brain fog!

[Belladoodle]

hi there,

last year I had a closed angle glaucoma. I had little warning, thr blood pressure in my right eye suddenly shot up to 80 and I was temporarily blind in that eye. I had a week’s stay in hospital and an operation to bring the pressure down. It is amazing that I have retained quite a bit of sight in my right eye. However the optic nerve was slightly damaged and my pupil is distorted and less reactive to light than the other eye. 6 weeks after that stay, I had cateract surgery on my left eye as a preventative measure.

During this period, I couldn’t wear my existing glasses as my prescription kept changing as my eyes recovered. I now have glasses of the right prescription.

What is around now. Is that I am experiencing a BRAIN FUZZ/FOG when I wear my new glasses. I find it distressing. Strangely it disappears as the light fades and dusk comes. I wondered if anybody else experiences this brain fog. I am hoping it might disappear as my brain gets used to the discrepancy between my eyes.

thanks for listening

[Trish_GlaucomaUK Partner]

It could be that you have photophobia and find it difficult to focus is bright light. Antiglare wraparound glasses may help with this. You also mention that you recently had cataracts surgery. If the blurriness is in that eye, it could be the capsule has become cloudy. If so, this can easily be rectified by laser treatment. Also, go back to your opticians and ask them to check your prescription.

[Wicked26 in reply to Trish_GlaucomaUK]

Yes I have photophobia it's murder when the sun is fierce and especially when you have slit checkups at clinic I can hardly see after them tests

[CTinUS]

Hello there - It's so interesting you ask this because I've been meaning to ask this myself. My eye problems are not as severe as yours, but as my vision is becoming cloudier (from a cataract in my left eye that will soon get removed and a large floater that acts like a piece of gauze over my right eye following a retina detachment last year) I'm finding it's more difficult to stay mentally focused on things.

I can only imagine that as the brain tries harder to process things visually, it interferes with mental acuity. It's almost as though I'm trying to think after a few drinks even though I'm completely sober. Does that match anything you're experiencing? I'm curious to learn if others have this as well.

I wish you luck and hope the brain fog/fuzz does clear up as your eyes get accustomed to the new glasses!

[Belladoodle in reply to CTinUS]

Hi there,

So lovely to read your message although I am sorry you too have brain fog. What you say resonates with me, I feel I am meeting the world through a fug and yes I can echo the feeling like I’ve had a few drinks. I find it tiring and at times distressing. I often retreat to lying on my bed with my eyes closed to give my brain a rest. Sometime I describe it as silent tinnitus!

I hope that my brain adjusts over time. It is such a relief to know there is at least one more person in the world who experiences something similar! I have found I am more anxious in the world than I have been before (I’m 67).

Thank you for posting and I hope your eye issues ease (they sound quite grim to me) and your brain gives you a break soon,

Warmly

[Wicked26 in reply to Belladoodle]

Yep me to but I have fibro and that too can cause brain fog. as i only have one eye with central vision new glasses take time too adjust plus with me the drops are seeking too cause light headedness hope it wears off

[CTinUS]

Hello - I've never had tinnitus myself but "silent tinnitus," as you put it, seems like a perfect description of the problem. It's as if there's some kind of static interfering with thoughts that corresponds to vision issues.

I'm not glad for your fogginess, but it is a relief for me, too, to know that someone else is experiencing the same thing. I've googled it and been surprised not to find out more about it. Surely there must be others who experience that.

Thank you for sharing the post to begin with and your kind words. I hope you adjust to the glasses and these problems subside soon!

[Belladoodle in reply to CTinUS]

Thank you, it is good to have a brain fuzz buddy! Do you find you are anxious with it?

[CTinUS in reply to Belladoodle]

It does cause me some anxiety, yes. It helps to hear that someone else might have the same type of thing. I do wonder if there are others, I bet there are. Because if it is related to vision, I’m thinking it can be adapted to. I hope so anyway!

I hope you get used to the glasses and can get passed the fuzz. I’m looking into getting different types of lenses that might help reduce glare and have a positive effect. I’m sorry to hear you are anxious about this as well!

[Wicked26 in reply to CTinUS]

I have bad tinnitus

[CTinUS in reply to Wicked26]

Bad tinnitus and vision problems too! I'm sorry to hear that. Do these things interrupt your thinking as well?

[CTinUS]

Hello again, it has been a couple of weeks. I'm curious, have your eyes and brain adjusted to the different vision? Has the brain fog cleared at all?

[Belladoodle in reply to CTinUS]

Hi there, sorry for my tardy reply! Brain fog still there, I think it may be a while before my brain adjusts! I have a neurological disorder called FND, which means the signals my brain is sending to the left side of my body are faulty so I walk with bit of a limp and have left side weakness. I am beginning to wonder if my brain is now a bit faulty in it’s signalling to my eyes and vice versa! Who knows. For now I am resting a lot with eyes closed to give myself a break and bring down the anxiety which is helping. How are you doing with it all?

[CTinUS]

Hello! I think I'm slowly adapting to the fuzzy vision, trying to stay focused on each present moment and work around the distraction of it, so to speak.

I'm so sorry to hear you're dealing with FND. I just did some reading to see what that's about, and it doesn't sound like a fun time at all. I'm glad that resting with your eyes closed is helping to some extent with your anxiety and brain fog.

Years ago I had a minor loss of peripheral vision on the right side of both my eyes, which put me into the world of neurologists for a while with a brain tumor scare, but the "symptoms" passed (I never noticed a change in vision) and I turned out to be fine. From what I learned then about the ways in which the eyes function as part of the nervous system, what you say makes perfect sense.

I hope you're getting good care. Has your doctor offered any helpful advice?

[Belladoodle in reply to CTinUS]

Hi there, I am so touched you read up on FND! Sometimes this can feel like a lonely road to travel although I have many good friends who care about me! I am so glad you are slowly adapting to the fuzziness, gives me hope! I am learning to live with it as best I can! More and more I think it is a neurological problem . Enjoy the autumn.

[CTinUS]

Well I hope you can get some helpful answers in the neurological realm. It’s good you have a supportive group of friends—that counts for so much. Hope you enjoy the autumn as well!