Vision problems - open topic for experience, treatment outcomes, etc.
So after yet another round at the eye doctor yesterday, it seems my glasses prescription has been all wrong for some time (!?). I've been told I am/am not a candidate for LASIK. I've had whole diopters of change in prescription over six-month periods, An ""uncorrectable" astigmatism in one eye from an old orbital bone fracture has corrected itself suddenly (yay?).
What reading I've done suggests that the research basis for understanding the biological mechanisms of optics in the human eye and visual information processing in the brain, versus various styles of correction, is bogus (to put it mildly).
The incidence of severe myopia/astigmatism is rising dramatically around the world, not coincidentally with screen time, and it's getting more difficult to treat adequately. Anyone else feel like they're going blind slowly, and are there any evidence- or experience-based, reliable solutions you've found?
My spouse actually is with macular degeneration. We both suffer from vision problems and mine arises from an auto-immune disease that attacks the tissues surrounding the eye producing all kinds of intractable vision problems with not very desirable/effective treatments.
We have both stared at screens for work for a very long time. It does contribute of course to other problems related to vision (not necessarily from a disease process or brain signal process).
ummm that with whole diopter changes? Have you sought a second opinion as both of those seem fairly extreme without explanation/etiology, imo. I am not a doctor!
Indeed, there definitely some old/moldy stuff out there.
This in an interesting read that dovetails with other research I've read relating to light pollution.
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/122-a12/
This study focuses on children and myopia; however, it points to potential causes and remedies.
Humans ability to evolve with technology is of course far too slow. Artificial light at night only a blip on the radar in human history.
A shorter read: http://darksky.org/light-pollution/human-health/
This article also provides apps to control the color temperature of your screen which helps with eye strain/problems
So while increasing myopia coincides with computers and screen time, it also coincides with longer duration use of indoor and nighttime lighting. I wouldn't be at all surprised if in future studies it is found they are synergistic in causing eye/vision problems.
It isn't a simple subject and I'm sorry you are having difficulties.
The things I do that help me:
Keep your eyes lubricated with a preservative-free eye solution. We do not blink as much when using screens that dries eyes out which effects in tiny increments changes the shape of your lens. Use eye drops liberally.
Take breaks and use your far vision to focus on something outside. Taking a break is the most important part, the rest is just my own non-supported that I know of theory. If you can take breaks that include closing your eyes for at least 15 minutes, it helps (me).
Make sure you get enough good quality sleep. I don't know why but my vision is significantly worse when I don't sleep long enough.
Make sure the ambient light in the room where you are working is adequate, this includes TV time as well.
A wall of text, sorry. I may have just added to your problem. I hope this is what you were looking for and provides some insights.
Yikes - macular degeneration is scary stuff! An old friend of mine has the juvenile version, and some other friends were working on image processing solutions for re-mapping central visual information to the periphery of the visual field, where the receptors tend to remain intact longest.
As to auto-immune conditions, that sounds very unpleasant; one of my co-workers has Sjogren's, and he's constantly reliant on eye drops just to be able to blink without pain.
The numbers seem to vary depending on the optometrist/ophthalmologist. There are two different potential sources of astigmatism - irregularities in the cornea, and variations in the shape of the eyeball itself. My current ophthalmologist says astigmatism can change on the basis of allergies (mechanical swelling in the eye socket), hormones, age-related lens changes, etc.
I've got some awkward heredity, leaving aside any of the current vision stressors. Most of my female relatives have the same highly-variable myopia (the bonus is that none of us get presbyopia with age), and the men have hyperopia (farsightedness) and keratoconus.
I've been through one attempt to use "orthotic" hard contact lenses to slow the progression (prescribed by an ophthalmologist who just happened to have a business in doing this before LASIK was fully approved), and it was both horribly painful and ineffective. It seems there's increasing doubt about the safety and longer-term effectiveness of LASIK as well: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/well/lasik-complications-vision.html
Mainly, I've always had a little guesswork to mentally pattern-match and recognize fuzzy images and text. That's the visual information processing part relied on by programs which claim to allow you to train yourself out of glasses, and there really isn't much research in this area.
I'm meticulous about blue-light filtering applications on every device, yellow-tinted computer glasses, lubricating/anti-histamine eye drops, and taking at least a couple of outdoor breaks daily.
You are right to be wary of LASIK and for people who have complex eye problems, my personal opinion is to avoid the use of contact lenses. The structure of the eye itself can cause astigmatism. Just my personal opinion, less is more when it involves the eye. Any and all 'novel' approaches to long standing problems should be approached with caution and consultation.
I once participated in amateur astronomy and a friend got LASIK surgery. Daytime was alright but looking through the lens of a telescope changed so much in the negative, he had to give it up. It was a shame as he enjoyed it, he was a good teacher and had been doing for a very long time.
In your shoes, I would still want to know what caused such rapid and profound changes in your eye as the ones outlined are correct but some are more subtle, less profound than others. That's just me however. Sudden 'healing' of a long standing orbital fracture suspect in my mind.
Again I am not a physician.