When you were discharged from the ICU, did you notice your vision/eye health had deteriorated?

[ICUNurseLL]

Yes or no?

If yes, in what way? Did it improve?

[Myfanwy58]

Yes, I’ve definitely noticed a change. I wear varifocals, substituting these for reading glasses when spending lengthy periods reading & writing. Have always had perfect vision when wearing them. Upon recent discharge from ICU I noticed that my vision had deteriorated and that it wasn’t as sharp. Vision slightly blurred with both sets of glasses Wasn’t overly concerned as I thought it would slowly return to normal. However, some 12 weeks later it remains just as affected. Opticians have recently re-opened following C-19 restrictions and so I’ve just made an appt for a sight test. Strongly suspect I’ll need a different prescription. Surprising really as my last sight test was carried out only 10 months ago, next routine one not due for another 14 months.

[Sepsur]

Yes - improved slightly later but middle age then got me. I think the muscles of my eyes wasted - like every other muscle.

[RockRunner]

Yes my husband’s has. He couldn’t even focus when he first woke, his eyes weren’t even looking forward. Now he is home a few weeks after ICU he has blurred visions, previously only wore reading glasses, now will need glasses for everyday too.

[Hidden]

Yes. I only ever needed reading glasses for tiny print before, using off the shelf +1.0. I now need them for all reading and computer work. My eyes are very tired and now that I am working (part-time for the last week) they are also starting to twitch a bit. Our opticians in Scotland are not open yet - as soon as they are. I will make an appointment.

[Woo2]

Maybe.

My eyesight had deteriorated very quickly due to cataracts in the three months prior to ICU, and it's slightly worse then I remember, but that maybe due to the cataracts' progression rather than anything else.

[sheila21]

Hi. Yes I have been having new lenses regularly. New lenses after a month and had a routine photo of back of the eye during the eye test. I was referred to an eye clinic at the local hospital. Retinal leak? Had a course of injections into the eye. Still having checkups and in 3 years have had 4 new lenses.

Interesting to hear if this is normal. I was in an induced coma for a week after food poisoning led to sepsis and multiple organ failure.

[Hidden]

Yes,and concentration etc but I had covid came back

[stevet11753]

Can't say I noticed anything in hospital or post-discharge. I'm short-sighted and wear varifocals. My last eye test needed a slight change of prescription, but nothing marked.

[Feelingbetternow]

Yes. I was on mechanical ventilation from 1/30/20 to 2/8/20. I definitely noticed vision changes which only compounded my cognitive deficits. I could not see as well. I had just gotten new glasses in December 2019 and following my extubation, everything was blurred and I could not see as well. When I eventually realized it wasn’t my glasses or something that was going to just resolve on its own, I went for an eye exam which showed I had suffered vision loss (requiring new prescription glasses) and that I had no depth perception (could not see in 3D). I later confirmed that the visual cortex is particularly susceptible to hypoxia. I also had other disturbances including poor attention, memory loss, speech problems, and problems with balance and coordination. I am still recovering.

[Sepsur in reply to Feelingbetternow]

I hear you.

[Canediver]

My eyes started crusting really badly overnight, to the point that I sometimes needed to pry them open with my fingers. That had never happened before.

I had a doctor say it was an infection, another that it is blepheritis, and another that it is probably an allergic reaction, which seems the most likely given that I have a lot of allergies that affect my sinuses.

But I never had the eye issue in the past, and it came on very suddenly. I only ever had pink eye once in my life, and never any experience like this, although I have worn glasses since I was a teenager and contact lenses for about ten years - but that was more than 25 years ago.

While it happened to both eyes, it is worse on the left one. There are also times when I am have worked too many hours) or have been on a computer for a long time ( they tend to go together) my left eyelid feels like it is pulsing.

I want to clarify that my time on a ventilator was at the end of 2017.

[Beagledog]

I was in an induced coma for 5 weeks 5 years ago. My lower peripheral vision was not good enough to drive. I don't recall what led anyone to have my peripheral vision tested in the first place. It was retested in 6 months and was ok. I drive again now.

Currently my vision is remarkable. I've worn glasses since 8 years old. Strange, I was downtown (Seattle USA) and was going to walk down towards the next street in order to read its street sign. But I simply looked at the sign one entire block away and could read it fine. I can read the destination sign on the front of a bus at 2 long city blocks. My corrected vision has never been this good. Still need glasses.

[Jessica1362]

Yes very blurry at times! Question does anyone remember what they seen as they were first waking up? My eyes felt like they had a film on them kind of like a contact lens, what I seen was beautiful if you’ve ever flown and looked at the clouds while on top of them you’ll understand it, that is what I seen.

[Myfanwy58]

Further to my earlier reply, having felt a deterioration in my vision since illness & ICU admission. Well, I’ve now had the opportunity to get a sight test. Optician has confirmed my suspicion. My prescription has changed by 1 diopter.