Computer Vision Syndrome Permanent Effects

[ucs1923]

I got computer vision syndrome in my right eye in January, blurred vision, eye pain, eye strain etc.  Everything went away EXCEPT, I still see starburts (light sparkles) and ghosts at night from bright lights and oncoming cars and stop lights from a distance look penut-shaped or sometimes an irregular shape(ghosts), not like a circle, like they used to look like.  I do have slight astigmatism and slight myopia in my right eye, but I recently went to 2 eye doctors for an examination and they said I have 20/20 vision in my right eye, and weren't able to detect any problems.  What could be causing me to see starburts and ghosts at night even after I have discontinued my heavy computer use?  It is now mid May and the problem hasn't went away.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

1. Microstabismus is NOT treatable in an adult and rare in children. The deviation is too small for surgery and the brain lacks the fusion ability to integrate macular images from both eyes at once.
2. I'm not going to argue with your neurosurgeon but microstrabismus doe not usually cause starbursts or halos. You can do your own world literature search and if you find a case reported in the medical literature come back her and post it.
3. Pencil push-ups are a waste of time for microstrabismus (also called Park's Micro-trophia after the world famous Marshall Parks MD, father of modern strabismus surgery of the Washington Children's Hospital.

JCH MD

[ucs1923]

The medical report on my examination with the neuro-opthamologist states that I have residual microstrabismus from strabismus surgery when I was 4 years old (I'm now 28)  with mild astigmatism, mild myopia and mild convergence insufficiency.  The doctor stated that he doesn't believe that the convergence insufficiency is causing my visual problems.  

The microstrabismus is causing the starbursts and halos, not the astigmatism or myopia.  

So I can't see an eye surgeon who specializes in strabismus and that could correct my eye alignment, which would result in improved vision?  

What about pencil push-ups for convergence insufficiency?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

I think CVS is largely a made up "problem" that is used to sell computer glasses by optometrists.

What I'm saying is that prisms glasses that have helped your problem cannot be made into contacts or lasik (can't do prism with contacts/lasik)

JCH MD

[ucs1923]

But I thought CVS doesn't cause permanent effects on vision?  Why did I develop this problem?  It would have never occured if I was not on the computer so often.  Or was this a problem that was waiting to happen, but the CVS just made it occur sooner?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

NO and since you have prisms neither will refractive surgery. I'm sure you look very nice in glasses.

JCH MD

[ucs1923]

I just went to a neuro-opthamologist and he told me that the halos and starburts I see in my right eye is due to my slight astigmatism and myopia and the surgery I had when I was 4 years old to correct my right eye misalignment.  He did prescribe bifocals with a prism and that did get rid of the starbursts and halos, but I dont want to wear glasses.  So you were right, it is an eye muscle problem.  Would vision therapy be able to correct this problem?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

The Sherlock Holmes of the ophthalmology world are the neuro-ophthalmologists. You can find one at www.aao.org  these will be board certfied members of the american academy of ophthalmology.

JCH II MD

[ucs1923]

What qualifications or specialties would this doctor have to be considered highly qualified?  Also is there a website I can check to find a highly qualified Eye MD ophthalmogist in my area?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

See a highly qualified Eye MD ophthalmologist. Causes could include early cataract, corneal disease, eye muscle problems, macular edema.

JCH III MD