Any longhaulers noticing vision changes?

Posted by holly1972 @holly197205, Aug 24, 2022

Has anyone noticed vision changes who are long haulers ? I have astigmatism and have worn contacts for probably 25 years,however I was just beginnig to need a weak OTC reading lense to read, I was 48 at the time I had covid. In OTC readers I wore a +1.50 my eye doctor had told me not to buy anything stronger than a +1.75 until I seen him again the following year. About 6 months after having covid in a period of about 2 months my reading vision began rapidly deteriorating. I had to buy a +2.75 ! I went to my eye doctor and began explaining to him what happened & the first thing he asked me was if I'd had covid & if I was sick longer than a couple of weeks (I will sick for 4 months). He said it had happened with other patients. He dialated my eyes & checked them out & said he couldn't see any damage to my eyes. However, now it seems as if my fat away vision isn't exactly as it should be. It's only been 4 months since I went to the eye doctor but I'm thinking I may have to go back before April of 2023 for my next visit.
Has anyone else had this happen to them & if so what were you told by your doctor? This is just one of the slew of problems I have from covid. Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance and God bless us all and may we all get thru this together.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

@daviddennis123 and @lynnryan talk about light sensitivity and other vision changes with long Covid in this discussion:
- Post Covid eye disorder https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/post-covid-eye-disorder/

And @tiredmommy wrote about her experience here:
Eye Exam post acute Covid phase? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/eye-exam-post-acute-covid-phase/

@holly197205, any changes in your vision in the past few days?

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I had an eye exam in April of this year and when I wear my contacts it seems like things (such as words on the TV) has changed and could be crisper for lack of a better word. If I do a hard blink it makes it better but other than that it seems as though my far sightedness has changed and I think I'll definitely be going back to my eye doctor (who checked my eyes via dialation after I complained my near sightedness had changed drastically) .now I think my other vision has changed and it's a very scary thing.

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I had Covid in March 2020. A few months later in June 2020 my Long Covid symptoms began to develop. The most debilitating symptom has been light sensitivity for both sunlight and artificial. When I try to read electronics, symptoms of dizziness/nausea and occipital migraines begin in my right eye. I have been to Neuro ophthalmologists and multiple optometrists who all state my eyes look healthy, but my symptoms are similar to someone with post concussive syndrome, or basically brain damage. All the symptoms I experience aside from vision changes are neurological.
I’ve been prescribed multiple medications/eyedrops, and even vision therapy for several months. Unfortunately none provided any improvement, and they are now just focusing on ways to assist me with coping until more research is done to come up with answers. I’ve been able unable to work for over two year, and am still fighting to get disability. I so hope for you that it doesn’t follow the same path. Best of luck to you.

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I did! About 4 weeks after my early May diagnosis I noticed decreased vision close-up and eye pain. I visited my optometrist and there was no damage to my eye or ocular nerve, but my vision had degraded from my exam in January. We rechecked in mid-August and my eyesight improved some, but I still needed a new eyeglass prescription to be comfortable reading and using the computer. I had held off changing my RX in case the issue resolved. I still have occasional eye pain but it is not as bad as it was in May. My optometrist said they were seeing several post-Covid cases like mine.

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@lynnryan

I had Covid in March 2020. A few months later in June 2020 my Long Covid symptoms began to develop. The most debilitating symptom has been light sensitivity for both sunlight and artificial. When I try to read electronics, symptoms of dizziness/nausea and occipital migraines begin in my right eye. I have been to Neuro ophthalmologists and multiple optometrists who all state my eyes look healthy, but my symptoms are similar to someone with post concussive syndrome, or basically brain damage. All the symptoms I experience aside from vision changes are neurological.
I’ve been prescribed multiple medications/eyedrops, and even vision therapy for several months. Unfortunately none provided any improvement, and they are now just focusing on ways to assist me with coping until more research is done to come up with answers. I’ve been able unable to work for over two year, and am still fighting to get disability. I so hope for you that it doesn’t follow the same path. Best of luck to you.

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I too had similar vision deficits similar to post concussion. My optometrist prescribed specific glasses with tinted lenses and prisms. My symptoms changed over 2 years and I’m on my third pair. Cont with vision exercises. I still get dizzy and nauseous. My peripheral vision is still poor and I still have a larger than normal blind spot. Training has helped my left eye see again. I use the glasses with contacts for reading(I just started reading in April), grocery store( they reduce visual stimulation) and computer.

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@dreuter22

I too had similar vision deficits similar to post concussion. My optometrist prescribed specific glasses with tinted lenses and prisms. My symptoms changed over 2 years and I’m on my third pair. Cont with vision exercises. I still get dizzy and nauseous. My peripheral vision is still poor and I still have a larger than normal blind spot. Training has helped my left eye see again. I use the glasses with contacts for reading(I just started reading in April), grocery store( they reduce visual stimulation) and computer.

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I've considered buying those glasses! I know you can buy them with or without prescription lenses. I'm 13 months out from my first bout with covid and I still can't go to the grocery store without feeling immediate fatigue, confusion, & incoordination. My physical therapist thinks it's the fluorescent lights and all the visual stimulation (looking up and down the shelves, turning corners to new aisles, watching out for people in the aisles, etc.)

My neurologist believes I have a migraine disorder, but I haven't had the opportunity to ask her about those special eyeglasses.

My optometrist said my prescription had changed a lot when I went to see him 6 mos post-covid. When he put letters in front of me, I couldn't read them. I told him the letters looked like heiroglyphics to me. I guess it was so much double vision or "ghosting" that was causing all the letters to be unrecognizable to me. I have a new pair of lenses, but I still struggle with whether to wear them or not wear them as I walk through the grocery store, down the hall at work, when looking at my PC monitors, TV, etc. It's like there's no perfect scenario. I can't figure out which is better: with or without my prescription eyeglasses.

Thanks to your post, I may reach out to my neurologist sooner rather than waiting until my next appt to ask about these special lenses. I need relief! It is just too much to try to walk through the store, find my items, then get up to the cashier and put my items on the checkout (the back and forth motion sets my vertigo off so bad!) By that time, I don't even want to keep my eyes open or look at anyone, much less operate the debit card machine. 🙁

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@lynnryan

I had Covid in March 2020. A few months later in June 2020 my Long Covid symptoms began to develop. The most debilitating symptom has been light sensitivity for both sunlight and artificial. When I try to read electronics, symptoms of dizziness/nausea and occipital migraines begin in my right eye. I have been to Neuro ophthalmologists and multiple optometrists who all state my eyes look healthy, but my symptoms are similar to someone with post concussive syndrome, or basically brain damage. All the symptoms I experience aside from vision changes are neurological.
I’ve been prescribed multiple medications/eyedrops, and even vision therapy for several months. Unfortunately none provided any improvement, and they are now just focusing on ways to assist me with coping until more research is done to come up with answers. I’ve been able unable to work for over two year, and am still fighting to get disability. I so hope for you that it doesn’t follow the same path. Best of luck to you.

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Did you try Autologous Serum Tears?

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I was diagnosed with macula degeneration at my first appointment after getting covid in July 2020. Since then that has not gotten a y worse.

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@dreuter22

I too had similar vision deficits similar to post concussion. My optometrist prescribed specific glasses with tinted lenses and prisms. My symptoms changed over 2 years and I’m on my third pair. Cont with vision exercises. I still get dizzy and nauseous. My peripheral vision is still poor and I still have a larger than normal blind spot. Training has helped my left eye see again. I use the glasses with contacts for reading(I just started reading in April), grocery store( they reduce visual stimulation) and computer.

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Good luck!

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@jojo15

Did you try Autologous Serum Tears?

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I did. Unfortunately it provided no relief.

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