Temporary blindness when wake up

[lucylooooo]

I have a friend in India who has asked me to look into a problem he is having with his eyes.

When he wakes up most mornings he is completely blind (black vision) in both eyes for about 10 minutes. He has a burning sensation in his eyes. his sight only returns when he washes his eyes, and it takes about 10 minutes to come back. he has had very watery eyes and a burning sensation for most of the time for about 2 and a half years.

He went to an eye specialist in Delhi recently and was told that he was short-sighted but the doctor wanted him to have a brain x-ray to determine the cause of these symptoms. He cant afford to have the x-ray at the moment, and isn't sure it is necessary (doctors in Delhi are notorious for recommending unnecessary, expensive treatments). Any ideas what the cause of this could be and what he should do about it?

Thanks, Lucy

[lucylooooo]

Do you think a disease of the cornea could cause the temporary blindness symptoms?

My friend had the X-ray and has just been told that he has a minor brain tumour. I just don't see how this would explain the eyes watering and burning symptoms (could be unrelated i guess) and why it would cause the blindness just some of the time (mainly in the mornings). I'm guessing that the doctors haven't suggested an MRI because of the cost involved, but is an X-ray proof enough of a brain tumour? I'm just worried that this Doctor is jumping the gun a bit...

Thanks for your help.

[lucylooooo]

Do you think a disease of the cornea could cause the temporary blindness symptoms?

My friend had the X-ray and has just been told that he has a minor brain tumour. I just don't see how this would explain the eyes watering and burning symptoms (could be unrelated i guess) and why it would cause the blindness just some of the time (mainly in the mornings). I'm guessing that the doctors haven't suggested an MRI because of the cost involved, but is an X-ray proof enough of a brain tumour? I'm just worried that this Doctor is jumping the gun a bit...

Thanks for your help.

[Sandra M Brown, MD]

He needs to try to find a doctor who specializes in diseases of the cornea.  His symptoms of watering and burning eyes are coming from the surface of the eye.  I cannot think of any reason to have a brain X-ray (presumably a CT scan or an MRI) for these symptoms.