Community Chat

[Cakers3]

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@zitawins wrote:

Has anyone experienced this phenomenon: I am having ttrouble focusing while driving. I have to really work on watching the white line on the right. The middle (yellow) lane tends to merge over to my side of the road. I may not be describing this correctly, but it's not quite double vision, but close.

I have researched this and it's called CONVERGENCE INSUFFICIENCY. The Mayo website says it's common in children, but adults can develop it too. They recommend eye exercises and I am considering buying the computer package of exercises to assist. Prism glasses don't seem to help. The weird thing is I had an eye check last summer and no double vision showed up. My eyes (after cataract surgery a few years ago) are 20/20 so only closeup glasses are needed.

Any replies would be appreciated. Thanks!

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@zitawinsWhile researching on the Mayo website can be informative, you were not tested by them.

My concern is that you had a check-up last summer and now this appears to be a new issue with your eyesight since that time.

Anytime a new symptom or condition arises-your eye doctor should be your first step.

Once you have a clear diagnosis then it would be better to come back and discuss your issue with others who may have the same problem.

What is happening to you is not going to be exactly what has happened to others.

Do you have an appointment with your eye doctor??

Good luck.

[Jersey Born]

@zitawins - 

First and foremost, please get thee hence to an eye doctor as soon as possible, starting with the person who did your eye surgery, but getting a 2nd opinion from another eye doctor after that. 

Additionally, did you happen to have a recent dental cleaning or procedure done on your teeth or gums?  I ask this only because of the completely bizarre experience of my best friend who lives many states away from me (sadly). She went for a dental cleaning. She developed a terrible cough that lead to chronic coughing that no cough medicine could relieve.  She was seeing a pulmonologist to help relieve her cough.

She developed spondylolythesis and two lumbar herniations from all the couging, and she required an orthopedic doctor to treat for that, too. Then, she started to get serious sweating at night in bed that required her to completely change her pajamas nightly as they were drenched.  Her vision became impaired and she had trouble seeing things on either side of the road while driving. She required an eye doctor, and he said something about her retina being on the verge of tearing, and he saw other anomalies in her eyes, too.  My friend thougtht they were "floaters". She lost interest in food and began losing a lot of weight. Everything tasted bad to her. She didn't even want her favorite coffee in the morning, and she loved her morning brew. She developed red spots on her hands and legs, and her feet started to swell. Finally, her husband took her to the hospital as she appeared very weak. Several months had passed since that dental exam, and no treatment, save for an antibiotic she took briefly from her pulmonologist seemed to help relieve her coughing.

After a quick evaluation by ER staff, my friend was almost released home, but a nurse spotted her and saw how very ill she was and pushed to have her admitted.  Thank God she was admitted.  It turned out that my dear friend needed emergency heart valve replacement surgery as she was near death.  Why?  She developed heart valve infection giving rise to vegetation which migrated to her eyes and to her brain. The culprit?  The dental appointment she had lead to a bacterial infection that went to her lungs, first, and then her heart and eyes and brain.  

I wish more doctors would consider the whole person, because in my friend's case, all of her symptoms connected to a single problem, and only someone taking a complete medical history of all that ails a patient could possibly piece it all together. No specialist she went to was able to get to the root of her problem, and she could have died as a result. What a fantastic nurse they had at that hospital! My friend kept thanking her for saving her life.  

So, my best advice to you is to make sure that your eye problem is not related to some other underlying condition you may have. It may take that kind of deep forensic analysis to determine what, exactly, is causing your sudden onset visual problems. 

Good luck with your eyes.  May it be an easy solution.

[hckynutjohn]

@zitawins 

Focus!

Driving any motorized vehicle on public roadways is what all drivers should spend 100% while behind the wheel. Those that don't? I call "wrecks/on purpose", not accidents.

Whether it is, in your case, "visual" focus. Or in almost all other cases  "mental" focus, unfortunate things can and too often happen.

Were I having your problem, which you seem to suggest, you have not had diagnosed! Quit driving, period!

hckynut 

[candys mine]

No matter What the reason, you have said your vision, while behind the wheel of a vehicle Is impaired.  Be Safe.  Please, Do not put yourself and others in harms way.  Don't drive until you have the problem looked at. 

[Cakers3]

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@spent2much wrote:

@zitawins  I had never heard of CONVERGENCE INSUFFICIENCY before reading your post.  I'm 73 and have lived with double vision all my life.  Prism in my eyeglass lenses corrects my vision, however.  Every time I have an eye exam (every 1 to 2 years), though, the prism has to be increased.  Distance vision is more affected than close up vision.  If I'm overdue for an eye exam and I absolutely NEED to see ONE of something instead of two, i.e. in traffic, I just close one eye.  Does that work for you?

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@spent2much   Are you kidding???  You also lose your peripheral vision in the closed eye.

You drive with one eye closed?

[BirkiLady]

@zitawins 

I also have those lenses, but have them checked every SIX months . . . usually changed annually. How do you possibly go over a year without a check-up? And what's with driving while closing one eye?

Your insurance agent would cancel you yesterday if he/she know that juicy bit of information. WOW. 

[chrystaltree]

Stop driving before you KILL someone!!!!! Your life might have no meaning to you but the people you share the road with don't want to be your victim.  What you are doing is 1000 times worse than driving drunk because you know you are a hazard on the roads! 

[spent2much]

@Cakers3   LOL  No, I just close it for a second so that I have only one image, instead of two.

[spent2much]

@BirkiLady CALM DOWN!  See my response to Cakers3.

[qualitygal]

Our bodies change over time, and can at any time.  Go get rechecked, in case it's something else causing this.  You might have it, but go get checked out. For your own safety, and others since you are still driving.