Vision problems with PSP?

[harleybsa]

Moms been complaining about not being able to focus her eyes lately is this related to PSP or old age?

[Joluu]

Hi my mum has the same problem she says ' I just can't focus'The parkinsons nurse says it's probably the psp but has arranged a hospital eye appointment to check. The appointment is in Sept so will let you know what they say

[Millidog]

Hi most likely PSP. One of my husbands first symptoms was eye problems -double and blurred vision and neurologist explained its very common. Individuals have problem with vertical and horizontal gaze also and struggle to move eyes, eye involuntary closure, dry eyes due to very reduced blinking common in psp and it normally progresses with some unable to see. We see an optometrist at the eye hospital who tests regularly and perscribes prism stickers to go on glasses or to add to an optician perscription. Thus can change within a short time scale eg my husbands prisms changed from 6 to 12 to 16 and recently back down to 12 but eye vision has deteriorated with very sore eyes, eye infection and variable sight day to day. Hope this info helps and would be worth getting gp or neurologist referral to eye specialist x

[Redjune1]

I would say it’s definitely PSP. My husband started to have issues with his eyes over two years ago, they would water constantly and they were sore. Gradually he lost the ability to read because of this, which was a terrible blow for him. Now he is so stooped over that even watching tv isn’t really an option. He’s been seen by Opthamology and Orthoptics a few times.

[Rose1sunflower]

My husbands eye problems started at the beginning. Initially eye movement, looking up and down was a problem. Then the staring glare as he couldn’t blink. He uses eye drops as his eyes can get very dry and painful. We had Spec savers home visit team to test his eyes, we tried bifocals but due to the problem of not being able to look up and down weren’t useful. The optician did recommend some new eye drops that didn’t have preservative in them and these don’t irritate his eyes like the previous eye drops. We had tried many before! He finds a warm flannel the most useful treatment though! He also uses an eye pad that can be warmed in the microwave that offers relief sometimes.

He can read small amounts but now uses recorded books.

[Abrecheisen53]

My husband John also suffered from eye problems. Constant watering due to lack of blinking sensitivity to light, to focusing. Many have tried prism glasses, we never did. I did however buy eye patches from Amazon. Inexpensive and they helped John to focus.

Wishing you strength and courage, Alice

[harleybsa]

Thank you for the replies, I should have known, I remember the Dr. asking her to look up and down and side to side as part of the diagnosis. We have an eye appointment this Tuesday and we'll see what happens. My mom is 87 and has only been diagnosed for a bout a year although we thought she was having undetected ministrokes for a few years. She still feeds herself and goes to the bathroom with assistance. From what I've read on this site I feel fortunate that her slowed speech and dizziness and now blurred vision are her main problems. Perhaps she will pass from old age before the disease further affects her