Caroline wrote:
Hi,

I have ocular albinism resulting in low vision of around 20/100 corrected in my best eye. I have always had to be very close to text in order to read. I work with computers and find that as a result of needing to be so close to the screen, I have horrible posture. Is there any way that I can increase the working distance from my monitor? If not, do you have suggestions for an ergonomic work environment?

thanks,
Caroline

ANSWER

Hello Caroline,

There should be a Low Vision Association near you, to offer information, support and advise on new products.  They also can come out and assess your work environment and needs.

The Association will send assessors to your work environment and depending on your specific needs, they will offer you advise, support and information.

Zoom Text, a computer software, magnifies writing on screen, also changes color to enhance contrast, and you can control mouse pointer color.  It also has an option to read the test to you while you listen.

Another option but more expensive, is a bigger screen, 19 inch screen, which magnifies writing, you connect it to your computer and that will allow you to work further away from the screen.  There is different kinds and some come black and white and some come colored.

I think there are few options for you.  Start by getting the right team to assess your work environment and your specific needs.

Good luck

Lindsay wrote:
I am 22 years old and was in a car accident 8 months ago. I experienced severe trauma to my right eye which caused a vitreous detachment. I was referred to a specialist due to the fear I would develop a retinal detachment, but after 2 follow up appointments nothing indicated that this would occur and I needed no further appointments. Ever since my accident, my eyes have bothered me frequently. It is as if my eyes do not focus the same anymore. I do wear glasses and contacts, but following a checkup my prescription has not changed which leads me to believe that this is not the cause of my eye discomfort. I find it extremely difficult to read for a prolonged period of time, or watch TV for that matter. As I am a student, I spend a large portion of time on my computer doing research and writing papers, and it is increasingly difficult to get any work done because my eyes refuse to focus naturally and I need to squint and really concentrate in order to read or write. It is almost as if my right eye is slightly fuzzy or cloudy 100% of the time, and that if I could just rub my eye it would clear up, but it doesnt. It is almost like waking up first thing in the morning when your eyes a kind of fuzzy and unfocused, except that it never goes away. It is becoming really frustrating because it is so distracting, even during lectures I always wish I could just rinse my eye or rub it really hard and have it clear up but nothing makes the minor cloudiness go away. Is this normal for someone who has experienced a vitreous attachment? I have only had this problem post-accident, so I assume that it is somehow connected to it. Also, is there anything I can do about it? It is driving me nuts! Any information would be appreciated because I cannot get in to see my eye doctor until 5 months from now… I really just want to make sure it is nothing serious/ nothing that will get worse, and also wish to know if there is anything I can do about it. Thanks so much.

ANSWER

Hello Lindsay,

Sounds very frustrating… It is hard to diagnose because I have so many questions, however, first thing you have to do, is see your optometrist, and make sure you have the maximum correction for distance and also for near.  You may have developed a little near prescription due to eye muscle fatigue post accident.  Also get your optometrist to dilate your eyes and check the vit. detachment and make sure there is no traction on retina.  and then examine your fovea (central vision) and make sure that part is OK.  Your optometrist should also check if you maybe developed a little cataract in your right eye due to trauma.  and screen you for glaucoma due to trauma.  If all come out negative, and your new prescription does not make the blur go away, then unfortunately that’s all that can be done, and hopefully with time your brain will learn to suppress that little blurry in right eye, but might take time.

Good luck

Ziming wrote:
Hi I’ve been seeing double vision (a fainter one above the normal) in one eye , and it’s been progressively getting worse in the last 2 weeks. So I went back for another eye exam and they think it has to do with the “focal center” or something of the eye being too low, but then when I took it to the store they said that the focal centres only matter between two eyes and that on one eye it was the lens axis that might be affecting me. Can you help?

ANSWER

Hello Ziming,
I’m not sure I understand your question completely, but what I’m gathering is that you’ve been experiencing double vision since you got your new glasses.  I’m going to assume that your optometrist has ruled out all of the potential health concerns that may cause double vision.

It sounds like your optometrist thinks that the cause of the double vision is misalignment of the optical centres of your lenses.  Depending on the strength of your prescription, it’s likely that your lenses are only correct when the centre of the lens lines up with the centre of your pupil.  If the centre of one lens is higher than the other, it can cause symptoms of headaches, eye strain, or even double vision.  It sounds like your optical thinks the problem is that one of the lenses is rotated.  In my experience, however, a rotated lens usually causes symptoms of blur rather than double vision.

Without knowing your prescription exactly and examining your glasses myself, it is hard to say exactly what the problem is.  My recommendation would be to return to your optometrist to have him/her mark on the lens where the optical centres are so that the optical store can see what your optometrist’s concern is.
Good luck!
Dr. Donati

Al wrote:
Hi,
I should probably point out that I haven’t been to an eye doctor in a few years. Anyways, last night my left eye suddenly got really red. The veins in my eye because very red and visible and it looked like it was coming from the bottom up. I put in an eye drop and it cleared up a little bit as the night went on. This morning when I woke up my eye was worse, but I “washed” it out with some warm water and in a couple hours it was completely fine. I’m worried now that I might have acute glaucoma, thanks to some online research. It probably isn’t this (fingers crossed) but I am really worried. I don’t wear contacts/glasses, and it doesn’t hurt or itch. When I put water on it, it stings a little bit for a second or two. Should I be very concerned? I’m very worried about money as I am a uni student and am very low on cash.

ANSWER

Hi Al,
It is very unlikely that it is acute glaucoma as this is a very rare condition especially in the younger population. With acute angle closure glaucoma you would have extreme pain and blurred vision. It is more likely that you may have some sort of conjunctivitis or inflammation. Of course there is no way to know if you are suffering from a serious condition unless you have your eyes examined. I would recommend seeing an optometrist as soon as possible to rule out any serious causes of the redness. You may very well require treatment to assist in the healing of your problem. Good luck.

Dr. Doman

Alex wrote:
I (stupidly) was rubbing my eyes, perhaps a bit too hard. I didn’t notice anything happened except that my left eye started to become irritated, swell up a bit and begin to water. I didn’t think too much of it, but it started to bother me. So I checked it out in the mirror and saw that the left side conjunctiva had a bubble. It’s as if the elasticity has left and filled with fluid. I usually wear contacts, but this happened with them out.
I will not wear contacts until my eye is better and will definitely make an appointment with my optometrist as soon as possible. However, I can’t seem to find any information on my condition online and wanted to know if I should seek immediate help.

Tomorrow is Canada Day so I don’t think I can see anyone outside of the emergency room. What can it be and is it dangerous? It’s not painful, a bit red and my vision has not changed.

Thank you!
Alex

ANSWER

Hi Alex,
What you experienced was an allergic response. I imagine that it probably calmed down fairly quickly after the initial episode. Likely something irritated your eye, which prompted you to rub it. When you rub your eyes this can start the allergic response cascade. This causes the eye to become more itchy, red and swollen. The swelling can affect your eyelids or conjunctiva and can be very dramatic. That is why you would have had the bubble appearance on your conjunctiva. Once you stop rubbing your eye the swelling goes down fairly quickly. If it happens again applying cold compresses to the affected area immediately will provide some relief. Your Optometrist may be able to recommend an anti-allergy drop for you to use. To avoid future flare-ups it is advised to avoid the offending agent (that is if you know what it is) and refrain from rubbing your eyes when they are itchy.

Dr. Doman

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Clara wrote:
Is it safe to apply eyeliner to the water line? If not why? I was told it wasn’t safe by an cosmetician but i have been doing it for years and never had a problem.

ANSWER

Clara,
I’m not sure what you mean by the “water line”, but I will assume you mean inside the lashes next to the eyeball and the tears.  That part of your lid contains many glands that produce components of your tears, especially the oil layer.  Since most eyeliner pencils are wax, you will block these glands to some extent.  A blocked oil gland can easily become infected -a stye; or impacted - a chalazion.  Neither of these conditions is pleasant.  The oil layer is important as it keeps your tears from evaporating.

Dr. Joan Hansen, Optometrist for CAO

Jason wrote:
My son is 6months old / 3 months corrected and has a clear portion in the white part of his eye just to the right of pupil.  Should we be taking him to a hospital / is this a cyst that may go away on its own?

ANSWER

Jason,
I would definitely recommend taking your son to see an optometrist for an assessment.  If it is on the white part of the eye (the conjunctiva) there is a good chance that it is a cyst, but you need to have him examined to know for sure.  From your question it looks like your son was premature, so if that is the case I am guessing that he may already have had an eye exam.  If not it is recommended that children have their first eye exam at six months of age.  Either way you should have him checked since you are noticing something new.
Dr. Doman

Stephanie wrote:
A week ago I woke up and I was seeing spots. It’s like a camera flash went off in my face, but the spots haven’t faded. Mainly the spots don’t bother me but one is in the direct center of my eye and makes focusing on things in the distance or in bright lights very difficult. My optometrist checked me out and my eye pressure is fine, he found nothing at all wrong with my eyes, but it’s persisted for a week. I thought it might be an ocular migraine or due to sinus pressure from allergies, but for a whole week?

What could it be?

ANSWER

Stephanie,
The most common reason that you would see spots in your vision is what we call floaters.  Floaters occur when pieces of the vitreous (gel) inside our eyes changes shape.  This can result in condensed areas of the gel, which form shadows on our retina and we see them as spots.  These are usually gray in colour and can be different shapes and sizes. Certain medications can have ocular side effects that can cause spots to appear in your vision.  If you have started any new medications you would want to mention your symptoms to your family doctor.  The good news is that you have already had your eyes examined.  If the spots change or increase in number you should return to your optometrist for another exam.
Dr. Doman

Lynn wrote:
I see a small black spot at times from my right eye when I am reading, especially when the background is white. It is not in my direct line of vision. Should I be worried?

ANSWER

Lynn,
What you are describing sounds like what we call a floater.  Floaters are caused when the vitreous (gel) inside our eye changes.  Little pieces of the gel can condense together and this causes a shadow on the retina, which we see as a black spot in our vision.  Floaters are very common, but if they are a new phenomenon for you I would absolutely recommend an eye exam to rule out any retinal problem.  Retinal problems such as retinal holes and tears can also cause you to see spots in your vision.  The spot is likely benign in nature, but better safe than sorry.
Dr. Doman

robert wrote:
my eyes get very bloodshot and about once a month the white part gets so red that people comment on it.
my question is, would the medication I am on (warfarin), cause this condition?

thank you….bob

ANSWER

Dear Bob

Warfarin aims to  reduce the blood’s ability to clot and could contribute to create spontaneous conjunctival haemorrhage like the ones you describe.  Mention the problem to your doctor when you have your next check-up and see what he has to offer… It is always risks vs benefits… If there is no other medication to treat your blood flow problems, you will have to live with the red eyes. However, your doctor, knowing the big picture of your health, can also prescribe another drug, with fewer side-effects, that will be as efftive as the warfarin is.

Good luck and thanks for asking this interesting question

Dr. Langis Michaud, OD, MSc, FAAO (Dipl)
Professeur Agrégé
Université de Montréal