Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with eyes

abre los ojos

TheBones — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:11:49 -0800

Another medical question I have been having some weird ocular distractions for the past week or so. If I look at something quickly, I feel like the way my brain processes what my eyes see is a millisecond behind where my eyes eyes are focusing.

I used to get this if I missed a dose of anti-depressants, but I have been off them for a couple of weeks now, tapered down from 100 mg of zoloft by half and then half again over 2 weeks periods for each.

I am currently on 100 mg of lamictal, 20 mg of benicar, and 5 mg of crestor.

This is not like vertigo and I have a doctor's appointment next week, as I don't believe this is an emergency. However, if you, hivemind, do, then I will go to the urgent care straightaway.

I am sure you will need more information so I will watch the thread for these, let me know what they are so I can figure out what is going on and what to do about it.

Help my eyes look less old

dzaz — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:27:24 -0800

For a 45 year old woman, I'm very happy with how I'm aging, with one recent exception: my eyes are beginning to look very old. In the past few months, I arise every morning with huge puffs both under and over my eyes and there's been a dramatic increase in wrinkles, to the point where people keep asking me if I'm okay because I look tired. I'm already a low-sodium, exercising, well-hydrated, healthy diet, lots of green tea type of person. I've tried puff-reducing gels (which work a little but then the wrinkles really stand out), the Olay Rx line (no changes), some dermatologist-recommended Vichy product line, still nothing. But I'm wondering, weirdly, if having swine flu about 2 months ago has something to do with this. One of my first symptoms was I became bloated all over (couldn't zip up boots), and maybe the eyes are the last remnant of the flu? Does anyone have recommendations for a de-wrinkler for the eyes that truly works?

How can I dial back the crazy eyes?

wexford_arts — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:30:51 -0800

How can I dial back the crazy eyes? I've noticed that many of the candid and posed photos of me over the last 10 years show me with very wide open eyes, with some white showing above the iris. While it's not totally surprising to find in some animated candid shots, I don't like the intense, crazy look in ID photos and the like.

I've worn contacts for about 25 years, have spent much of that time on computer work, and have recently started using drugstore magnifying glasses to make computer work easier.

So here's my questions.

1) Why am I seeing this now, when older pictures of me don't show this effect? I have been told by an optometrist that contacts and/or years of computer work have led to the extra widening of my eyes. Does this make sense? Would moving to glasses instead of contacts help?

2) How can I overcome this? I try to consciously relax my eyes when posing for pictures, but even so, my most recent ID card looks as if I'm contemplating turning the photographer into stew. I'm afraid that the old "close your eyes, then open them just before the picture is taken" trick will make things worse. Any other ideas?

Help Me Wash That Red Right Out of My Eye

foxy_hedgehog — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:45:56 -0800

I have a big, noticeable blood vessel cluster in my eye that won't go away, and I would like your advice on reducing or eliminating it. About 4 years ago, a cluster of blood vessels in my eye suddenly popped up bright red, stretching from about midway through the white of my eye to the iris. I'd hoped it was the conventional sort of broken blood vessel, but it's still here after all these years.

I wear extra-permeable contact lenses and switch to my glasses after I get home from the day, so I don't think it's because my eye isn't getting enough oxygen. I also use preservative-free contact lens solution, so I don't think it's being aggravated by an irritant.

Do you have any tips on how to reduce or eliminate this? According to this thread, using Visine for an extended length of time makes the problem worse. I don't have an eye doctor at present and hoped I could start brainstorming here.

My EYES! What have you done to me EYES!

orville sash — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:33:57 -0800

I know YANMED (you are not my eye doctor) but why the hell is it harder for me to see after my prescription was updated? I went to the eye doctor about a month ago to get my prescription updated and get new glasses. After about a week and a half, I began to notice that things were actually al ittle blurrier than they had been (it was kind of hard to tell at first, because it's not a stark change, but I ride my bike to and from work, and I found myself feeling like I had a harder time figuring out what was going on when I was riding down busy streets because I couldn't focus as well.)

I made a follow up appointment with my eye doctor and had them recheck my eyes, and they basically came up with the same prescription (the doctor in question said it was a difference of "about a quarter," whatever the hell that means). She then had me put on my new glasses, set the eye chart on the other end of the room, and asked me if I could read it. I could. She told me "If you are able to read that, that's 20/20 vision."

She went on to explain that because I work with computers, it's possible that my eyes are tired from looking at the screen, and I should try resting them every 25 minutes or so. However, I just can't get over the fact that I went and got a new prescription and it is now WORSE than it was previously. I have tried the "resting my eyes" technique she suggested - staring out the window and focusing on the furthest possible thing for about 30 seconds before going back to work - but it hasn't really made a difference.

Can anyone out there explain to me what might have happened in this scenario? More importantly, what should my next step be? I obviously don't want to have diminished eyesight, but I also don't want to have to throw a ton of money at getting my eyes rechecked somewhere else.

Recommendations for laser eye surgery in London

dmt — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:37:04 -0800

Recommendations for laser eye surgery in London I have been thinking about laser eye surgery for some time. Last month my optician confirmed that my prescription has been stable for long enough that I am now (at 33) a viable candidate. Obviously I’ll look to an ophthalmologist for a definitive view but I’m now interested in taking the next step.

So then, what was your experience with laser eye surgery? Did you use someone in London; were you impressed? What did it cost? Any recommendations on the various available procedures? My sense is that the various procedures are safe but I would really like to avoid halo effects while driving at night.

Finally – and this might be a deal breaker – I would be happy to use eyedrops for a period following the procedure but a year sounds like a hard act to follow; the rest of your life sounds positively onerous.

Additional details: shortsighted by 1.5 in both eyes with mild astigmatism.

Should I see an opthamologist or an optometrist?

desjardins — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:23 -0800

Probably need my first pair of glasses. Haven't had my eyes checked in years. Should I see an opthamologist or an optometrist? My vision is not what it used to be. I look at a computer all day and I'm starting to get eyestrain. Night driving is also more difficult. Should I see an opthamologist just because I haven't had a checkup in awhile? Or is that overkill?

What fun stuff should I know about getting my first pair of glasses? (I'm sure I don't want contacts.)

I'm 35, no known health conditions that would affect vision. I have health/vision insurance.

Why doesn't it damage your eyes to look at light after they've been dilated?

LillyBird — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:52:11 -0800

I'm posting for my wife who just got her eyes dilated at 4 p.m. (so she can't look at the computer to type this herself). I tried to Google my question and couldn't come up with any satisfactory answers. The question is why doesn't dilating your eyes and then viewing any form of light harm your eyes? The pupils adjust to regulate how much light is taken in. Is this a safeguard? I don't see how it's not damaging your eyes to shine a bright light in them when your pupils are fully dilated, because, and I may be wrong, but I've never seen pupils naturally get this big. But then again, you need light to view your eyes so maybe they do in a pitch dark room.

I read Catch Me If You Can, and when Frank was imprisoned in a French dungeon, deprived of any light, they had to slowly reintroduce him to even the dimmest light so not to damage his eyes. Why was this and how would this relate to dilation?

I hope I'm being clear enough. I just want to know why it isn't damaging because the eye doctor told her to come in every year, and it seems like over the course of a lifetime that would be a lot of damage, if damage is occurring. Thanks so much!

How can you see what I saw?

history is a weapon — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:40:32 -0800

In 35 mm terms, how wide angle are our eyes? Understanding that we have our main vision, what we're actually focusing on, and our peripheral vision, what we can sort of see, what're the answers to this? For example, can we focus the equivalent of a 22mm lens on a fullframe 35mm? I understand that our eyes and brain are much more complex than a lens; I'm more interested in the physical frame in terms of what lens would most closely replicate natural vision.

What might one see hiking in the woods at night that looks like glowing eyes?

weston — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:31:52 -0800

What might one see hiking in the woods at night that looks like glowing eyes? A couple of years ago I was part of a hiking party of three to some hot springs in Utah (Diamond Fork). We started late and took a trail we didn't know well. Two hours into the hike, not only were we not finding our destination, but the woods were getting denser and darker, blocking the moonlight, and we were getting progressively more spooked. About 1 am, we stopped to discuss turning around and giving up. This was when a random flashlight probe into the nearby trees revealed... two spark-ish points light that looked for all the world like eyes.

We held the beam there for a moment and asked amongst ourselves to see if everybody thought the same thing. Each of us confirmed this.

Now, at this point, we were pretty much thinking/hoping it might be reflections of dew, or maybe some woodland creature like an owl or a deer. When we moved the flashlight beam away for a bit to test the reflection theory... the points of light remained.

We moved the beam back. The points were still there. We stared for a bit and again asked each other for visual confirmation, getting increasingly nervous. Then they were gone.

We decided to get back as quickly as possible.

Any ideas what we might have seen?

(While I appreciate the fact that the human mind has a large capacity to play tricks on itself, I'm particularly interested in other explanations.)

Ottawoptometrist?

Decimask — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:01:15 -0800

Any recommendations for an optometrist in Ottawa? And what pieces of information do I need (which a doc might not give me) to order new glasses online? (sorry, multi-pronged) I've recenly moved to Ottawa and I haven't gotten new glasses (of a different perscription) in about six years. I have gotten my eyes checked regularly, but the decline has been very slow--last time (3 yrs) I was roughly 20/20 with my current scrip on. Computer eyestrain and street signs are telling me it's time to bite the bullet. That and my main pair broke on me last week. 8(

The last optometrist I went to used some kind of testing method I hadn't encountered before--I don't remember much about it other than it was NOT the standard giant mask with the: "Better or worse? Better or worse?" clicking of lens combinations. All I really remember was having to focus my eyes independantly and I *could not* do it. If anyone knows what that is, I'd love a name so I can avoid it.

Last (I think) is what information do I need to have about my eyes in order to be able to order additional pairs from online places? Pupillary distance¹? Skull measurements?

I know there's been some commentary in AskMe about online places and experiences with said, so I'll go looking for past recommendations. New ones always welcome, though.

1 - I know this term because a friend of mine used to work in the production side of optical industry. He also told me how much a plastic lens blank costs, and I've hated the optical industry in Canada ever since.

I'm not allergic to my cat. I'm allergic to bugs, but only in my makeup. Apparently.

Medieval Maven — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:48:51 -0800

Not sure what sort of doctor to go to about an allergy in my eyes that is not due to dust, pollen, mites, my cat, or any of the usual suspects. I have an allergy to some eye makeup that I've narrowed down to four pots of shadow that I own, and within that pool, one ingredient that I'm fairly sure is the culprit. However, I don't get contact dermatitis - my skin is basically fine - it's when the powder sloughs off into my eyes that the fun begins. (To be clear, I wear a normal amount of this stuff, it's just that there will, inevitably, be some small amount that does get into one's eyes.)

I don't think that my eye doctor deals with allergies (it's not one of the many eye-ailments he lists on his website) and I'm not sure one goes to the dermatologist for one's eyes in this case. Suggestions?

Maybe the askme crowd can tell me I'm overreacting?

Solon and Thanks — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:23:02 -0800

I messed up my eye - please help me figure out doctor stuff. This morning one of my contact lenses fell out without my knowing, and I spent some time trying to remove/fix the non-existent lens, as a result really nastily pulling at and irritating my eye. It now feels sort of bruised and sore on one side. My vision is normal and the sensitive area looks pink and irritated.

The internet is unhelpful but is pretty clear that minor eye problems can become bad if they get infected. I'm not sure if something is torn, but I don't want to mess around with my eyes. I'd like to see someone about it tomorrow if it doesn't feel better then.

My problem is inexperience in dealing with doctors, and the fact that I'm at school - my regular doctor and optometrist are far away. I do have insurance.

Is this something I should go find an emergency room for? To be honest I haven't been to one before and that seems over-the-top. Would urgent care places be prepared for eye-related things? Frankly, the small clinic in the local CVS is the most convenient place. My university (Ohio State) is huge and has a medical center, but I have no experience navigating it beyond getting prescriptions. Wondering where to go for things like this has always been an issue with me.

Any insight would be helpful - especially if someone has had a similar experience and does/doesn't think it's that serious.

Help me find an odd magnifying glass.

dogwelder — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:16:17 -0800

Help me find an odd magnifying glass. A guy at the coffee shop was reading with a magnifying glass, but I'd never seen one like it. Just a chunk of glass, no frame. 3-4 inches in diameter. about an inch think, with a convex top that rose another half inch or so. THe man using it must have had horrible vision, so I was thinking it might be available through a medical supply house, but I can't find it.

Do I need new makeup now?

pyjammy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:48:25 -0800

I was diagnosed today with a fever blister on my left eyeball. Do I need to get rid of my eye makeup? I went to the eye doctor today because of a stabbing pain in my left eye. It felt like it was scratched or had a grain of sand in it. Turns out, there's a tiny fever blister there. (Last time I had an outbreak was in 1992, and it didn't get into my eye, but was very close.)

I assume I will need to toss my contacts (which I last wore yesterday) but should I throw away any makeup I've worn on my eyes recently?

The worst loss is a brand new tube of Lancome mascara, but I can deal with that. I just wanted some opinions before I have to start over buying makeup.

(And should it be just eye makeup? Or all makeup?)

(And yes, I could ask my doctor, but office hours are over for today and it's not something I feel the need to call about.)

My eyes hurt.

srrh — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:24:21 -0800

My eyes have ached for the past week. What's going on? FIRST OF ALL: Unless the general consensus is that I am going to either die or go blind, I will not be going to a doctor until November 1st. I just got married, and due to some shuffling around of insurances, I will not have any coverage until then.

With that out of the way, here's what's going on. I have always been quite nearsighted, and I wear glasses for driving, TV watching, video game playing, or any activity where I need to see further than 5 or 6 feet. My vision up close is fine. Nothing has changed with regards to my vision.

I work in an office environment, with shifts that vary between 8 and 12 hours. I spend most of that time looking at computer screens, though not all of it, because I do fulfillment and inventory work in our warehouse during my downtime. All of my past jobs have been computer jobs, and I've spent lots of time playing on computers and video games as a kid, and never experienced any type of eye strain.

So, last week on the end of my 1st 12 hour shift (I have 2 8 hours and then 2 12 hours), I noticed my eyes really aching, especially if I looked at anything close-ish (within 5 feet or so). The pain was still there, but very dulled, if I looked far away. When I went to sleep that day, it took me hours to drift off, because the pain in my eyes was so bad. It felt as if they were constantly focusing and refocusing. It was distracting and extremely painful.

When I woke up that night, the pain was the same, or maybe even worse. Looking at anything within 5 feet of my face was almost excruciating. However, my drive to work that night was very relaxing for my eyes, and they felt somewhat better after getting to work. I researched eyestrain and read about an exercise where you focus on something near, far, near, far, near, far, then slowly blink a few times. It seemed to relieve the pain quite a lot, though not totally. Maybe down to 20% what it originally was.

Since then, the pain has been intermittent. It has not gotten back up to the terrible flare it was originally. At most, it has been about half as bad, and sometimes it's no problem at all. It doesn't seem to matter if I'm in a bright room or dark room, whether I'm looking at a screen or something else. The pain is still at its worst if I look at something within 5 feet or so, but it can be somewhat mitigated (though not totally) if I wear my glasses at all times, rather than just for distance viewing.

Apart from my eyes aching, my face is very sore because I seem to be constantly squinting. When I notice myself squinting, and relax my face, the eye pain comes back worse. This does not change whether my glasses are on or off, or if I'm looking near or far. Also, the pain is equal in both of my eyes, and, again, there have been no changes whatsoever in my vision.

WHEW. I think I've covered all my bases here, but if there's any other relevant information I should add, please let me know. What do you guys think? If it's just eyestrain, is there anything I can do to permanently relieve it? If it might be something more serious, is there anything I can at least do to lessen the pain until November?

Thanks so much for any help you can provide.

Windows to the soul in constant involuntary motion

chrchr — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:54:10 -0800

What do you see when you encounter someone with nystagmus? I have nystagmus arising from ocular albinism. I realized recently that I'm shy about making eye contact with people, and I think this stems from self-consciousness about it. So, strangers and mefites, please tell me the honest truth. Do you even notice it when someone has nystagmus? If so, how does it register? Is it sorta creepy? My friends seldom comment on it. I know it's not a big deal for people I know. I'm wondering more about first impressions. Thanks.

Dark circles under the eyes

page123 — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:36:33 -0800

What is the best treatment for dark circles under the eyes specifically for southasian skin type?

Tired eyes, constantly. Any ideas why?

humblepigeon — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:56:07 -0800

Constantly tired eyes. Why? I can wake up in the morning and maybe 30 minutes later have tired eyes. This can last all day. My eyes will force themselves closed frequently.

It can happen in my left or right eye (or both). My right eye is affected most and at night I sometimes put my hand over it to enable to me to read in comfort.

Some days I have it. Other days not.

Some important facts: These are NOT dry eyes, or itchy eyes, or scratchy eyes. In fact, more often than not there are tears in my eyes. It literally feels like tired eyes. Imagine how it feels at the end of a long day. IT's just like that. Except it can kick-in 30 minutes after waking from a good night's sleep.

I went to the doctor and he tested for thyroid trouble, and even myasthenia gravis, and some other stuff (they took about five vials of blood!). Everything came back OK. He's discharged me but I intend to go back and argue my case. In the meantime, any help would be useful.

It should be said that I have rather googly eyes (hence the test for thyroid issues). This might have become more pronounced over recent years, but has always kinda been there. Additionally, my right eyebrow droops a little compared to my left, but this also comes and goes, and has been there for years.

Help a massive sissy get contact lenses

paultopia — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:27:11 -0800

I'm a long-term glasses wearer who is going to try to make the leap to contacts. Problem: I have a really strong flinch reflex/phobia of things going into my eye. What to do about this? I tend to freak out and pull away, e.g., during eye exams when they blow air into the eye or, worse, bring a microscope very close to my eye. The optometrist says I'll "maybe" be able to get contacts, and that he has seen worse (i.e., people fainting when the microscope gets close), but that I'm pretty bad.

I have a "training" appointment for contacts on Friday. What can I do to prepare for this? Does anyone else with a flinch reflex/eye phobia have any tips or stories about getting through this and getting comfortable with contacts?

(And should I have a couple drinks [etc.] beforehand, or is that a really stupid idea?)

Help me accept aging.

Anonymous — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:10:58 -0800

"... and loved the sorrows of your changing face." Help me accept the fact that I'm aging. I don't think of myself as a vain person, but I did, throughout my twenties, occasionally, look in the mirror and think, "Damn, how *you* doin'?" Over the last year (I'm 32), I've noticed a significant (to me) change in the way I look-- when I smile, the skin around my eyes explodes into a network of lines and wrinkles, and the bags under my eyes look darker and more foreboding. It's embarrassing that I even notice, much less think, about this stuff, but it's started to wreak havoc on my self-image. Instead of checking the mirror and feeling confident before strutting out the door, I glance in the mirror and think, "Oh no!"

I know aging is natural, and normal, etc., etc., and I *never* thought I would be someone who cared about this. All those women who inject their faces and lift their brows seemed like alien space invaders to me. Now that my own changing appearance is smacking me in the face, it's a different story.

Some possibly relevant details:
*I'm female.
*I was most recently dating someone a few years younger who told me, after we'd broken up, that he'd initially "had some reservations" about dating someone older-- and that a certain face cream I'd been using made me "look younger."
*I just moved into a new apt. with extremely harsh, unflattering bathroom lighting.
*I am regularly asked out on dates. (Two next week!) This provides some counterbalance to my diminished self-concept.

How can I accept the fact that I look different, and older, than I did, and feel confident about this? How can I relax enough to enjoy my dates next week and not worry every time I laugh (which is often) that my face is a cobweb of lost elasticity?

How Dry I Am!

airguitar2 — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:37:19 -0800

VisionFilter: Should I switch from rigid gas permeable lenses to soft? I've been wearing gas permeable contact lenses since i was ELEVEN-- about twenty years-- and I've had almost no problem. Yes, there's the stabbing sensation that accompanies any small piece of grit in the eye, and there was the time I accidentally put one contact on top of the other, but overall, it's been okay.

Then, SUDDENLY, in the last month or so, my eyes have become really dry and uncomfortable while wearing my RGPs-- so much so that I find myself wearing glasses about half of the time.

1. Is there something I can do to get back to the comfort-of-old? (I used the protein deposit remover when I think of it.)
2. Did Boston change its cleaning or conditioner formula when it merged with Bausch and Lomb?
3. Is it time to bite the bullet and switch to soft? (My vision is about -4 in each eye, and I've been told I won't have as crisp vision with soft, but perhaps lens technology has changed...?)

Thanks, fellow sufferers.

No more blind spots

catlet — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:30:12 -0800

A friend requires cataract surgery in the near future, and has some questions about his options for MeFites who've pondered the same issues. (I have seen this thread and pointed him to it - juggler, have you had your surgery yet? What did you decide to do?)

My friend is 43. He has been mildly nearsighted since 12 and has worn glasses/contacts for distance vision since then, but has never had problems with very close vision. The cataract in his left eye is quite advanced, the right one less so; he is planning to have both done, but has not chosen his replacement lenses yet.

Single focus lenses: It appears that he could choose to have single focus close-focus lenses in both eyes, or single focus distance-focus lenses. If you have two close-focus lenses, how well can you see small things up close, like tiny iPhone screws or needles to thread? If you have two distance-focus lenses, can you read without glasses and do other close work? Is there a reason to choose one over the other? If you could do it over, would you get the same focal distances?

Multi-focus lenses: What kind of lens did you get? How happy are you with your overall vision? Was it worth the extra expense? He has BCBS insurance and will probably have to pay above the coverage cost to get multi-focal lenses.

Special bonus question: Anyone with the new Crystalens accommodating lens? TruncatedTiller, you posted that your wife has them - is she still happy? How does it compare to her natural vision?

Thanks, hivemind. If you prefer e-mail, drop me a note at metacatlet @ gmail or MeMail, and I will pass it along.

Fancy new machine at my eye exam?

miskatonic — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:10:15 -0800

What was the machine used at my eye exam instead pupil dilation? I recently had my first eye exam in a couple of years, and was dreading the part where they dilate your pupils as it was a bright, sunny summer day. But that never happened! Instead, I had to smush my face up against a machine I'd never seen before which flashed a green light into each eye and took a photo of the back of it.

Afterwards, the photos were imported into a Windows program, and the doctor showed me the photos and pointed out the different things she was looking for. It was fascinating seeing my optic nerve and everything. Anyone know what this device or procedure is called?

Why do women use black eyeliner on the bottom of their eyes?

espertus — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:37:59 -0800

Why do some women paint the bottom of their eyes with black eyeliner? I'm not talking about Goth women. These are women who are otherwise conventionally dressed, coiffed, and made up. I understand other make-up, such as mascara, lipstick, foundation, and blush, but do people really find dark eye bottoms attractive? They make me think of raccoons.