Odd visual effed

Discussion in 'Optometry Archives' started by Rod Speed, Jun 6, 2010.

  1. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Mike Tyner wrote
    What you are calling flare doesnt appear to be the effect I am getting.

    And none of the official web sites on cataracts mentions flares either.
    The bulk of my relos make it into their 90s and not one of them has ever had a cataract.
    Nope, she was saying that I need to see a doctor so the doctor can work out why I am getting that effect.

    She explicitly said it wasnt a cataract, tho it remains to be seen if that proves to be correct after an eye exam.
    Made the appointment this am, he's away on a course for 3 days and is booked up for 3 weeks.

    I am first in line for a cancellation, looks like it should be on Thursday.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #21
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  2. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Salmon Egg wrote
    Presumably that he already had the best prescription.
    Yes, and that the prescription is fine.
    Yes, but I dont get the effect when I dont wear my glasses.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #22
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  3. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Its the only one we have available, provided by the state govt.
    No problem, I can be pretty blunt myself.
    Trouble is that I dont get any of the other symptoms usually seen with a
    cataract,
    and dont get that effect without the glasses on, or with a pinhole either.
    Yeah, thats what I decided too after more thought.

    Turns out the the optometrist is away for 3 days on a course, and the
    appointments are backed up for 3 weeks too, so I first in line to get a
    cancellation and they claimed that that should happen on Thursday.
    Nar, its nothing like mine. Mine are full radial line which go right into the
    bright spot itself,
    just 3 of them in just one 90degree quadrant, and they arent there at all
    without the glasses,
    or with a pinhole. Surely they should still be there without the glasses if it
    was a cataract ?
    Not with mine which are full quite thick radial lines right into the bright spot
    itself.

    Mine is much closer to the other image posted on the newsgroup,
    but without the blurring of the central spot, and only in one quadrant.
    Sure, but thats all there is anyway.
    Sure, but mine doesnt.
    Yeah, thats what we did with the current prescription, 10 years or so ago.
    Yeah, I should have mentioned the age. Dont have the other data
    tho except that the prescription hasnt changed in a long time now.
    Yes he does, and took photos only about a year ago when I had a different
    problem with double images that went away when pressing on the top outer
    corner of the frame. That effect went away quite quickly, in days after the
    exam wherte he said that there wasnt any problem.
    Yeah, tho the receptionist did say that what she called streaks are urgent.

    She didnt say why.
    Not getting any pain at all.
    They arent really star bursts.
    Mine gets WORSE with glasses, no sign of them at all without the glasses.
    Surely the fact that I dont get the effect without glasses does tho ?
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #23
  4. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Salmon Egg wrote
    If you arent counting PhDs, someone with a medical degree.
    Yes, but they have PhDs.
    Corse not, that would be willfully molesting a fossil.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #24
  5. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Dan Abel wrote
    Yeah, it can get complicated.
    Did you test positive for the pancreatitus specific test ?
    One obvious possibility is that one or other was a
    misdiagnosis, or that you actually did have both problems.

    Gallstones are very common indeed, a very high percentage of people
    have them at autopsy after death, many have never had any symptoms.
    It actually says

    "Acute pancreatitis is usually caused by gallstones or by drinking too much
    alcohol, but these aren't the only causes. If alcohol use and gallstones are
    ruled out, other possible causes of pancreatitis should be carefully examined
    so that appropriate treatment-if available-can begin"

    And

    "How is acute pancreatitis diagnosed?

    Besides asking about a person's medical history and doing a physical exam, a doctor
    will order a blood test to diagnose acute pancreatitis. During acute attacks, the blood
    contains at least three times more amylase and lipase than usual. Amylase and lipase
    are digestive enzymes formed in the pancreas. Changes may also occur in blood levels
    of glucose, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate. After the pancreas
    improves, these levels usually return to normal.

    A doctor may also order an abdominal ultrasound to look for gallstones and
    a CAT (computerized axial tomography) scan to look for inflammation or
    destruction of the pancreas. CAT scans are also useful in locating pseudocysts"
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #25
  6. Rod Speed

    Dan Abel Guest

    No, there are others. DD (Doctor of Divinity) is common. DMA (Doctor
    of Musical Arts) is not common, but is offered, along with the PhD, by
    top music schools in the US.
     
    Dan Abel, Jun 7, 2010
    #26
  7. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Some more detail that I have since noticed.

    The fact that I dont get the effect without the glasses may not be that significant.

    Since I am short sighted, I have to be quite close to the LED to see it in focus without my glasses.

    At that distance, I dont get the visual effect with or without the glasses.

    Presumably it must be significant that I dont get the effect with the bright light quite close, say a foot away from the
    eye.

    I have also noticed that when the LED is say 8' away, if I screw up my eyes, the detail of the flares does change,
    reducing the length of the flare that is vertical, down from the LED and to some extent detatching it from the LED
    itself.

    But that only happens when viewed thru the bottom of the quite large glasses lens.
    I dont get any effect at all when the led is viewed thru the top third of the lens by
    tilting my head forward, with the LED at the same distance from the eye.

    Odder and odder.

    Doesnt sound much like cataracts to me, cant see how a cataract would give those effects.

    Sound more like a distortion in the lens that has developed or something, and the second
    effect may suggest that the distortion in the lens is in the bottom part of the lens in the eye.

    Presumably the optometrist will be able to see that distortion with the eye exam.

    Pity in some ways that it isnt just some effect with the glasses lens that can obviously be replaced easily.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #27
  8. Rod Speed

    Dan Abel Guest

    Don't know. Blood tests were abnormal, though.
    It was finally forced through my thick head that they are often related,
    so that I did in fact have both the first time.
    They took out the gall bladder this last time. The surgeon said it was
    full of stones and very scarred, so she figured it had probably been
    causing problems for some time.
    My blood tests were abnormal, but got better.
    I had an ultrasound both times, and both times it didn't show much.
     
    Dan Abel, Jun 7, 2010
    #28
  9. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Salmon Egg wrote
    There isnt any evidence that supports the possibility that it is a cataract.
    I never said anything has to be done. It would certainly be desirable
    to get rid of the visual effect I am getting if that is possible without
    surgery etc but I am not proposing to get a new cornea if it say
    turns out to just be a lens defect thats developed.

    Even with night vision when driving where the effect with lights is very
    noticeable, it would make more sense to drive with one eye covered
    if it isnt feasible to fix the problem with a different glasses lens.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #29
  10. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Dan Abel wrote
    Yes, I was too careless with my use of PhD which is Doctor of Philosophy.

    Even that title doesnt make a lot of sense with PhDs in science etc.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #30
  11. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Dan Abel wrote
    Presumably that abnormality was what is referred to below.
    Yeah, not surprising given that gallstones are so common.

    Dunno that they are related tho, certainly alcohol which is also mentioned isnt.
    I havent bothered to do anything about mine. I dont get the
    symptoms very often at all and they dont last long when I do.

    I do get a problem with not being able to stand up for all that long
    without a break but there is considerable disagreement about
    whether that is the gallsones or something else. One characteristic
    of it is that sitting in my usual armchair for say 5 minutes makes
    the pain when standing go away. Most of the doctors have some
    difficulty reconciling that with gallstones which are certainly there,
    found with an ultrasound. The main reason I believe that its due
    to the gallstones is because it feels exactly the same as the
    pain I get when its the gallstones, tho when its due to the
    gallstones, it doesnt go away when sitting in the armchair.

    The other rather odd effect I got just one time was that when it
    was due to gallstones the first time, I got a very odd effect where
    sitting in a particular position with my feet up on the table in the
    ER made the pain go away completely while in that position.

    No one diagnosed that as gallstones that time and it took a couple
    more due to gallstones that got the best GP to order the ultrasound,
    after the dud had decided it was pancreatitus in spite of the test
    saying that it wasnt and best GP clearly deciding that it wasnt
    pancreatitus, tho he wasnt prepared to say that the dud GP
    was off with the fairys, that was clearly what he believed.
    Yeah, both pancreatitus and gallstones are episodal.
    Thats surprising given what the surgeon found.

    With mine, the gallstones stood out like dogs balls, completely obvious apparently.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #31
  12. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Nope, they have a degree in pharmacology.
    Not sure about them, pretty sure they mostly have engineering degrees.
    Yeah, chemists end up in all sorts of other fields. I did too, ended up
    in computing, essentially because the fancy machine I built for the MSc
    involved a PDP8S used as a controller for a sampling CRO and I decided
    in the late 60s that computing had a lot more future than physical chemistry.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #32
  13. Rod Speed

    Dan Abel Guest

    If you look at the cite above, you can see that the gall bladder, liver
    and pancreas are all hooked to the common bile duct, which drains into
    the small intestine. If a gallstone gets stuck in certain places, it
    will block the pancreas from emptying its digestive juices and they will
    back up into the pancreas and cause pancreatitis. At least I think
    that's how it works.
     
    Dan Abel, Jun 7, 2010
    #33
  14. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Dan Abel wrote
    Yes, and I knew that already.
    Sure, but that doesnt mean pancreatitus and gallstones
    are related any more than say alcohol and pancreatitus is.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 7, 2010
    #34
  15. Rod Speed

    Dan Abel Guest

    Mike is a very experienced optometrist. I seldom argue much with him.
    To get more information. The information he's gotten says there is no
    emergency.
    That's the advice he's gotten, and that's what he's going to do. If it
    is cataract, lack of treatment causes no problems. I was diagnosed with
    cataract, no question, and it was several years before the doctor said
    it was time for surgery. I've had the surgery in both eyes, and both
    times, once the doctor said it was time, I got the next available
    routine surgery time, which was several months in the future.
     
    Dan Abel, Jun 8, 2010
    #35
  16. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Dan Abel wrote
    He is talking about a visual effect which is nothing like the one I am getting.

    Since I now have an appointment with my optometrist, for Thursday,
    I will make a jpg of what it looks like so we can cut to the chase and
    will post that here when I have done that too.
    I argue with anyone when the detail doesnt match what is actually seen.
    On a Sunday when there was no optometrist to consult and
    since the problem had been there for a couple of weeks at
    least, it didnt seem like something that the ER would be
    any help with and that was what the phone service said too.

    I prefer to have a clear idea about the possibilitys before seeing
    a medical professional, because that works better than just
    rocking up as seeing what they say. You can ask more useful
    questions about why they believe its a particular problem.

    Thats not necessarily any big deal if it does turn out to be
    a cataract because that is so easy for a medical professional
    to diagnose, but like I said, I dont get any of the symptoms
    that are normally seen with cataract and not one of the online
    sources even mention the sort of visual effect I am getting
    as something seen with cataracts.
    Yeah, out waiting times are that long for a cataract too,
    one of my neighbours has just had both eyes done.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 8, 2010
    #36
  17. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    To see if someone could come up with what the possibilitys might be.

    Like I said in my original, its not something that is that easy to
    google for and even with the word flares which I was not aware
    of until it was mentioned here, that didnt help much and I still
    cant find any official site that lists the visual effect I am getting,
    let alone say what that is commonly caused by.
    I posted on a sunday, no doctors available except the
    ER and the phone service didnt suggest using the ER.

    The other question that arose was whether it made more
    sense to see the GP or an optometrist first. Since none
    of the GPs apparently have much in the way of equipment
    to look at eye lenses etc, its seems likely that an optometrist
    is the way to go, because he should be able to tell me that
    it looks like a problem that I need an opthalmologist for etc.

    It turns out that there wasnt even an optometrist available,
    he's on a course in the state capital and wont be back till
    Thursday. He has a 3 week appointment backup. His
    receptionist called my effect streaks and said that they
    normally do prioritise people who have those, so she said
    that I would get the first cancellation and then she rang me
    yesterday to say that I had got an appointment on Thursday.
    It doesnt appear to be that urgent, particularly given that
    I had first noticed the effect a couple of weeks ago and it
    isnt obviously getting worse and its just a visual effect,
    no other effect that make it sound urgent.

    The phone service did say that I should see a doctor
    within 72 hours, but didnt have any objection to seeing
    an optometrist when I asked which would be better.

    They appear to be very conservative, presumably to protect their
    arse, saying I should wear dark glasses when outside etc. I dont
    even have any, and havent been outside anyway, its winter here.

    But I had been out quite a few times in the couple of weeks
    since I had first noticed some effect at night with car tail lights,
    and hadnt had any downsides from doing that, so that sounds
    too conservative to be bothered with.
    Thats what I always intended to do, just wanted to get a
    clear idea about the possibilitys first, and see what people
    thought about the alternative of the GP or the optometrist.

    Our optometrists are well qualified to tell people if they need
    to see a doctor, and mine does have some deal with the govt
    health service that saw him do a proper internal eye exam and
    take some photos at govt expense when I had a different problem.
    I dont have any insurance, we have a decent universal national health service in my country.

    Using a GP does cost a copayment of about $15 or something, but thats
    so small that I couldnt care less if it turns out that a GP is appropriate.

    The last eye exam by the optometrist didnt cost me a cent, the govt paid for
    it entirely, no copayment and since he does have the hardware to do it, and
    the GP doesnt, it sounds like the optometrist is the one to see first given that
    if it turns out to be due to something else entirely like the drugs I am on for the
    heart stent, the optometrist will be able to tell me that I need to see the GP.

    OTOH I did have a very comprehensive look at the professional
    literature for the drugs I am on when I was first prescribed them
    and there is no mention of any effect on vision with any of those.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 8, 2010
    #37
  18. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Mike Tyner wrote
    Thats just plain wrong. The visual effect I am getting
    can certainly be seen with a lens defect in the eye.

    And that would explain why I the visual effect
    changes a little when I screw up my eyes as
    well. Cant see why a cataract would get that effect.

    And I dont see any effect at all without my glasses, or with a pinhole.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 8, 2010
    #38
  19. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    Salmon Egg wrote
    You're wrong.

    I didnt even say that its not a cataract, I JUST said that there isnt
    any EVIDENCE that supports the possibility that its a cataract.

    Mike's visual effect is nothing like the effect I am getting.
    There isnt any evidence of any clouding of the lens.

    In fact since I dont get the visual effect when not wearing the glasses,
    you might care to explain how that could happen with a cataract.
    I never said that.
    Corse it could be something else when I dont get any of the
    classic symptoms of a cataract and NOT ONE of the official
    sites even mentions the visual effect I am getting with cataracts.
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 8, 2010
    #39
  20. Rod Speed

    Rod Speed Guest

    I was planning to draw the visual effect that I am getting, but it turns out to be
    rather harder to draw with the electronic tools like Paint than I though it would be.

    Is there a set of commonly seen visual effects that I can just select from ?
     
    Rod Speed, Jun 8, 2010
    #40
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