blurry vision

[kerryt84]

I am a 26 year old female. Since I woke up Thursday morning I have had blurry vision. It is like a dark shadow going in a line across the bottom to middle of my vision. It has not got any worse or better since it started. I went to the optician on Thursday and she said if it was still the same on Friday  to go to the eye hospital a&e in London.

It was no better on Friday so I went to a&e. They did lots of checks on my eyes and said it was not an eye problem, it must be a neurological problem. They said it was probably a migraine without the headache but if it's still there Monday to go to my GP to be referred to a neurologist.

It's still like it today, more than 48 hours after it started. I've tried taking ibruprofen but it didn't have any effect. I started wearing glasses for concentrated work a week ago as I have very mild astigmatism in both eyes. Could this be causing it? I have stopped wearing the glasses now in case that is the cause but still no improvement.

There are a few other things that have been going on the past 6 months or so and I'm wondering if they could be connected. I have been a lot more tired than normal. At it's worst I've been coming home from work and going straight to bed and having naps at the weekend. Also I've been worried that my short term memory has become really poor over the past 6 months. I know everyone's memory varies, but I feel mine has got considerably worse lately. I went to my doctor a couple of months ago because I was having really bad pains around my eyes and he referred me to an opthalmologist. She couldn't find anything wrong, but said it could be the very mild astigmatism and that's why I'm trying glasses. The pains reduced on their own before I got the glasses so I have no idea if the glasses are helping or not.

I would be grateful for any advice possible. Should I stop worrying and just wait for my vision to return to normal or should I be concerned? Thanks.

[Christopher R Newey, DO]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to obtain a history from you and examine you, I can not comment on a formal diagnosis or treatment plan for your symptoms. However, I will try to provide you with some information regarding this matter.

Blurred vision is nonspecific but can be associated as an aura with migraines. Blurred vision in this setting is usually called scintillating scotoma (i.e., a shimmering arc of light that may be zigzag, straight band, etc). This can make it difficult to see to read or drive.

The aura can also be associated without a headache. These are called acephalgic migraines. If you have a history of migraines, I would be more suspicious of this. However, if you are not a person with migraine history, you should be evaluated to ensure there is no ischemic areas (i.e., stroke). This can be done with an MRI of the brain. Astigmatism can cause visual disturbances, but likely not what you are describing. However, an uncorrected astigmatism could trigger a migraine. It is reasurring that you have been evaluated by an ophthalmologist. Hopefully, they evaluated you to rule out papilledema, which is due to increased intracranial pressure. This condition can lead to vision disturbances as well. If you were older (such as 50 or greater), I would be concerned for a condition called giant-cell arteritis. This condition usually has vision disturbance and unilateral head pain.

I agree that you probably should be evaluated by a neurologist. If you are having a migraine, simple medications may help or you need an IV infusion with medicaitions that may include magnesium. Also, continue following up with your ophthalmologist to find the best pair of lenses for you.

Thank you for using the forum, I hope you find this information useful, good luck.

[kerryt84]

Just an update. Yesterday I was exhausted by the time I got back from a&e mid afternoon and slept until dinner time. Today I got up as normal and went to the gym etc. but then got a headache and eye pains mid afternoon and have slept since then. My eyes have been ultra sensitive to the light and since the headache the lines across my eyes have become more pronounced.