After just recently being diagnosed with chiari last month and learning to live with the ever increasing but ever so lovely list of symptoms, I am due for my yearly eye exam in a couple weeks. I have only just begun to notice a few visual disturbances, like occasional flashing spots in my peripheral vision. I am 42 and have been wearing.....let me think what they're called....memory lapse....yeah, you know the bifocals without the lines. Been wearing those for a couple years, but notice I probably need to wear them more often for reading now. Progressives! That's it. But just wondering if this is a good time for an eye exam? I know I probably need a new prescription for sure.
I was wondering the samething! I have always had 20/20 vision and signed up for vision insurance this year because I have noticed my vision is blurry at times and I hate driving at night now (before I knew about the chiari) and I have had my appointment scheduled for a few weeks and go Saturday but now I am wondering if I should go.. I guess I should since I don't even know if I will need surgery and if my vision is blurry some times it is probably needed.
Good question!
I was actually thinking this also. I have always wore contacts. I used to be able to read stuff up close with my contacts in. Now I cant see anything up close I have to extend it from my eyes. Im only 28 and already wear a -7.00 in each eye.
Surgery may be a possibility. I don't know for sure yet. My symptoms do seem to be getting worse. So far meds are not helping. I have not had an upgrade in my glasses for 2 years. Mine are all scratched up and I really want new ones, but at the same time, don't want to waste it and have to get it all redone after surgery. Perhaps I should wait. Thanks for the advice.
For us, even when my daughter's surgery seemed eminent, we took her for an updated eye exam. With all of the pain and other symptoms related to the head and neck, I wanted someone in the know to look at the eyes....check eye pressure and any damage if that was off. Also, just in case docs asked me if we've looked into this or that, I could say "Yes! And here's all the documentation..."
Okay. Newsflash! Yesterday I began having some eye pain, an intermittent soreness when I would turn my eyes, like what I remember the flu feeling like (and I do not have the flu - knock, knock). It didn't dawn on me until late last night, since my memory has been so bad, but I started taking topamax just eight days ago for the headache. Eye pain is a rare side effect of topamax. It can cause glaucoma. So I did call and tell the NL. And will not be taking that any longer. (The memory problems can be from topamax too. It's so hard to know what's causing what!) So, I think I will keep that eye exam appt. and perhaps wait on the glasses....Thanks for the replies.