Do you care for your eyesight as well as you care for your camera?

[Brownbear]

I'm not one for posting personal information on public forums, but if I can save the eyesight of just one person by compelling them to have an eye exam, I will have made a difference in the world...

Earlier this week I experienced 3 nightly episodes of a throbbing pain behind my eyes, primarily behind one eye. Although I don't typically experience headaches the pain was severe enough for me to get up and research eye pain on the internet. I read that the normal type of Glaucoma doesn't cause pain so I decided that what I had was possibly a painful cluster headache or pain caused by a inflamed tooth so I decided to tough it out. (Lesson learned - self diagnosis)

My eyes felt funny and my vision was a little blurry so on the forth morning on my the way back from an outing to test out my new camera I dropped by my Doctors office and was sent see an eye doctor that very afternoon. Much to my surprise after a few tests I ended up having emergency eye surgery on both eyes, on the spot. FYI, I'm 100% fine but I was extremely fortunate not to have lost my eyesight

I've learned that I was extremely lucky, in fact I must have a guardian angel sitting on my shoulder because I had acute angle Glaucoma which if untreated it can cause blindness in a day or two... It is not common but preventable with surgery if this eye structure is spotted during an eye exam and preventable/corrected via laser surgery.

For more info see http://www.patient.co.uk/health/acut...osure-glaucoma

[I]Another reason to have an annual eye exam is that the other more common type of Glaucoma (Mayo Clinic.com) which is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma can damage your vision so gradually you may not notice any loss of vision until the disease is at an advanced stage. The most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, has no noticeable signs or symptoms except gradual vision loss.

For more info see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glaucoma/DS00283


Anyway, I've decided that personal or not, advising everyone to have an eye exam is extremely important, no matter your age, even if you have 20/20 vision.

I suspect that is very likely you take your camera to the dealer for a check up and servicing every year, so why not have an eye exam?

On a lighter note... Off to explore the world...

(I forgot to sharpen after downsizing but thanks to Cambridge in Colour I know that I should've done this )

[rtbaum]

I am so glad that you are alright. Your vision is my inspiration

[Mike Buckley]

My wife had a very similar experience, Christina, happily with the same positive outcome as yours.

She experienced some strange goings on in her right eye. I told her to immediately call our optometrist and the optometrist told her to immediately see her. The optometrist immediately scheduled an emergency visit to a surgeon because the retina had become detached from my wife's eye.

My wife, a professional singer, had a performance to sing that night in which she was the only soprano in a quartet of singers. The surgeon explained that though it would be okay for her to sing that night, she should keep her head between her legs as much as possible and he would conduct the surgery the next morning. That sounded crazy to me; if my wife should keep her head between her legs, why should she be standing up singing a concert? So, I told him that he would conduct the surgery that night and that the concert folks would have to figure something out on their own. (They ended up completely changing the music and doing the performance as a trio.)

Within five or six hours of when my wife experienced the strange situation, the surgeon placed a rubber band around her eye (the technology has improved since then). She can still see the rubber band occasionally to this day. Her retina is no longer detached thanks to that rubber band.

She knows to expect the same thing to happen to her other eye. Just a couple months ago she thought it had happened. Though the surgeon praised her for immediately contacting her, the other retina had not yet detached. It was close to doing that and he determined that that will happen soon. In fact, he predicted at the time that it would have happened by now.

Christina is right: take care of your eyes and the only way to do that is to develop a relationship involving annual appointments. My and my wife's annual visit occurs next week. My appointment will begin as it always has since my wife's surgery took place. I will thank the optometrist for her sense of urgency that saved my wife's right eye.

[mike in tx]

All of the above is so true on your eyes. I've had quite a few eye surgeries, and have 20/20 corrected now, which is a miracle. About 10 yrs ago, I was diagnosed with glaucoma, and it is normally fairly easy to control with meds, as mine has been. I have a buckle (the rubber band Mike speaks of above) on each eye due to retina detachments, which is also a blessing, due to the fact that it lessens the chance of another retina detachment by 90%. Downside to the buckle is that it makes the eye quite nearsighted due to elongation of the eyeball. Find a good opthamologist and get a thorough eye exam every year.
Mike in TX

[Wayland]

Glad you had a good outcome with this Christina, I'm part deaf so losing my eyesight as well is one of my greatest fears.

I recently had an eye test because my arms are getting too short for reading these days, apart from needing some reading glasses I got a clean bill in the end.

It's a very easy thing to let slip though.

[nimitzbenedicto]

I'm not one for posting personal information on public forums, but if I can save the eyesight of just one person by compelling them to have an eye exam, I will have made a difference in the world...

Earlier this week I experienced 3 nightly episodes of a throbbing pain behind my eyes, primarily behind one eye. Although I don't typically experience headaches the pain was severe enough for me to get up and research eye pain on the internet. I read that the normal type of Glaucoma doesn't cause pain so I decided that what I had was possibly a painful cluster headache or pain caused by a inflamed tooth so I decided to tough it out. (Lesson learned - self diagnosis)

My eyes felt funny and my vision was a little blurry so on the forth morning on my the way back from an outing to test out my new camera I dropped by my Doctors office and was sent see an eye doctor that very afternoon. Much to my surprise after a few tests I ended up having emergency eye surgery on both eyes, on the spot. FYI, I'm 100% fine but I was extremely fortunate not to have lost my eyesight

I've learned that I was extremely lucky, in fact I must have a guardian angel sitting on my shoulder because I had acute angle Glaucoma which if untreated it can cause blindness in a day or two... It is not common but preventable with surgery if this eye structure is spotted during an eye exam and preventable/corrected via laser surgery.

For more info see http://www.patient.co.uk/health/acut...osure-glaucoma

[I]Another reason to have an annual eye exam is that the other more common type of Glaucoma (Mayo Clinic.com) which is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma can damage your vision so gradually you may not notice any loss of vision until the disease is at an advanced stage. The most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, has no noticeable signs or symptoms except gradual vision loss.

For more info see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glaucoma/DS00283


Anyway, I've decided that personal or not, advising everyone to have an eye exam is extremely important, no matter your age, even if you have 20/20 vision.

I suspect that is very likely you take your camera to the dealer for a check up and servicing every year, so why not have an eye exam?

On a lighter note... Off to explore the world...

(I forgot to sharpen after downsizing but thanks to Cambridge in Colour I know that I should've done this )

Nice to know your eyes are still good enough to use for your beloved hobby - photography.

I guess all our members appreciate your reminder for all to get an eye-checkup ASAP.

Meanwhile, enjoy your new D7100...............................

Thanks

( after cataract proc on my eyes, only my right eye is fully functional.
Exactly the right eye for my cam. hehehhe )

[NorthernFocus]

Quite a scare, Christina. Sometimes is seems like we go through life balanced on a razor's edge. I guess wearing glasses has its upside in that I get an eye exam including glaucoma test every year. Next visit I will ask them about the acute variety that you experienced.

Nice BB shot (aka Bird Butt)

[Brownbear]

Thank you to all for your kind comments and especially for sharing your stories for others to read.

Mike Buckley, that is quite the story and I'm happy to hear that your wife's eyesight is fine and that you are both monitoring the other eye.

Mike, Gary and Victor. Thank you for sharing your stories and challenges with me and for others to read. I'm happy to say that I think laser eye surgery is a modern miracle and totally pain free. And yes, I will be having my eyes checked out on a regular basis for the rest of my life.

Dan, yes I was pretty shocked at the time but now I'm just extremely thankful. BB Thank you, I like it too.

I should add that if your friends and loved ones experience eye pain, don't let them convince you that it is nothing to worry about. I did not want my husband or my Mom to worry so I said my pain was likely a cluster headache or related to some dental work I had done, and I almost convinced my doctor of the same.

[Glenn NK]

Christina:

Your story brings back some memories.

In the summer of 1995, while out walking at dusk, I thought I saw some arc welding flash beside me in my peripheral vision - but nobody was welding beside the road. In the morning I phoned my doctor - I was in his office by 10:00 am, in the opthalmologist's office by 11:00, and in the hospital having argon laser surgery at 1:00 pm.

Torn retina. Over the next few weeks I had two more sessions with laser surgery. My eyesight is fine now.

Something to keep in mind: As we approach middle age (varies with individuals), the gelatinous fluid in the eyeball hardens and shrinks. In some cases, the jelly (that's the term the doc used to make it simple for lay persons such as I) sticks to the retina and when it shrinks it pulls on the retina and can cause retinal tears or detachment - this is very bad. (One guy in our condo building has been wearing an eye patch for a year - he and the surgeon are hoping that they can restore his eyesight in the eye.)

After the first symptoms (flashing light), I also "saw" what appeared to a bug flying around my head - only the bugs were always in the same place and moved when I moved my eyes. These too were symptoms of small retinal tears. Again, fixed with laser surgery.

Do not take chances with eyes - you only get two. When I half jokingly said to the opthalmologist that what I needed was an eye transplant, he reminded me that the optic nerve and retina are simply extensions of the brain - hard to replace.

Glenn

[Brownbear]

Glenn, thank you for sharing your story... Glad you're okay and yet, another compelling reason to pay attention to our eyesight and have a eye check ups.

Christina:

Your story brings back some memories.

In the summer of 1995, while out walking at dusk, I thought I saw some arc welding flash beside me in my peripheral vision - but nobody was welding beside the road. In the morning I phoned my doctor - I was in his office by 10:00 am, in the opthalmologist's office by 11:00, and in the hospital having argon laser surgery at 1:00 pm.

Torn retina. Over the next few weeks I had two more sessions with laser surgery. My eyesight is fine now.

Something to keep in mind: As we approach middle age (varies with individuals), the gelatinous fluid in the eyeball hardens and shrinks. In some cases, the jelly (that's the term the doc used to make it simple for lay persons such as I) sticks to the retina and when it shrinks it pulls on the retina and can cause retinal tears or detachment - this is very bad. (One guy in our condo building has been wearing an eye patch for a year - he and the surgeon are hoping that they can restore his eyesight in the eye.)

After the first symptoms (flashing light), I also "saw" what appeared to a bug flying around my head - only the bugs were always in the same place and moved when I moved my eyes. These too were symptoms of small retinal tears. Again, fixed with laser surgery.

Do not take chances with eyes - you only get two. When I half jokingly said to the opthalmologist that what I needed was an eye transplant, he reminded me that the optic nerve and retina are simply extensions of the brain - hard to replace.

Glenn

[Shadowman]

My doctor requires at least a yearly visit. Hope all is well.

[Brownbear]

Hi John,

And that is a good thing... ! All is well, and I'm extremely thankful for my good luck.

I always enjoy viewing your photos. Thank you for everything you have taught me... Right now I'm focusing (LOL with blurry vision) on cleaning up and organizing my photos. I hope to get out next week and take some new photos.

My doctor requires at least a yearly visit. Hope all is well.

[terrib]

glad all is well, Christina.

[inkista]

No worries here. Just had my 2nd (of 4) annual tests (it's four different tests, so we space 'em out) to see if my possible glaucoma has progressed to the point of treatment (I've got a genetic predisposition and other physical indications that I'm in for the slow kind). My pressure's always been good, but better safe than sorry now that I'm getting closer to the fuzzy 50s. We started last year, and given that so far I've tested out pretty much perfectly each time, my opthamologist says maybe next year we can cut back to a mere three times a year.

[FootLoose]

I'm in a similar position, Kathy. I have been having yearly tests since my late father was diagnosed with glaucoma some twenty years ago. Last year I got the news I had been dreading - significantly higher pressure in one eye. Subsequent tests didn't show any sign of the disease, but keeping a very close watch on it now.

[CP140]

Hi Christina,

Glad to hear you're doing OK... certainly a bit of a scare for you.

Any unusual pain around or behind the eye or sudden changes in vision are an immediate cause for concern. You did the right thing and sought medical attention.

FWIW, I am quite paranoid about my vision.... with a pharmacist and registered nurse in the family it's tough to mention any medical complaint with being bombarded with questions.

It was a minor vision change 25 years ago that prompted me to see the doctor... who grounded me (I'm ex-airforce aircrew), took away my car keys and sent me off to hospital...

[drjuice]

Goodonya, Christina. I already get an annual checkup and sometimes the ophthalmologist "invites" me to come back after 6 months. The concern is that my great-grandmother, my Gran, and my Mom all had glaucoma and that suggests they should watch me closely for it. Additionally, from years of living in Florida, even though I was pretty careful about always wearing polarized lenses that have always been B&L Gray3 + getting a very high dose of chemotherapy (22 years ago which proves that it works), I developed cataracts and got both replaced with implanted lenses in 2007-8.

So, in addition to Christina's comments about glaucoma, anybody who depends on their eyes needs to be getting a thorough checkup and to get any issues addressed immediately! I was worried not just about the glaucoma and how it would affect my photography, but also how changes to my color vision would affect my research as it could potentially reduce the number of colors I can distinguish and consequently my perception of satellite imagery after I've spent hundred hours of supercomputing time calculating what's where and then not being able to find where things are in the images! ;~(

virginia

[FlyingSquirrel]

Glad you're ok! Terrifying experience and thank you for sharing. It was thoughtful of you to want to help others with this.

You have in fact succeeded in motivating me to see an eye Dr. Will set up an appointment asap. I have had Lasik surgery many years ago. While I have no eye concerns, I have not seen an optometrist in quite a few years. And yet I work at a computer every day for probably 11 hours+ . Also my mom had the same exact condition and surgery as you and my dad had I believe a detached retina or something. So it would be wise of me to have a checkup given all of those factors.

Thanks again and I probably wouldn't have gone to an eye doc until there was a problem had you not prompted me to go now for a preemptive checkup :thumbup:

[GrahamS]

I'm happy to know that your eyesight has been saved and that you can now enjoy your D7100. Mine has been on the shelf until last week when I had the last in a series of operations to replace the lenses in both of my eyes. Without our vision, none of us would be on this forum and you are to be congratulated for your warning us all.

[Shadowman]

Hi John,

And that is a good thing... ! All is well, and I'm extremely thankful for my good luck.

I always enjoy viewing your photos. Thank you for everything you have taught me... Right now I'm focusing (LOL with blurry vision) on cleaning up and organizing my photos. I hope to get out next week and take some new photos.

Christina,

I appreciate the comments and hope the weather up there cooperates on your next photographic venture.