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Eye Care Archive (Expert Forum)
Achy/tired eyes, vascular spasms, other in mid-teens
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Achy/tired eyes, vascular spasms, other in mid-teens
by tmaromine, Nov 05, 2006 12:00AM
Two and a half months ago I went to an optamoligest (I think it was), or however one spells it, because of some "visual disturbances". Now, I just turned fifteen late October, and it is/was all quite new to me.
I saw a "shimmering wave of color", and "flickering/pulsing lights" in my peripheral vision - vascular spasms. I'm nearsighted, and my prescription is correct when it was checked when I checked my eyes. In June I was looking at a pool from an angle with the sun reflecting off of it, I though maybe that did some damage but the doctor said it didn't.
But often times I find my eyes get very achy when using my glasses. And sometimes for little reason my left eye will get quite achy, or hurt for a couple of seconds. And there are also times when I feel my eye and the left side of my head hurt some.
Sometimes it seems as if objects move when I see them in my peripheral vision, when I know they're not. And if I stare at a doorway or a corner for a little while, it will seem to violently shake. There also seem to be times when *all* of my vision looks as if there is a flickering light, or snow, in front of it, not just my peripheral vision. And I think I have prolonged after images, as I can look at something not well lit and it will last for a while.
My left eye, for some time, seems to feel as if it's just not "right". as if it's out of place, or maybe a little big. I notice the feeling much more when I have a window to the left with a dark wall to the right.
I've tried to calm myself down on these things, but I would like some answers.Is this just because I'm growing?
I saw a "shimmering wave of color", and "flickering/pulsing lights" in my peripheral vision - vascular spasms. I'm nearsighted, and my prescription is correct when it was checked when I checked my eyes. In June I was looking at a pool from an angle with the sun reflecting off of it, I though maybe that did some damage but the doctor said it didn't.
But often times I find my eyes get very achy when using my glasses. And sometimes for little reason my left eye will get quite achy, or hurt for a couple of seconds. And there are also times when I feel my eye and the left side of my head hurt some.
Sometimes it seems as if objects move when I see them in my peripheral vision, when I know they're not. And if I stare at a doorway or a corner for a little while, it will seem to violently shake. There also seem to be times when *all* of my vision looks as if there is a flickering light, or snow, in front of it, not just my peripheral vision. And I think I have prolonged after images, as I can look at something not well lit and it will last for a while.
My left eye, for some time, seems to feel as if it's just not "right". as if it's out of place, or maybe a little big. I notice the feeling much more when I have a window to the left with a dark wall to the right.
I've tried to calm myself down on these things, but I would like some answers.Is this just because I'm growing?
Doctor's Answer
by Forum-OD-MP, Nov 05, 2006 12:00AM
none of that sounds serious. literally everyone has occasional "weird" peripheral vision disturbances or occasional "achy" eyes. i have thoroughly read your post and i would not personally consider any of that to be dangerous in any way...nor solvable.
Are you increasing the amount of near work that you usually do?
How many hours of homework/reading do you do?
Do you ever notice one eye moving away or drifting in or out?
How many hours a day do you spend at a computer?
I'm not increasing the amount of close-up work, but I'd say I ahve a lot of it.
Homework, most nights a little, unless it's geometry than maybe an hour. I usually have a night-table lamp on.
I don't have "lazy eye"; they've never moved or drifted on me. Just once I went cross-eyed, looking at a yard stick and still looking at it as I turned my head sideways.
I spend most my day at a computer... If school � nearly an hour before school starts in the morning, and after school about four hours. If no school, than many times it's most of the day.
I positioned my screen about two feet from me, just where my vision starts to get blurry. And unless it's bright out I always have that night-table light on.
@Forum OD: When you say occasional, d'you mean like every other day; once a week; couple times a month, or is it just dependent upon the person?
Maybe it's because I deal with so much up-close, but when I use my glasses, like to see a marker-board in school, or something far away, eventually during the day my eyes will just become to tired/achy and I'll take them off, and they feel better then.
Thanks for the reply/something-to-answer-to, thus far.
I do see flashers, sometime I see ten very noticable ones a day, sometimes it seems like none, other times just a few here and there.
And I believe I have a floater in my left eye, the one that gets a small "ache" here and there. Sometimes I will see something slightly blur or distort what's right in front of me (usually computer screen). As if a small piece of plastic wrap floats by.
And as I'm typing this my eyes feel very pressured or tired, and then I get up and look out the window and they feel "better." I should ban myself from my computer for some time...
if this poster went to *any* eye doctor complaining of flashes and/or floaters, then we have to assume they were dilated. what eye doc would do an undilated exam on a patient complaining of flashes? the answer is: none.
nearwork, reading, homework and computer use are not related to flashes or "shimmering" or "flickering".
tmar:
no matter how many flashes you see or floaters you have, if you have had a dilated eye exam then your doc has already ruled out retinal problems. no matter how many flashes you see per day...if you dont have a retinal problem (which your doc has already determined) then there is nothing that can be done. you're likely seeing entoptic phenomena, or you have vitreal traction that is undetected. either way, no one is going to be able to stop them, and it isnt dangerous. all assuming the doc has already ruled out retinal problems.
"And as I'm typing this my eyes feel very pressured or tired, and then I get up and look out the window and they feel "better." I should ban myself from my computer for some time..."
asthenopia or maybe computer vision syndrome. all day at a computer can & does cause eyestrain like you describe...taking breaks definitely helps. maybe even an Rx "computer" pair of glasses. but your computer use is *not* causing your flashes/floaters/"shimmering" or "flickering".
But yes, from what I recall, my retinal is healthy.
Thanks for the answers/help.
www.doctorergo.com
When I look as far left as I can, I see a kind of small "mountainy/rocky" looking phosphene, though in my other eye it's more smooth and just a colored circle.
Where I said my left eye felt as if it was "out of place", I was thinking because maybe it had more/less pressure than my right eye. When I got my glasses checked in September, I had the puff-of-air thing done to check the pressure; the doctor didn't say anything about it. I don't know if that would relate to anything or not.
So, I guess it's the muscle behind my eye? Is *this* anything to worry about?
Right now, it seems as if the bottom of my left eye has a red tint to it. I only remember noticing this to star happening at the top of my peripheral vision after I was looking at a pool with the sun reflecting off it.