TEMPORARY ABSOLUTE BLINDNESS NO LIGHT PERCEPTION

[kenziemac]

HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED TEMPORARY ABSOLUTE BLINDNESS?  I WAS UNDERGOING A SPLIT LAMP EXAMINATION AT THE OPTOMETRISTS AND AT THE VERY START OF THE EXAMINATION WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE LIGHT, I LOST ALL SIGHT IN MY LEFT EYE. A BLACKNESS THAT WAS TERRIFYING. MY SIGHT RETURNED BUT THAT WAS ALSO A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. I WENT FROM BLACK TO DARK, DARK TO DARK WITH AN OUTLINE OF OBJECTS, THEN IT CONTINUED IN THE MANNER OF A DIMMER SWITCH IN REVERSE UNTIL I HAD MY VISION BACK. THE OPTOMETRIST REPEATED THE PROCESS AND I WENT BLIND, ABSOLUTE BLINDNESS, ONCE AGAIN.

THE OPTOMETRIST TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY EYE. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AND THAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THE RODS AND CONES IN MY EYE HAD BEEN OVER SENSITIVE TO THE LIGHT. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

WORRY I DID AND THIS IS THE OUTCOME.

I WENT TO THE EDINBURGH EYE HOSPITAL - THEY DON'T ACCEPT ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY PATIENTS SO I WAS TURNED AWAY AND INSTRUCTED TO GO TO MY GP.

GP SENT ME FOR AN ECG AND ARRANGED FOR BLOOD TESTS TO BE TAKEN A FEW DAYS LATER.

ECG AND BLOOD TESTS WERE NORMAL.

GP ADVISED ME THAT THE LIGHT FROM THE SPLIT LAMP HITTING MY EYE COULD LOSS OF VISION.

GP, TO CONFIRM THIS, PHONED AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST. OPHTHALMOLOGIST AGREED THIS COULD HAPPEN.

I PHONED MOORFIELD EYE HOSPITAL (THEY HAVE A HELP LINE) AND ASKED FOR THEIR ADVICE. A NURSE TOOK MY DETAILS TO A DOCTOR. NURSE RETURNED TO ADVISE ME THE DOCTOR HAD SAID THIS HAPPENED AS WAS NORMAL.

STILL NOT CONVINCED THAT THE SPLIT LAMP HAD ENDUCED MY TOTAL BLINDNESS, I TRAVELLED THROUGH TO GLASGOW EYE HOSPITAL (GARTNAVAL). THEY HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND I HOPED THAT THEY MIGHT AGREE TO EXAMINE MY EYE.

THEY DID.

THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST GAVE ME A THOROUGH EXAMINATION AND ADVISED ME THAT I HAD HAD A SERIES OF MINOR STROKES. TIA IN OTHER WORDS. HE ALSO DISREGARDED THE SPLIT LAMP STORY. HE SAID THAT COULD NOT HAPPEN. HE GAVE ME A LETTER FOR MY GP INSTRUCTING  I BE REFERRED TO THE STROKE HOSPITAL.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK. THE SPLIT LAMP EXPLANATION WAS THEORETICAL AS NONE OF THE EXPERTS HAD ACTUALLY HAD EXPERIENCE OF THIS HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE. THEN, ALONG COMES ANOTHER EXPERT WHO DISREGARDS THE THEORY AND CONSIDERS IT TO BE ABSOLUTE RUBBISH. HE WAS ALSO AMAZED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN SENT FOR A THOROUGH EXAMINATION. SO AM I BECAUSE EVEN IF THE SPLIT LAMP COULD CAUSE THIS REACTION THERE WAS NO ACTUAL EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD. IT WAS JUST AN ASSUMPTION. THERE ARE OTHER REASONS THAT SHOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT.

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

-

[ARLENE244444]

i had the same exact thing happen to me in my left eye 5 yrs ago - I was at work working at the computer when all vision from my left eye was gone. It lasted a very short time - maybe at most a minute -
I went to a specialist - also called it a TIA (mini stroke) He wanted me to take medication - i asked whatelse can i take instead - he said a baby aspirin (81 mg) daily should be ok. So far so good

good luck - i commend you on  your fortitude
arlene244444

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

First its a "slit" lamp. Second it would never, ever cause total blindness nor even permanent damage for the brief periods that its used in hundreds of millions of eye exams each year.

And TAKE OFF THE CAPS LOCK.

JCH MD