Question:
I am a 37 yr old former software developer who left the profession over a year ago because of pervasive eye strain and inflammation. I suffer from a severe case of computer vision syndrome and/or presbyopia. I'm unable to work because of the pain I encounter whenever doing any up close focusing like reading or computer work. To alleviate some of the pain I wear a pair of glasses that are approximately +1.75 my distance vision. Wearing an eye patch also helps. All the doctors pooh-pooh me and don't take me seriously, yet I feel I'm disabled and not able to perform at a job. I've tried reading glasses, bifocals, vitamins and supplements, dark glasses, eye exercises, etc. I've been tested for glaucoma and diabetes and I have neither. All the doctors have said that my eyes are organically sound and I'm suffering from the early stages of presbyopia. But other presbyopes are able to live pain-free and work and function normally in society. My condition is ridiculous because my eyes are in pain and are severely tired after only a short time in the morning after waking up. I'm able to read and do computer work for more extended periods of time with the patch and could probably work a job with it also. But obviously I'm disabled if I'm wearing an eye patch. However, I cannot persuade any doctors to back up my disability. I've also been to a neurological ophthalmologist and asked her why the patch helps. She didn't have an answer and just pooh-poohed me. I've been told that Lasik surgery would not help my problem. I'm hoping other people out there have a similar problem and then maybe we can make a difference together. Please comment on this possibility, as well as any other suggestions.
Answer:
Yup, I have it....
but I also have evaporative dry eye. (which narrows my visual field)
It sounds like you have convergence insufficiency and accomodation problems. When you have one you usually have the other, thats what they told me anyway. Some optometrists offer vision therapy on an outpatient basis. Thier specialty is called developmental optometry or something. Its considered alternative therapy by most opthalmologists because it hard to prove its effectiveness, but it does help some people greatly - not everyone.
The vision therapy itself requires you to take a number of sessions, like 5x's a week for 2 months. What happened when I went is I had to look into a tube filled with different wavelengths of light for a few minutes and then they did a number of exersizes. Some opthalmologists think its quackery, but I think it can help. Some google key words to look up : orthoptics, convergence insufficiency, accomodation, vision therapy
Vision therapy didnt work for me because I have dry eye syndrome.
