Eye Pain and Vision Problems

[paulinsomniac]

Does anyone get eye pain and vision problems? i.e. the vision doesnt look quite 'right' accompanied by pain in the eye and/or the eye region area? The best description is a visual distortion where the vision feels off, or overloaded somehow. Kind of like a weird dizziness. Any feedback?

[Lottida]

I just wanted to say that it is not  uncommon to have the eye pain, sensitivity to light & visual distortion because the optic nerves can get crowded or compressed due to the Chiari.  I had visual distortion on & off.  The top half of words would be smeared & the bottom half blurry during the distortion moments, otherwise my vision was just blurry.  I did see a Neuro-opthamologist that was knowledgeable in Chiari.  She dilated my eyes & immediately noted that both of my optic nerves were compressed & swollen.   I have had significant improvement since my surgery, but I still require reading glasses for small print (that could just be because I'm over 40....lol).   If the optic nerves are swollen or compressed, there was not much the opthamologist could do to help the eye pain/symptoms..........you have to fix the root of the problem which for me was the Chiari!!!  I would suggest for you to find a Neuro-opthamologist to have an eval  as this may help your NS decide if you need surgery or not.  

I don't want to scare you, but my husband is now blind in his left eye from his Chiari.  He had compression on his optic nerves also, but back then in 1997 docs didn't know much about Chiari so no one thought it was the Chiari causing the eye problems until it was too late..........he ended up having a "mini stroke" from the pressure which basically killed his optic nerve to his left eye.  Don't get me wrong, he had eye issues for years before he went blind but I don't want that to happen to anyone else if it can be prevented!!!!!!!  So please get an eval just to be safe!!!!

[Dloshaw]

I have just starting having more symptoms after decompression. After 2 months my doctor released me back to almost full activity. Now the previous symptoms are coming back one by one and I know exactly what you are talking about. I can't read well anymore. I stopped trying.  

[ytjones23]

Yes I get this happens to me everyday.

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum

Vision issues is at the top of the list of symptoms for those with Chiari.....

For this reason seeing a neuro optho is better the just a reg eye Dr.

Some eye or vision issues can resolve post op....

Have you found a true Chiari specialist?

[lasel22]

I get eye pain sometimes when my headaches act up.  I tend to get pain behind my eyes and in my temples.  So, when that happens, my eyes hurt too and they hurt move when I move them.  They are also sensitive to light and I see flashing lights in my peripheral vision.

I've had depth perception problems during all this as well, like the floor seems closer to me than it should, like I am shorter.  I've also had vertigo, but also a different kind of dizziness that is hard to explain.  For instance, if I move my head and then stop things still seem like they are moving a bit but I know they aren't, but it's not as severe as vertigo I've had in the past.  I feel like my brain is a wet towel that's been twisted and it is just waiting to unwind and make me very dizzy, but that doesn't happen, it just feels like it is going to happen.

Don't know if that makes any sense, but that's how it feels to me sometimes.  I haven't had surgery yet and deal with this everyday.  I'm hoping surgery will help.