Does Parkinson's disease affect eyesight?

Yes I have noted vision changes - those you mentioned as well as reduced depth perception & double & blurry vision. I have seen the eye dr twice about this & they say that there is nothing wrong with my eyesight, & the problems persist. I know PD is neurological, so, do I need to seek some other kind of help for the vision problems?

I have had double vision, blurry vision, flashing lights, and the eye doc. says all looks good, except I have cataracts! So, my neurologist stated that he didn’t think my Parkinson’s was causing my vision problems. Who knows what is really happening. Your guess is as good as mine!

PD is a neurological problem but is also secondarily a muscular problem - the nerves that tell the muscles what to do need dopamine to effectively deliver messages. If these mesages can't be delivered, the muscles don't know what the brain is trying to tell them to do. Double vision may have different causes but one cause is muscular. I had double vision as a child and it took both glasses and exercises that built up my eye muscles enough to make my unruly eye muscles to work together like they should. I assume that the practices that worked on my double vision as a child would still be useful . I wonder if an opthalmologist who wirks with children might be able to help you figure out what might help you. As recall, it involved a candle and a prism. You first look at the candle and relax and let your eyes go their separate ways. Then you start trying to pull them together so that the double vision goes away. Then you relax the muscles and you see double again and then wrestle them back together again. Like calesthenics. It's not intrusive or risky. Perhaps an opthalmologist specializing in children may be able to help with that. There may be other factors related to your double vision so it may be useful to pursue those other possibilties with your neurologist and / or General Practioner.

Another thing to consider for the flashing lights could be a symptom of migraines. My granddaughter has eye migraines that involve flashing lights.

tu - your comments are helpful

I've been told depth perception is an issue for some people with PD.

Vision issues can be a problem, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with PSP.

Hello @timparky and welcome to the PD support group on Mayo Connect. Have you had problems with depth perception? Has it affected your mobility and caused falls?

I look forward to hearing from you again. Please share, as you are comfortable, about your journey with PD. How long ago were you diagnosed, and what medications or therapies have been most helpful to you?

I posed a questioni to Mr. Google and here is what he came back with.
Definition:
Depth perception, also known as stereopsis, is the ability to perceive the distance between objects and their relative positions in space.
Causes:

Eye alignment problems:
Strabismus (crossed eyes) or amblyopia (lazy eye) can disrupt the alignment of the eyes, affecting depth perception.

Refractive errors:
Nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism can cause blurred vision, which can interfere with depth perception.
Brain injuries or neurological disorders:
Conditions such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, or traumatic brain injury can damage the brain's visual processing centers, leading to depth perception problems. (It's interesting that while MS was mentioned, PD wasn't. This response was generated by AI - Aritifical Intelligence --so Mr. Smarty-Pants AI isn't as "all that" as folks had hoped he would be.)
Aging:
As we age, our eyes may become less efficient at processing visual information, which can affect depth perception.
Certain medications:
Some medications, such as corticosteroids or antihistamines, can cause side effects that impair depth perception.

Symptoms:

Difficulty judging distances
Clumsiness or frequent tripping
Problems with hand-eye coordination
Difficulty driving or navigating stairs
Blurred or double vision
Eye strain or fatigue

Diagnosis:

Eye exam:
An eye doctor will perform a comprehensive eye exam to assess eye alignment, refractive errors, and overall eye health.

Depth perception tests:
Specific tests, such as the Wirt stereopsis test or the Random Dot Stereogram, can assess depth perception abilities.

Treatment:
Treatment depends on the underlying cause of depth perception problems. Options may include:

Eyeglasses or contact lenses:
To correct refractive errors and improve eye alignment.

Vision therapy:
Exercises and activities designed to improve eye coordination and depth perception.
Medications:
In some cases, medications may be prescribed to treat underlying conditions affecting depth perception.
Surgery:
In rare cases, surgery may be an option to correct eye alignment problems or remove tumors that are causing depth perception issues.

Prognosis:
The prognosis for depth perception problems depends on the underlying cause and the effectiveness of treatment. In many cases, with proper diagnosis and treatment, depth perception can be significantly improved or restored.