Why increasingly faint and hazy sight?

[Sorshup]

Having advanced glaucoma, my recent second trab revision has resulted in poor healing and visits in the past month for alternate resuturing snd needling as the IOP fluctuates. Now the increasingly hazy, washed-out sight of both eyes that has been apparent for a couple of years is rapidly worsening. My consultant attributes this to longstanding poor ocular blood supply, of which I am aware and accept. Three questions:- can anyone else identify with this experiemnce? Will it cease, and even improve, when the operated-upon eye is eventually stabilised? Why is the sight of the other eye also affected? Many thanks, in anticipation !

[PBX142]

Hi Sorshup, I'm sorry you've been going through all the resuturing, needling etc...I can certainly relate to the haziness which is in my left trab eye. I find it difficult to differentiate between the haziness and the blob - giant floater - that keeps appearing and moving around. It seems to me that glaucoma isn't just about losing blocks of vision, peripheral and otherwise, but about vision fading all over the eye. I've also wondered if the haziness is due to cataracts returning - I've had that surgery a while ago. I'm interested to see what other replies there are. I don't know for sure about answers to your second and third questions, but I imagine that the haziness won't improve. I don't really know though. And presume you have glaucoma to a lesser extent in the other eye too. If you have poor blood flow, then that would affect both eyes.

[Sorshup in reply to PBX142]

Thanks for responding. It is very helpful to know the exxperience of others, and I fully agree that the effects on sight do not necessarily acord with the simplistic text book description.

Degraded sight following trab can be due to several causes but a lasting loss can be due to the anaesthetic, having been injected around the eye, could damage the optic nerve; add to this the increasing likelihood, with age, of diminished quality of blood supply and the increasinglyunderstood intacellular mitochondrial damage and you have a recipe for atypical visual loss. General and centrally, not the classic arcuate becoming circinate and then expanding in and out ! I can identify my areas of deep losses in my visual fields but in terms of my overall view of the world I do not nptice a peripheral restriction.

We must look forward to the Bradfird Uni research on reported symptoms.

To answer a point you raise:- cataract can't return, your misty lens has been replaced by a nice clear plastic implant, but the existing lens capsule into which it has been placed can thicken and go cloudy. A change in sight justifies a fresh NHS sight test and a referral for YAG laser to clear it. Very straightforward, I've had this for both eyes.

Yes, I do hope there will be more replies !

[PBX142 in reply to Sorshup]

Goodness you sound like a medic! Whatever it is, it's a right pain and we can all agree on that....But yes, a perfect storm rather than one factor is probably right. And what about the long term effects of the meds themselves on our eyes? And the constant use of eye lubricants throughout the day? Re cataracts: That's what I meant - the ruddy lens goes cloudy! I intend to ask about this at my next appt. This cloudiness and haziness is worse for me than losing the peripheral vision because it's a constant reminder, especially when I read or write at the computer.

[Sorshup in reply to PBX142]

Thanks to you and to our other friends for your thoughts. I am reassured that I am not alone with my symptoms; I have been aware the reduced contrast sensitivity and contrast acuity have been noted in the literature (indeed, as an early indicator of glaucoma) but not had confirmation from others until now.

In discussing cloudiness, haziness, faintness of sightin glaucoma it is important to eliminate the natural cause of haze within the eye like cataract; it is the loss of function due to the glaucomatous neuropathy in a n eye that is otherwise clear for light tramsmissin to the retina that is the matter for concern.

As CA declines everything seems paler and brighter, so the sky and bright ceiling lights seem too brighteernd this explains why people with impaired sight whear sunspecs.

As well as managing our sight the other importance is how our symptoms are taken into consideration by the clinicians . Whether we have dfficulty with poor contrast and glare is not usually questioned, is it? Yet it could be relevant to decisions re appropriate treatmentt . Keep talking to our consultants!

[PBX142 in reply to Sorshup]

Thanks Sorshup for summarising. I attend Moorfields and in the past, once or twice, as part of the preliminary eye vision tests before seeing the consultant, I've been given a booklet with pages that show dots of tonal colour that form a shape and my task is to detect what the shape is. This sounds like a useful tool to have at every test, to check acuity, as well as the familiar letter testing on the wall.

[Sorshup in reply to PBX142]

Interesting. Your description of the test seems to be that of a standard Ishihara-type test for colour vision deficiency. better understood as confusion of colours, it has been reported that a blue/yellow confusion is an early diagnostic tool . Next time you go, quiz them on it !

[PBX142 in reply to Sorshup]

I will! And I'll want that test too. I'm discovering that if you don't ask, you don't get!

[stephanie1977]

Hi Sorshup! I have been having a similar feeling of seeing kind of hazy and have posted about it too. I am going to get my eyes completely checked out by a private ophmatologist since I feel like my symptoms are being dismissed by my glaucoma consultant. So maybe that's where you should start too. As well I do think perhaps age might have something to do with it for me. It's noticable when I am indoors and rooms dimly lit. Outside I see great! I think too because I have glaucoma I think negatively. Good luck and hope we get answers .

[Sorshup in reply to stephanie1977]

Thanks for replying, please see my general response, made to PBX142

[Longwalks3]

I can absolutely relate to what you describe. I have advanced glaucoma in both eyes and have definitely had cloudy, hazy vision develop in the last couple of years. In my case I have always assumed that this is partly caused by ocular surface disease as my haziness does tend to fluctuate and always seems to get worse as the day goes on and my eyes get tired. I feel strongly that the standard descriptions of vision loss from glaucoma are very misleading and cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety. The lights do not go off suddenly with PAO glaucoma!

[Sorshup in reply to Longwalks3]

Thanks for replying, please see my general response, made to PBX142

[USME]

After nearly 40 years of glaucoma, surgeries, drops, many other complications, my vision changes daily in the one good eye. Some days cloudy, hazy, others clear as a bell. As I say, everyday is a new adventure with my eyesight. Cood luck to you.

[PBX142 in reply to USME]

I love your attitude - every day is a new adventure with your eyesight! That's the way to think about it....