Corneal Flash Burn?

[JD3P]

A year and three months ago I was taking pictures with my camera, and using an on camera flash. The brightness of the light did not bother me while I was taking pictures, or I would have lowered it. A few minutes later I started to get pain in my right eye, and then burning, soreness, throbbing, and then my eye began feeling like a rock. My eye felt this way for months. I did get to an optician a week or so later, and she checked my eye and said that it was just severe dry eye. She told me that she checked the surface, back and around my eye, but did not see anything. I have been to her three times since. At my last exam a month ago I was told my left eye got worse, but my right eye was fine...my eye still feels like a rock on most days, but it's also very sore and like I have something burning the inner corner. I am sensitive to bright light, and if I cover my left eye I can see that my right eye seems to be less clear overall. Everything seems darker, colors aren't as bright, and I can barely see any detail in my eye right. My left eye seems fine, and I can see clear. I was told to use eye drops daily. I have been for over a year. The only ones that work and didn't aggravate my eyes are the Systane gel drops. However, even they do not seem to be working anymore. At this point I am very scared, and I am trying to find an ophthalmologist under my insurance. I figure a real MD might know more. Anyone ever experience this or something similar. I feel like my vision has gotten so much worse in just a year, and the thought of it getting even worse so fast is horrifying.

[JohnHaganMD]

Since this is elective surgery i would not do the second eye until you are "happy" with the first eye and all your questions have been answered to your satisfaction. If things don't shape up over the next 2-3 weeks I would suggest getting a second opinion from a different cataract/refractive surgery.

JCH MD

[CMS006]

I had my left eye cataract surgery and got a Symfony IOL lens. Measurements of my eyes were done with laser and the standard way and the results came back significantly different (10 diopters with regular measurement and 13 diopters with the laser. The doctor repeated and got the same result. He said it was unusual and he hadn't had this happen for several years. He said he would use the laser measurement and we would just hope for the best. The surgery was very uncomfortable (I was very aware of my eye being pushed and prodded and it lasted about 20 minutes or more). My upper eyelid was very swollen and sore for about a week. The range of vision that the lens seemed to improve was more limited than I expected (my close up vision is far worse than before (I was myopic with a slight astigmatism - not enough for the doctor to decide to use a torrid lens). My distance vision is better than before, but nowhere near good enough to watch TV or drive. In addition, my vision in the eye with the lens is not crisp at all. Everything seems slightly blurry - I am one week out from surgery. What could be causing the blurriness and when my second eye is done, can my distance vision be improved upon?

[JohnHaganMD]

Something is obviously wrong with your eye. The nature of which is above the ability of the optician to recognize. That is why you need to take some steps up the expertise/training pathway to an eye MD.

I practice in a very heavily industrialized area and have treated thousands of corneal injuries from welding, flash burns, lasers, and some cases of sun gazing. Even the infinitely brighter light of an arc welder rarely causes any permanent damage.

[JohnHaganMD]

First of all a camera flash would never cause these persisting problems. So the relationship is incidental not causative.  You do need to see an Eye MD ophthalmologist ASAP, if possible one that specializes in corneal and external disease. Work with your family MD to refer you soon to a plan Eye MD

JCH MD

[JD3P]

Thank you for responding to my post. I just find it very odd that it wouldn't be causative. The flash was very very bright. It was not a regular pop-up flash, but a professional flash unit attached, and going off repeatedly at possibly it's brightest setting. This was my mistake for not taking notice until after. It just really was not bothering me while I was using the camera. I will make sure I find an MD that specializes in corneal and external disease. What confuses me even more is how the optician says that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my eye. I cannot understand how this is possible.