Do you know anything about eye tests?

[marcjacob]

Im getting headaches on a daily basis now.

Im thinking it could be my eyes but I dont feel like I need glasses to see better. Someone said to me that vision goes slowly so I could be getting worse vision, but not notice as its a gradual effect.

Would you agree with that or do you think you start to notice that you really do need glasses?

Will they be able to say one way or another as to if my headaches are eye ralated? Or would it be a case of getting glasses and seeing if the pain stops?

Has anyone had this before and found out it was eye strain?

My worry is that they are probably going to try to sell me glasses if I really need them or not, as they will want to sell me as much as they can.

[gaydemon]

Headaches can be related to eye sight, you might be squinting your eyes or trying to focus too hard..

Anyway, they wont try and sell you something, just go and have a a test. There is really nothing to loose from going, honestly. If you need them you will know by the test they make you take and it will really improve your condition.

[dzinerbear]

You also work on a laptop, which produces different light than a desktop. That may have something to do with increased eyestrain.

To test if you need glasses take a look at some packaging in your home. Can you read the very smallest text on a box of cereal or crackers, for example. Or look at the list of ingredients on something like a protein bar; I need glasses to read them. That was the first thing to go with my eyesight.

If you're worried about them trying to sell you something, try finding an optometrist that isn't physically connected to an eye glasses outlet.

Finally, if your doctor sends you to an ophthalmologist rather than an optometrist, you'll be getting a more thorough eye exam where they won't just be looking at whether or not you need glasses. I have an appointment in a couple of weeks with an ophthalmologist because they have to check a diabetics' eyes every year.

Michael

[Maryflixxx]

When I first got glasses I didn't think I needed them.
I wore them the first day in a lecture hall I'd sat in many times before and my professor was that day wearing a red plaid shirt and a pair of green cords (I'll never forget that outfit).

I popped my glasses on and he just flew out from the blackboard! I mean it! Overtime, so gradually, everything had blurred together in the distance so it almost seemed like he was 2D or flat against the blackboard.
I spent the first half of the lecture taking my glasses on and off to see the effect again and again... until he noticed that is, and asked what the hell I was doing.

Without my glasses I see fine, but I've lost the details and I was getting eyestrain headaches that wrapped around my head like a tightening band.

So, yes, it is gradual. No, you don't often notice it at all until it is fixed.

Get your eyes checked! Nothing to lose and only SIGHT to gain!

[Paul]

Chronic headaches can be caused by lots of conditions beyond eye strain. Some minor and some major.

It will not hurt to have your eyes checked and they will not try to sell you prescription glasses unless you need them. An optometrist is probably okay to start for a general exam. They can check your vision and detect early signs of retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, and corneal conditions. If they see anything unusual then you should see an ophthalmologist. Diabetics, patients on anticoagulants, and other conditions should see a specialist regular like as serious problems can develop.

If your headaches last more than a few days you should see you primary care physician. If your headaches come and go you should keep track of what you were doing when they started, what you have eaten for the day, how long they last, and what seems to make them better.

Good luck to you. I hate headaches.

[AnthonyDeAngelo]

see an eye doctor (Opthalmologist) - everyone should get a check up every year

only the doctor can tell you what's going on...

[basschick]

very few people i knew noticed their vision got worse till they got tested. once they had glasses or contacts, they were surprised how much worse their vision was when they aren't wearing them.

but your headaches could by a particular monitor or the lighting conditions in the room or lots of other things, both eye related and not. could easily be stress, blood pressure, a tooth problem that you're not aware of, you could be clenching your jaws in your sleep... the list goes on and on. but the eye doctor is a great place to start.

[gaybucks_chip]

I'm not sure how it works in the UK, but the way you solve the problem of the doc selling you unneeded glasses is to pay attention during the test. As s/he asks you which is better/worse, you'll see for yourself if the various lenses are actually improving your vision or not. And you can bulletproof the situation by going to an optometrist or opthalmologist who ONLY examines and doesn't sell glasses. (Much easier done with an opthalmologist, but they tend to charge more since they are actual MDs rather than ODs, and have more training.)

[marcjacob]

Ive booked an appt with the GP for today to ask about my headaches. I think they will say to get an eye test as Ive not had one in 15 years. But the Dr is free so I may aswell try them first as it may not be eyes.

[marcjacob]

The Dr said its a Migraine because its in one part of my forhead and the not the whole forehead. Im not sure I agree with that as Ive looked up symptons and apart from the headache, I dont have a single other sympton associated with Migraine.

Ill obviously do what she says (which is just take codine tablets that she gave me and paracetamol) and see if that helps.

[basschick]

you don't have nausea, light sensitivity or halos in your vision? then i'm not a doctor, but headaches caused by a local issue and cluster headaches are both kinds of headaches that would only be found on part of your head and aren't migraines.

codeine can cause stomach upset and paracetamol is usually called tylenol here. they both treat the symptom, but if your doctor believes you have migraines, they could be caused by sinus issues - which are treatable in many cases - allergies, which are also treatable, or other things including stress. i had migraines brought on by stress - and they were crippling. the way to get rid of them was to get rid of the stress. heck, even if they're not migraines, these things can all apply. beta blockers and a variety of other things are often used to prevent migraines in the u.s.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs


The Dr said its a Migraine because its in one part of my forhead and the not the whole forehead. Im not sure I agree with that as Ive looked up symptons and apart from the headache, I dont have a single other sympton associated with Migraine.

Ill obviously do what she says (which is just take codine tablets that she gave me and paracetamol) and see if that helps.

[marcjacob]

you don't have nausea, light sensitivity or halos in your vision?[/URL]

No none of those things. Ill follow what she said for now as shes the doc. She said if it doesnt improve to take an eye test.

[Squirt]

No none of those things. Ill follow what she said for now as shes the doc. She said if it doesnt improve to take an eye test.

You could have a brain tumor. A simple blood test can show the precursors of tumor activity, but the best solution would be a CT brain scan.

As you'll see here on the American Brain Tumor Association website (http://www.abta.org/index.cfm?contentid=13), the very first symptom of a brain tumor is headaches.

A doctor who tells you to take a medication to mask symptoms, then tells you to "wait and see" is a doctor that needs to be replaced in my opinion.

A dear family member has spent the last two years recovering from a brain tumor, and resulting brain surgery, and was given the run around by multiple doctors before finally being advised to get a CT Brain Scan. His initial symptom was headache.

[q1sites]

Don't take medical advice from a porn industry site. And don't ask your doctor's advice on the porn industry! But are you working too hard maybe?

[basschick]

we're not giving him advice except to get qualified advice. his doctor doesn't sound very qualified since it's very easy to find out there are many other headaches that can be on one side of the forehead. i had 3 doctors tell me about this when i had headaches on one side, and one was a neuro specialist at ucla.

symptoms are trying to tell us something's wrong - they're not just there to give us random pain. and codeine can impair one's ability to function, as well as being hard on the stomach and addictive.


Don't take medical advice from a porn industry site. And don't ask your doctor's advice on the porn industry! But are you working too hard maybe?

[Paul]

I'm glad you've seen you doctor and hope you feel better.

Definitely hope it ISN'T a tumor.

[marcjacob]

Definitely hope it ISN'T a tumor.

She did a neurological exam so I dont think its anything like that.

Im worried about taking the codine as I also suffer from IBS so I im not sure that codine is a good thing for me to take.

My plan is to get an eye test, then if that doesnt show anything, ill see a different doctor. I dont think there is any harm in getting a second opionion.

As for taking medical advice on a porn forum, Im not. Im discussing what the doctor said. And from the advise Im getting, I think that helps as other people have said they think the same as me.

[q1sites]

we're not giving him advice except to get qualified advice.

I have the greatest respect for you but this sounds like you are giving him very detailed advice -


you don't have nausea, light sensitivity or halos in your vision? then i'm not a doctor, but headaches caused by a local issue and cluster headaches are both kinds of headaches that would only be found on part of your head and aren't migraines.

codeine can cause stomach upset and paracetamol is usually called tylenol here. they both treat the symptom, but if your doctor believes you have migraines, they could be caused by sinus issues - which are treatable in many cases - allergies, which are also treatable, or other things including stress. i had migraines brought on by stress - and they were crippling. the way to get rid of them was to get rid of the stress. heck, even if they're not migraines, these things can all apply. beta blockers and a variety of other things are often used to prevent migraines in the u.s.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
...and dissing his doctor without knowing the info.

Best wishes to you both!

[Squirt]

...and dissing his doctor without knowing the info.


Hey I dissed his doctor too :D

Simon went to the doctor because he had headaches that were so unordinary he felt they deserved medical attention.

The doctor he went to gave him a medication that he's not comfortable taking, and that will mask the symptoms he's having.

Here in America we have doctors in HMO's that are actually given bonuses for their patient to cost ratio, the less spent on each patient for care, the higher the bonus, so here in America a lot of us have learned to become our own best medical advocates relying on eachother, research and internet resources before, during, and after seeing a doctor, to get the best care possible.

[basschick]

dissed his doctor? um... right. several specialists that i talked to in person disagree with his doctor, and when i looked up the info they gave me in actual medical books - because i don't trust doctors to always be right - it bore out what they said.

besides, they are specific medications for cluster headaches, which are another kind of headache that only appears in part of the head as opposed to the entire head. those meds are ONLY for cluster headaches (sansert from sandoz is one of them if you want to check) so it's obvious that a headache being only on part of the head doesn't make it a migraine. check your pdr.

your opinion that a doctor should not be questioned based on other people's opinions seems pretty shaky. it never hurts to ask. i recently paid the big bucks to a doctor who told me i had high cholesterol, and told me i had to take medication. i was puzzled since i'm a vegetarian, and when retested elsewhere - he said the results were correctm and refused to retest even at my expense - turned out i didn't have high cholesterol.

[Gaystoryman]

Doctors are human, and not infallible. A second opinion, and sometimes a third even, is always a smart move when not in an emergency situation. I don't think this was a 'dissing of a doctor' or of 'giving laymen solutions' either, but merely pointing out that a second opinion seems warranted in this situation.

[Squirt]

Doctors are human, and not infallible. A second opinion, and sometimes a third even, is always a smart move when not in an emergency situation. I don't think this was a 'dissing of a doctor' or of 'giving laymen solutions' either, but merely pointing out that a second opinion seems warranted in this situation.


Have you seen the new show Mystery Diagnosis? Every episode is filled with people who've suffered a good many years, went to numerous doctors, and found out years later what the problem was, some by their own investigation, others by happening to be lucky enough to come across the right doctor. quite scary when you think about it :no:

[Gaystoryman]

Have you seen the new show Mystery Diagnosis? Every episode is filled with people who've suffered a good many years, went to numerous doctors, and found out years later what the problem was, some by their own investigation, others by happening to be lucky enough to come across the right doctor. quite scary when you think about it :no:

Actually I have, but from my own experience, I know that Medical Science is far from being a science, that it is a guessing game at best, with some details. It is, in my opinion, like a game of clue, and they are so wrapped up in their God Complex, they don't admit to being infallible.

That being said, there are a great many who do care, who are honest enough to make you want to trust them, but a lot of the problem isn't that they are stupid or unaware, it is the pressures put on them by society to always have an answer, when truth is, there sometimes just isn't one.

The problem really is, that when they make their guesses, it literally is life and death. And it is true, they do bury their mistakes more than not. :grrr:

[q1sites]

Not sure why you want to argue about this, but if you want to I will


dissed his doctor? um... right. several specialists that i talked to in person disagree with his doctor .
...and have they talked to him,examined him or seen his records like she has?


besides, they are specific medications for cluster headaches, which are another kind of headache that only appears in part of the head as opposed to the entire head. those meds are ONLY for cluster headaches (sansert from sandoz is one of them if you want to check) so it's obvious that a headache being only on part of the head doesn't make it a migraine. check your pdr..
I looked it up on the mayo site you mention - it says "It is used to prevent migraine headaches and some kinds of throbbing headaches" so you are wrong http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR600915


so it's obvious that a headache being only on part of the head doesn't make it a migraine.Sure, he could have banged his head but I bet she considered this and couldn't see a bump - plus lots of other things too when she SAW HIM.


your opinion that a doctor should not be questioned based on other people's opinions seems pretty shaky. - I didn't say that. Its ok if people know what they are talking about. Its clear you don't here. Suggesting that he disregards his docs advice and take yours is irresponsible, I think.

[Gaystoryman]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but let's try to not make this personal or defensive or about he said, she said.

Bottom line is that Marcjacob has opted to get his eyes tested, before making any other steps, so let's let it go at that, and hope the headaches clear up and if not, that he does what he is comfortable in doing.

[marcjacob]

Thanks for everyones advice. I am still working with my doctor and always will. But a second opionion will get sought.

Doctors here are salaried but I would guess that they have some sort of cost per patient ratio like Squirt said US doctors have (I think it was him and im too lazy too check :D). Especially as the government pays for the vast majority of the perscription cost.

[basschick]

the news tells us just how many people are misdiagnosed by their doctors every month. it's NEVER a bad idea to get a second opinion - not only do most doctors and hospitals agree with this, but so do most insurance companies and HMO's.

also let's please all remember the board rules against insults while posting here.

[q1sites]

also let's please all remember the board rules against insults while posting here.

Not sure where I have insulted you, please tell me,if you mean me, and if I have done I'll appologise.

I have pointed out you are wrong in your post about the drug, according to the Mayo clinic website. I'd have even more respect for you if you'd acknowledge this.

Best wishes to marcjacob for a full recoverey.

[gaydemon]

You did come off as somewhat rude, so yes Patti felt you were being rude to her.

All she is saying is that everyone including your own doctor can be wrong.

For example, I would never trust NHS doctors here in the UK. There are too many occassions were doctors have been proved to be useless and giving the wrong diagnosis. You should always seek a second opinion.

My partner has worked in Healthcare and Nursing for 18 years, and seen more examples of "bad" doctors causing more harm and giving the wrong diagnosis than you would ever believe.

In the UK privat healthcare is the only way to get quality care.



Not sure where I have insulted you, please tell me,if you mean me, and if I have done I'll appologise.

I have pointed out you are wrong in your post about the drug, according to the Mayo clinic website. I'd have even more respect for you if you'd acknowledge this.

Best wishes to marcjacob for a full recoverey.

[q1sites]

I'm sorry if I came across as rude to Patti, not my intention and as I clearly said I have the great respect for her in the industry, and she has given many people valueable advice on this board on many occassions.

I agree that docs can get it wrong. i never said otherwise. Patti can also get it wrong, and she was wrong here about the drug, as the Mayo site shows. I wish she'd admit this. I have to say also that if you look back at Patti's first couple of posts there was no mention of advice to get a second opinion, it was just her opinion that was given. I believe that this is an area that its is dangerous to give misleading / uninformed advice. My origional post was -
"Don't take medical advice from a porn industry site" and I think that is good, safe advice. She is entitled to disagree with me about that, as I am with her. But the fact she was wrong about the drug proves my point, I think.

[marcjacob]

Well I had an eye test today. My right eye is slightly out, but not enought to warrant glasses. My left eye is perfect.

Im going back to the doctors on Monday for a second opinion, and if they say its Migraines, Ill ask for more information on why they think that, what caused it and most importantly, how I get rid.

[marcjacob]

In the UK privat healthcare is the only way to get quality care.

If its not to personal, do you have insurance? If not, how much does it cost to see a private GP? If the doctor cant show me why it has to be Migraines, I will consider a private appointment.

[abostonboy]

Marc,

Regarding the eyes. Michael gave you the best advice. I feel like I have been in Michael's situation.

Look at something up close. Close one eye. Open it. close the other eye. Repeat. Look at the same thing further away. Repeat.

I had 20/20 eye sight until two years ago. I got horrible headaches and found that i was "squinting" and didn't even know it.

Of course, follow what your doctor says, but do your own eye check as well. I say this because I spent a night in the hospital on a "drug over dose". I had both a headache and a tooth ache at the same time. I thought I had sinus. Took those red pills (Sudafid?), which I was allergic to (later found out), Klonopin, Tylenol PM, Pain meds (used for my back), and and advil. All to no avail. I walked out of the hospital with not one doctor recognizing that I had both a tooth ache and needed glasses. I ended up figuring both out by doing each one by one. Dentist first, eye doctor next.