So this must be about my third post in as many days… 🙄
Anyone else suffer from blurry eyes? And sore eyes??
For a while now I’ve had issues getting my eyes to focus when moving from close up (esp my phone) to further away. I know this isn’t unusual and as I’m mid 40s it’s probably expected if not overdue! However, it’s really bad and this used to be restricted to when my thyroid hormone levels were low.
Last Monday I drove in the dark for the first time in at least a year. I’m a confident driver and nothing normally phases me but I really was struggling. I’ve since looked it up and my symptoms are consistent with an astigmatism which both just dad and my sister have, so not unsurprising. However since then I’m nothing my eyes are actually sore, esp my right eye and I have a slight spot in my right eye. There is no visible difference but I can see it in my field of vision.
I called the optician and told her and I have an appointment for Tuesday morning but I’m worrying. My mum died of a rare kind of dementia that started with her eyes, so you can imagine.
I’m certain it’ll be fine. I tell myself whenever I have a crazy sunroom that I’ve been here before, it’s always because I’m poorly medicated and it always sorts itself out when I am but this has me spooked. I could call the gp but doubt if I’d see them before I see the optician so… 🤷🏼♀️
I just wondered if anyone else had experience of anything similar - it’s always useful to tell the optician when I go.
Thanks for your help as always and I promise to lay off the posts for a while now!
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Murphysmum
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To be fair, I’m sure there’s an element of truth to the screen thing - not lockdown especially but for a while now I’ve noticed my eyes struggling to adjust after using one. Now it’s really bad.
Just ageing more than likely but I think they might be particularly bad.
You have probably got dry eyes, that goes with thyroid problems. If you’ve got preservative free eye drops HyaBak, Artelac, HycoSan or similar shove them into your eyes as often as you can throughout the day. You possibly need glasses because of your age and the difficulties you are having changing from close up to distance and the spot could be a floater.Good move to see your optician - think you’ll get a lot more sense out of her than you would from your GP. Hopefully by Tuesday all will be clear.
As a natural born gold medal winning worrier I know where you’re coming from, I’d say try not to worry but you know how it is with us worriers.
Oh I’m a contender for the Gold Medal in worrying too Fruitandnutcase!
My recommendations Murphysmum are preservative free eye drops (use liberally), yellow night driving glasses (if the glare of lights bothers you) and perhaps try lutein and zeazanthin (Eye Complex 7 from Amazon) for overall eye health. This supplement has really helped me (I have an epiretinal membrane and mild TED). Also, give your eyes a rest if they are aching, have a rest from technology & wear sunglasses more. Do post to let us know how your appointment goes. It’s good that you are having them checked. Best wishes to you,
When I was diagnosed hypothyroid, and early on during treatment, night driving was unpleasant. I was lucky - the first time I really felt it was in spring so there were a few months before dark nights came round again. By which time I was improving significantly.
I am short-sighted and have mild astigmatism. (Mostly I don't wear my glasses - but always do to drive.)
Focussing ability definitely deteriorates when hypothyroid. Colour vision and depth perception can also be affected.
Opticians are quite good in many ways but they tend not to appreciate the subtle end of the effects of thyroid disorder.
If they offer a comprehensive retinal scan - go for it (if you can afford to do so). Mine cost £15 and they are able to detect many things impossible by other means.
My optician has never asked me about lowthyroid and I have never told them either. This is another hypothyroid symptom that I have only just heard of. I have been hypo since the 90's and I have had dry eyes for years, but it is definately getting worse, particularly when I wake in the morning.
Hi, dont apologise for worrying. I think we've all been there because the thyroid seems to affect everything and it's scary when you dont know what's going on. I was having and still am having problems with my eyes. I'm 34 and my body it seems has a mind of it's own. I'm terrified when I get all these new side effects due to hashimotos and I still cant get a GP to take me seriously. So like you I booked an eye appointment with the optician. Boots are very thorough and I was fortunate the day I went as the optician knew alot about the thyroid it seems! I noticed for the last couple of years I had these white raised blobs on the white of my eyes. My eye kept going cloudy. Particularly in my right eye. Sometimes floaters.
She explained its because the ducts that provide the lubrication for our eyes was blocked.. somehow connected to thyroid, thyroid has a knock on effect on everything right... the blobs ( I'm over simplifying here because my brain fog forgets the clever names haha) are fat deposits because of the lack of lubrication. She recommended those pricey non preservative drops that the other ladies suggested and also a special eye mask. I got mine off amazon. It heats up in the microwave. She said to warm it and everyday for a month sit with it on for 10 minutes then use a cotton bud and gently in circular movements from the outside towards the inside on the bottom lid in the direction of that little duct hole try to break up and free the flow of the lubricant. Then gently wipe along the inside of the lid to clean it.
I cant say I was wiping anything much away really but my eyesight did start improving. To the point I got lazy doing it because I think it must have worked because now the same issues have come back...
Maybe give that a shot? Always get checked out for anything more serious thats in the family but I know a few of the things I was really worried about I calmed down significantly when someone was just able to tell me it was part and parcel of low thyroid function
I hope your eye appointment can shed some understanding. Maybe ask about the eye duct function?
Hi murphysmum, the problems you describe are very familiar to me .. I went to the Opticians for a check up after a 2 year lapse because of shielding restrictions and my eyes were so full of tears it was impossible for me to focus immediately and it took a very long time to complete the test. The Optician said my cataracts were the cause and an operation was necessary and I must not drive!!! Since I had driven to the shop for the test it was impossible, anyway, to fulfil her demands! I asked her to take into consideration the state of my runny eyes and the soreness and she insisted in putting some (preservative free) drops in both eyes which worsened the condition! At least she listened and did not inform the DVLA immediately. I will get a second opinion from a locally based optician when my eyes have recovered - they have been sore and watering badly since my appointment - over a week ago! Very few opticians know of the complications resulting from Thyroid problems - my daughter was lucky and found one who was very well informed. She has a collection of cells which have moved into the area behind her eyes - all due to Thyroid! How we live and learn!
I am myopic, where specs all the time since the age of 12.
I have had problems with night driving for years now. I went to regular eye tests and no one told me anything about night vision, or asked if I was hypothyroid.
I went to a different branch of my Optician in 2019 and was told I had cataracts on both eyes, which no one had ever told me anything about before.
I can't drive in the dark because vehicle lights coming toward me totally dazzle me. It has got worse and I have to close the curtains in my living room now when I am facing the window either to watch tv or to read anything at all!! I am lucky that I can choose not to drive in the dark, because yellow lenses did absolutely nothing to help with night vision.
I also have astigmatism.
I am finding these days that my eyes are extremely dry when I wake up and my lids feel as though they have to be peeled from my eyes. So I need artificial tears before I can even see the time each morning!
I don't have pain in my eyes, but I do at times have excess tears which is getting to be quite normal. Many people thing I am crying because I am constantly dabbing my eyes with a tissue. But no pain other than the dry eyes in the morning.
Daytime driving is fine. Good sunglasses are a must if there is any sun at all these days though.
I was diagnosed Hypo in '97, about 5 years ago I was getting very dry eyes along with horrendous eye pain. Optician said that effectively the insides of my eyelids were sticking to my eyeballs during sleep, & he recommended I use moisturising eye drops night and day. Was subsequently diagnosed at the hospital with Sjogren's Syndrome, like Hypo it's an autoimmune disease and it's not unusual for those with Hypo to have it. There's no cure for it but I take hydroxychloroquine on prescription which apparently should stop it getting any worse. I do still need to use eye drops though. Sjogren's can cause other areas of the body with mucus to become dry too (mouth/digestive tract etc).
I have had dry eyes since Dec2016. Was diagnosed hypothyroid December 2013. ( NOT a good month for some of us). At eye A&E dept . Does your area have one of those specialist A&E depts? Check online. They run Monday to Saturday 8-5pm. You don’t need a referral, just show up and be prepared to wait!😀🤨They gave me HyloForte 0.2% non preservative eyedrops. Can be used up to 10 times daily. Quite viscous. But do the job. I have cataracts now and the optometrist gave me Celluvisc 0.5% drops ( Superdrug have them. ) which is like a cool drink for the weary eyes. I finally started eye compresses in July this year, and definite improvement . I wasn’t keen at all hence the 4 year wait! Anyway good luck to you, and I hope you get sorted soon.
It sounds like you may be starting cataracts. You need to see an eye doctor. Mine have progressed a lot in this past year. I’m seeing an eye surgeon next month. Make an appointment 😎
I have similar issues and went to eye doctor and every test came back fine and she said I think your having ocular migraines (referring to my eye pain) and my blurred vision is part of getting older and needing new glasses. I do believe my eye pain is a migraine that I never had until this thyroidectomy.
Ok so an update: my eyesight has declined a bit, but nothing our of the ordinary.My right eye in particular is very dry and apparently that increases blurriness esp at night.
So glasses for driving, eye drops and I’ve now to use my reading glasses I’ve had for years but never needed (must’ve been having thyroid issues then in hindsight)
I hope this works - I have to say I’m a bit skeptical about how well the glasses at night will work but we’ll see. I’ll know as of Monday night when I drive back in the dusk.
So nothing major, no cataracts, nothing else wild going on. We’ll see how things go. So far the drops are helping immensely so 👍🏻
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