Eye color changes, black spot on eye, and patches on eye

[erica1991]

Hello,

I had an eye exam in August and had my prescription changed. Then around December I noticed I was having a LOT of night blindness (I posted here before about it). The lack of vision at night was not only stressful at night but it worries me given that I am only 24. There was a lot of speculation that I have sjrogrens but the conclusion among the various specialists is that I'm in the early stages and I wouldn't test positive for a few years. I saw an optometrist in the town I am in for school (I'm in a different state). I thought I was seeing an ophthalmologist this entire time until I realized my mistake yesterday. However, he discovered that since my exam in August I had already become more myopic and he said I had a thin tear film and diagnosed me with k sicca not from sjrogrens. I did a round of steroid eye drops and then I have been on restasis. He admitted the spots were weird and theorized they may be dry spots, but he didn't know. Now I know it sounds weird when I say my eye color is changing, but I have always had VERY dark brown eyes...even with a flash on the camera. Now the outside of the iris is a hazel color when the flash is directly on my eyes and when it's not and the camera is further away from my face it shows these patchy areas of a discoloration (I don't know how else to describe that) and I noticed a black spot on the iris that was never there before (girls know these things!) I have made an appointment with an ophthalmologist back in Texas to her evaluated since this doctor admitted something wasn't right, but he didn't know what. I will attach some pictures. Also at my last appointment I had a high pressure in one of my eyes I can't remember which one.


http://m.imgur.com/AvJxsoY,Vr8QhQC,fn3RGxR,GDrdtNS,LsnmeRT,vHE53UZ,F9yy8UY

[JohnHaganMD]

This was posted and answered elsewhere

[JohnHaganMD]

1. Restasis is great, go to may home page and look under Journal posts, scroll through and read the article on dry eyes. Both my wife and I are on restasis. Her for 6-7 years for eyes that watered constantly (poor quality tears) me 2 years for no tears. Restasis helps both types. Remember takes 6 months to work, definitely an act of faith. Often stings when you start but generally stop after a couple of weeks. We both use all the drops out of a single dropperette before opening a new one. One will last almost 2 days. That will cut the cost of restasis 50-75%
2. You do need to see an ophthalmologist.  Hope you're not on steroid drops now they can cause steroid glaucoma and steroid cataracts if on for months and months.
3. Your iris doesn't change color but can look different in different ambient lighting. You have a bi-color pupil. If the pupil is smaller it will look more hazel if the pupil is big it will look more brown. If I remember your photo the outer ring is brown and the inner ring a lighter color.  The spots on your iris look like common as dirt freckles  (iris freckles). Dry cornea might also alter the appearance of the iris when you photo it or look in mirror but the iris itself doesn't change. (think how things look through sunglasses, then through yellow glare glasses then through pink or rose eyeglasses. The world doesn't change colors but the lens make it seem so
4. There is a new 4th generation lubricating eye drop out called Retaine eye drops its over the counter and now available at Walgreen and CVS. Might try it to see if you like it better than other artifical tears.

JCH MD

[erica1991]

Hello again,

I saw the opthamologist today who confirmed the k sicca and discussed possible punctual plugs. We talked in depth about my night blindness symptoms and I told him that the optometrist in Alabama said that the black spot was a nevus. He looked at it and then dilated my eyes and He did a different exam where he put a magnifying glass there and put a REALLY bright light in my eye and then said he wanted to do an ultrasound. He said that it was not a nevus but actually a pigmented change on the retina. He said I need to have yearly checkups to monitor it and explained to me the symptoms of a retinal detachment and told me I would need to go to the ER if I had them. He also said if I have an increase in floaters to go back and see him before my follow up. I have a follow up in two months to check on the dry eyes since they were really dry at this appointment. Can you help explain this a bit more in detail to me and in a way that I can understand it better?