick Google searches. But I thought that you COULD have some vision problems, such as a detached retina for example, that could have resulted from a concussion. The comment about the optic nerve eases my mind the most though I think. Since I read that inflammation in the brain can damage the optic nerve and I knew I had been feeling pressure in my head, I kind of assumed the worst that it could be what's going on with me. While I have been getting headaches, I wouldn't call any of them excruciating, so I take it that's a very good sign. Thank you!

Btw, forgot to mention, you need to see a NEURO ophthalmologist. Yes, they DO exist. They do special tests. Hard to find in your area, but you can find them.


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Blurred vision is one of the less severe side-effects of Flonase. I don't know if the other allergy meds have similar side-effects.

I've heard of neuro ophthalmologists, but I don't have one anywhere near me unfortunately. I think the closest one is over two hours away. So I'll look into that if I feel it's absolutely necessary, but otherwise I'll just try out the regular one.

And gotta love how side effects work. The Flonase is supposed to help the inflammation which is supposed to help lessen the severity of my vision symptoms, but the side effects would make it worse then. Great.

Deuce,

My vision is all over the charts.

I went in a month ago figuring after 16 months it would be ok to see an optometrist.

Got new glasses and they were clear as could be....2 weeks later now and I have a difficult time using them. I can feel them pulling my eyes into focus...Weird.

Any rate my vision is in a constant state of flux throughout the day.

Bud