Damage from eye exam?

[Meg529]

My mother was diagnosed with macular degeration 4 years ago. She went for a routine eye exam with her specialist that diagnosed the macular degeration 4 years earlier. The only symptoms she was having with the macular deneration was "floaters" as she describe it or "seeing nats". A few days after the eye exam, she said that her vision had decreased immensly. That she had lost almost a third of her vision in one eye! This has been very tramatic for her, as she has always had such good vision and now after the exam is having to adjust to not seeing well and is leary of driving! In four years nothing had changed or gotten worse and then the minute she has an exam she has lost one third of her sight, what could have happened at the doctors office that could have caused her partial blindness?
Is there any tests or mishaps that can cause partial blindness due to over exposure of the intense lights that they have you look at while doing the exams? Or the chemicals that they put in your eyes? This is too much of a coincidence to not think that someone made a terrible mistake at this office. I'm not looking for a lawsuit. I just want to know if eye exam machines can cause blindness or others problems, if not properly handled. Has anyone else experienced this same terrible situation? It's been three weeks since the exam and still she has partial blindness. My mother contacted the office today and told them of her dilema and they want her to come in for an appointment and I'm scared to death that whatever they did before, will rob her even more of her vision! If anyone can help with this please respond! I'm very worried for my mother.

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

None of the lights, cameras, instruments used in an eye exam or for special tests damages the eye.

JCH MD

[berrywoo]

In the wrong hands just about everything can be dangerous.

I doubt your mother's worsening vision is from the eye exam she had. More than likely the vision loss is due to the macular degeneration or some other prolem. She needs to see the doctor ASAP!

If you are not comfortable with the current doctor go get another opinion. Find a doctor near you at www.aao.org.