Astigmatism (double vision?)

[Vyras]

Hello,

I work a lot using a computer. Especially lately, until I have noticed a weird thing. We had a full moon and it looked really weird to me. It would appear that there is a ghost image of it just a little above it.

I did some googling and tried a simple test suggested online. I've made a small pinhole using a business card and have looked thru it and the ghosting image of the Moon disappeared. I've noticed I see such a ghosting image only attached to bright sources of light or at least wherever there is contrast. Like, when I read white letters on black background.

The LED lamp on my PC speakers I almost completely see doubled. Again, using a pinhole everything looks just right.

Here is an illustration to that phenomenon:
http://img300.yfrog.com/i/eyep.jpg/

So, I went to an ophthalmologist. They did check my eyes and did some simple computer eye test. Here are the results:
Right eye:
Sphere +0.00, Cylinder +1.00, Axis 85

Left eye
Sphere +0.75, Cylinder -1.00, Axis 8

The doctor said I had astigmatism and need glasses, so they've prescribed a pair of glasses:
Left/Right eye: Cylinder +0.50, Axis 90

I've got the glasses today and am wearing them for a few hours already and that 'effect' that I used to see when reading light color letters on dark background, has almost disappeared altho I feel it shows up sometimes.

However, there is no difference when I look at the green LED. There is no difference when I look at bright lamps in the night. I see a ghost image just above them.

What should I do? Do the eyes need some time to adapt to glasses? Or is what I'm having something else?
Again, when I use a pinhole (with or without glasses on), I see everything just right.
Could it be that my eyes are overly tired or something? If so, what should I do about it?

Thank you for reading that. It's very important to me. I've read online that the pinhole test would suggest a refractive problem rather than something serious like nerve/brain/etc. But still as much as I'm eager to fix that problem, as curious I am what it is.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

You saw an ophthalmologist to serious disease should be excluded. You have a small amount of astigmatism and that could cause what you've observed. If you are "happy" with your vision and not anxious to wear glasses then not wearing glasses is an option.

Even people with perfect eyes and no need of glasses may be able to see ghost images of objects like the moon or LED lights. This is becaue the eye is not a perfect optical system and optical aberrations can develop from the cornea, lens.

JCH MD

[Vyras]

I'm not too happy with it. Maybe I need to give big rest to my eyes.
I'll wear the glasses I've got for a week, because I've been told eyes won't strain as much.

In any case, your answer was reassuring.
Thank you very much indeed, doctor.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

You're welcome
JCH MD

[Vyras]

Hello,

I just want to share something that I discovered and ask for the opinion of the pros.
Now. Like I said earlier, I see a second ghosting image above light sources on dark background. It's particularly visible in the night when I look at bright lights.

If i look at some lamp in the night on the black ambient background i see one ghost image above it and sometimes a second ghost image below it.

What I have found out however, is quite interesting for me:

If I look at a lamp say 50 m away I see what I've described. When I look at some small LED light in my car, I again see ghosting images above and below the light source.

Now, the interesting part is this:
I look at a lamp 50 m away and then I move my sight at the near 80 cm away from my eyes LED light source and try not to change the focus. When I do so, I again see ghosting images but they're to the left and right of the main image.

If that sounded complicated please take a look here:
http://img198.yfrog.com/i/newinteresting.jpg/

Left image is how I see ghosting images above and blow the light source, no matter how far away. However, if I focus at a big distance and then look at a source of light at a small distance without trying to refocus the ghosting images are to the left and right.

Can somebody explain this phenomenon?
I'm betting it has to do with the muscles that control the eye and how they contract the lens.

Thanks

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

That represents a form of "ghosting" and as we've said it can be due to diease of the cornea, lens, macula, needing glasses, or intrinsic optical abberations of the eye

JCH MD

[ursa_major]

I do not know if it is rude to butt in, as I am offering my comments, not any particular diagnosis or advice as I am just as agnostic as Dr. Hagen. But I suffer from the exact same symptoms in both eyes (it doesn't go away when I close either of my eyes and the ghost images do not appear at a close distance). I really thought it was keratoconus (since it is an explanation of the ghost images), but an Orbscan didn't detect the typical pattern and it gave a normal reading. In my case, the primary ghost image does go away when I simply put my hand over the top part of my eyes or use a pinhole. I haven't been wearing my glasses often, but I'll wear them all the time from here on out just to see if it would go away in a few months.

If the ghost images are caused by a macular disorder, pinhole occulsion shouldn't affect it, right? I do not know what the "computer eye test" is in your case, but if it was Orbscan or a similar scan that can examine the topology of the cornea, then keratoconus can be ruled out as it is in my case.

As for my personal speculation, I think this has something to do with computer use or similar close work, although as a disclaimer, I should say I do not have stack of peer-reviewed papers or any research that shows statistically significant results to support this.  

Best wishes...

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

This is a discussion forum. Thanks for your comments and input  ursa major

JCH MD

[TomJA]

I h

[TomJA]

I have the exact symtoms by Vyras. In addition to when i see TV i see these beams of light coming down from the bottom of the screen and when i open my eyes wider they go away.

I did some research on optical abberations. Apparently there are wave front in eyeglass lenses link :http://www.allaboutvision.com/lenses/wavefront-lenses.htm

Do you think it will assist with my condition

[amado86]

I have exactly the same problem..........

it is really annoying, especially at night with all these stores with bright writings on them, and all the cars in the street...

the effect is reduced by moving my eyelids , but i cant get rid of it.......
i went to more than 5 ophthalmologists, and all saying that my glasses fits exactly my eyes.

also, it is so bad when u watch tv or just seeing a white writings on a dark background.

if u come up with any solution or anything, just let me know.

thanks,
       ahmad

[amado86]

i would like to add that is exactly as u mentioned, if i put my palm above my eyes, the ghosting disappears.

thank you all, and i hope that we can find a solution for this problem