Vision problems: Can anyone relate, explain... - Cure Parkinson's

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Vision problems

Boyce3600 profile image
24 Replies

Can anyone relate, explain, give suggestions? Husband seems to see things very differently than before. He has trouble getting seat belt buckled because he says he cannot see where it fits together. Some of that is due to having difficulty pulling tbe belt across his body, and getting his arm and hand in correct positions so he can see where to fit it together,and some to the lack of pressure he puts on the buckle to make it click together, but even when he is looking at both parts, it is very hard to connect it; he hangs his shirts crooked on the hangars, he judges distance incorrectly. Depth perception appears off. Eye exam shows 20/ 20 in one eye with some lense correction and near that in other eye. New glasses coming in few days. Has great far away vision and could just purchase over tbe counter glasses for that, per opthalmologist, but chose to get bifocals for simplicity. He is quite frustrated.

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Boyce3600 profile image
Boyce3600
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24 Replies
rrunk7 profile image
rrunk7

I understand that vision problems are very common in Parkinson's, largely because the eye muscles don't work together as they should. My spouse has problems similar to the ones you have described. Both neurologists and Opthamologists should know this. I understand that prism glasses and eyepatches can be very helpful in this regard.

rhyspeace12 profile image
rhyspeace12

My husband with PD complains that since he had cataract surgery he can't see nearly as well. I myself have 20/20 vision though I am near sighted in one eye and far sighted in the other . I can't judge distance and have to figure out where I think the ball is ,like in bocce ball or golf. I've adjusted to it fairly well over the years though i am a nervous driver. I get too far away from things, not too close.

When my brother in law had cataract surgery, he had special lenses put in to correct his terrible vision that he had from childhood.

I suspect he could've had a minor stroke. Get him to see his GP ASAP. It is common to do such things after a stroke, they can draw half a picture etc. This is because one side of the brain has been affected in the bit that she's the seeing and the brain is only registering one side not two.

PS if he's driving he must stop now until the all clear given. Sorry, I understand how hard all this is. Not everything that happens is to do with Parkinson's, that is easily forgotten.

beauxreflets profile image
beauxreflets

He may have a very small 'blind area' - Where a small cluster or band of cells within the retina rods and cones, are not registering the light correctly or sufficiently enough, when viewing things from certain angles or in conditions of low confined lighting.

I had a Ophthalmic test for this a few years ago as part of my usual eye testing.

Astra7 profile image
Astra7

When he looks at the floor does it seem wavy?

Hikoi profile image
Hikoi

I have trouble with doing up seat belts because i have lost some finer motor skills. Your husband could have that problem but also it sounds like he may have vision processing problems.

Large amount of the brain is devoted to vision and most neurologic disease affect visual pathways. Damage to these visual processing areas of the brain can cause unusual problems like

Alexia= The inability to read

Agnosia= difficulty recognising objects

Prosopagnosia= difficulty recognizing faces

Other PD eye problems are well documented and include blurred vision, difficulty moving your eyes, double vision, dry eyes, involuntary closure of the eyelids (blepharospasm), problems with low light levels (contrast sensitivity), colour vision problems, spatial awareness problems

Many opticians do not know about this.

cabbagecottage profile image
cabbagecottage in reply toHikoi

Spacial awareness comes into it as well and cognivity

Babowen898 profile image
Babowen898

My husband has the same issues. His perception is very compromised, and the seat belt example is the same with him. He is still driving, but only around home (we live in a very rural area). When he needs to make a turn onto another road or into our drive, he slows down (too slow for safe driving), and creeps into the intersection or our drive. His neurologist confirms that this is definitely PD. I don't think there is a remedy; we are learning to live with it.

cabbagecottage profile image
cabbagecottage in reply toBabowen898

Do excuse the pun ,,, Keep an eye on that . IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME FOR MY HUSBAND HE HAD STARETD TO CLIP THE KERB ON CORNERS BEBDS AND VEER TO CENTRE IF ROAD ,

IT BECAME THAT I HAD TO TELL HIM TO STOP DRIVING . VERY SENSIBLE MAN DID .. CHANGE OUR LIFESTYLE I DONT DRIVE .

KEPT US AND EVRYONE EKSE SAFE THOUGH

Lynnie1 profile image
Lynnie1

Oh, I can definitely relate! And my PD guy sees images. Sees people where there ARE no people, and kind of jokes about it. He does have issues with the seatbelt as well, but the vast majority of his PD is cognitive, so we figure that's the cause. But, yes, he hangs clothing sideways on hangers, etc. and will even put a tee shirt on backward. His driving scares me, so I do the driving, even though supposedly his eyesight is ok. We're working on improving things by Parkinson's classes, exercise, repetitive hand/eye coordination exercises.

cabbagecottage profile image
cabbagecottage in reply toLynnie1

Has he always been a bit like that ... I use to tell my husband he was mechanically dyslexic ... So he saw things backwards , ifof so I thought . He asked me one day to show him how I ironed incase he ever needed to know if I became ill .

He didn't have a clue .

Lynnie1 profile image
Lynnie1 in reply tocabbagecottage

😆 Ron says he was always "mechanically dyslexic" - great term, by the way - he used to be kidded about it by his family. He had always been a bit ADHD & OCD, so that doesn't make things easier for him now. I just ordered NAC for him, it's been suggested by others in this community. I hope it helps!

cabbagecottage profile image
cabbagecottage in reply toLynnie1

What is NAC?

Lynnie1 profile image
Lynnie1 in reply tocabbagecottage

It's a supplement, here's a link, look in the "may help" section

wholehealthmd.com/ME2/dirmo...

cabbagecottage profile image
cabbagecottage in reply toLynnie1

johns dad use to tell him he was hopeless!!

Not nice but prob frustrating for his dad .

munchybunch profile image
munchybunch in reply toLynnie1

Does he hold glasses on a slant so it looks as if it will spill??just wondering as my husband does that

Boyce3600 profile image
Boyce3600 in reply tomunchybunch

Actually, he puts them on and then lifts to look under them, then takes them off i really dont think tbey help very much. Our neuro optometrist said to get an OTC pair of 1.25s these have helped with eating a lot but its still not perfect

Gradually over the past few years my husband has developed all the eye problems like poor depth perception, reading problems and at times not opening his eyelids. He is at the point now that he can only read 3 inch high headlines but he says sometimes it is blurred. Vision glasses do nothing. The ophthalmologist said it is all caused by PD and he cannot help him anymore at this time.

midnightwonder profile image
midnightwonder

Find a Nuro-Ophthalmologist. It could be a problem that requires something other than an optical fix.

Boyce3600 profile image
Boyce3600 in reply tomidnightwonder

For example??

Bpetie6 profile image
Bpetie6

From w hat I understand the eyes can be effected just like the rest of our bodies with PD

. I have to get a prism in my glasses so my vision can be brought back to even.

munchybunch profile image
munchybunch in reply toBpetie6

Does that help a lot? What exactly is a prism? Sorry I'm new to all this stuff!!

cabbagecottage profile image
cabbagecottage

It's the messages sent become slower to all parts of the body including eyes is my bascpic understanding ...

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