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Does vision fluctuate with cataracts?
Quick history: I have a number of strange symptoms that several years ago triggered a battery of tests looking for MS, Lyme, or a related CNS disorder. There was no evidence of demyelination after two years of MRIs and other tests, but a few abnormalities were found, including congenital cataracts and a "blurry" optic disc in my right eye, as diagnosed by a neuro-ophthalmologist. I just had my regular eye exam (optometrist) for my contact lens Rx and the doctor showed me my retinal photos and pointed out that I have unusually small optic nerve heads, but he said that that is probably also just a condition was born with and that it's probably not significant since the size has not diminished since he began taking photos in 2010.
OK, to the question. Since about age 25 or so (I'm 34 now), my vision has fluctuated from perfectly normal to unfocused (not exactly blurry--hard to describe) to (more recently) double. The blurriness (or whatever) can last from minutes to days to weeks and then eventually becomes normal again. Could this be from cataracts? It seems to me that if I had a growth over the lens itself, my vision would be consistently obstructed, but I can't find an answer online. I'm asking now because this has just happened again recently, and as an editor, it makes it very difficult to do my job and focus on the page or computer screen. I wear corrected contacts for distance, as well as reading glasses, and just had both my prescriptions checked and they are both accurate. I'm hesitant to go back to the neuro-ophthalmologist because he was very, very thorough and then rather dismissive after the tests, telling me that we'll just have to track the problems, but that I should be glad not to have had optic neuritis or an obviously deteriorating condition.
If this vision quality fluctuation can be attributed to cataracts, is cataract surgery an option for someone my age? My eyes aren't cloudy (from the outside) or anything.
Anyway, I'm just frustrated and appreciate any advice from people who know better than I do. I've become well-versed in neurological tests after the past few years, but not the ophthalmological world.
OK, to the question. Since about age 25 or so (I'm 34 now), my vision has fluctuated from perfectly normal to unfocused (not exactly blurry--hard to describe) to (more recently) double. The blurriness (or whatever) can last from minutes to days to weeks and then eventually becomes normal again. Could this be from cataracts? It seems to me that if I had a growth over the lens itself, my vision would be consistently obstructed, but I can't find an answer online. I'm asking now because this has just happened again recently, and as an editor, it makes it very difficult to do my job and focus on the page or computer screen. I wear corrected contacts for distance, as well as reading glasses, and just had both my prescriptions checked and they are both accurate. I'm hesitant to go back to the neuro-ophthalmologist because he was very, very thorough and then rather dismissive after the tests, telling me that we'll just have to track the problems, but that I should be glad not to have had optic neuritis or an obviously deteriorating condition.
If this vision quality fluctuation can be attributed to cataracts, is cataract surgery an option for someone my age? My eyes aren't cloudy (from the outside) or anything.
Anyway, I'm just frustrated and appreciate any advice from people who know better than I do. I've become well-versed in neurological tests after the past few years, but not the ophthalmological world.
The neuro-ophthalmologist said they are most likely congenital (that I was born with them) given my age. I do see halos and asters around lights at night, and I've read those are cataract symptoms. Are vision quality fluctuations and these other visual eccentricities symptomatic of hypertonia? And would that account for the "blurry" margins?
If I am hypertonic, what exactly does that mean? Would that diagnosis indicate progressive worsening, or is it just a condition that exists and always has existed for me? And can anything be done about it? I hardly ever drive anymore at night because sometimes my depth perception is unreliable and I can't focus on the road (or sometimes even see it if it's very dark).
If I am hypertonic, what exactly does that mean? Would that diagnosis indicate progressive worsening, or is it just a condition that exists and always has existed for me? And can anything be done about it? I hardly ever drive anymore at night because sometimes my depth perception is unreliable and I can't focus on the road (or sometimes even see it if it's very dark).
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I doubt you have cataracts at your age. You might be hyperopic (small optic nerves). You should consider a cycloplegic refraction.
Dr. O.
Dr. O.
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