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Persistent Eye Pressure / Strain

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earlybirdfyl

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Posts: 2
Persistent Eye Pressure / Strain
Posted: 06-18-08 14:13pm

Hi, I'm a male 38 years of age. I've been having an eye problem unlike one I've ever experienced. Historically I don't have a long list of eye issues--I was diagnosed around age 20 for nearsightedness and since then where glasses in select situations (e.g., driving at night or in unfamiliar areas, large classrooms, etc.) I also have experienced on again-off again eye strain as part of a symptom set from computer strain (e.g., hurting wrists, tight neck/shoulders). This I have managed reasonably well with eye relaxing exercises I've found in books, the Internet, etc. (In general over the last 10 years I've probably spent 40-60 hours / week on the computer for work, personal, etc.)

However, over the last 4+ weeks, I've experienced a type of eye strain that is different. At first I assumed it was just related to close-up work (and indeed perhaps it in part is). I was dong a lot more reading in April and May than usual and started to feel "eye strain", so I started to do those relaxing exercises. It felt a little different though & it was a little while before I realized that it wasn't the same kind of strain. I was feel discomfort or pressure, particularly on the inside of the eye towards the nose and also along the bottom on the eye. This slowly appeared and got worse, plateauing over the last week. My eyes get strained more readily when doing reading / computer work now but the discomfort, while it wanes if I don't do any work, doesn't go away. Also, I experience some increased discomfort while driving. It kind of suggests to me that under any circumstance where my eyes are put under some duress, they feel "tighter". That said, my range of motion, clarity, etc. haven't changed. I know that as you age your ability to focus on close objects lessens but I also haven't really lost any ability to focus clearly on close objects--I measured that I can see objects to about 6" before blurring.

Interestingly, over the last few weeks I also developed slight wrist pains and my shoulders and neck have been tighter. It's felt too like perhaps some of the muscles around my eye or on my head have been a little tighter. Also, I have been waking up to a feel of post nasal drip, though not stuffiness. I know there is a lot of pollen in the air and traditionally I've had a minor allergy to it, but I don't know if allergies or sinus issues could be related to what I'm experiencing.

Any suggestions / interpretations are appreciated.
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earlybirdfyl

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Posts: 2
Update
Posted: 06-23-08 12:05pm

A cousin of mine's husband is an optometrist and he just gave me a pretty thorough exam. It turns out that in the 15 years since I got my last glasses prescription (and the 5-10 years since my last exam), my nearsightedness has actually become less so. That is (if I understand the #'s correctly), I've gone from -1.50 to -.75. At the time I had gotten that prescription I had been seen several times so I don't think it was a case of a quick "one-off" where a mistake was made. Perhaps that only other notable thing (I don't know technical terms) is when a pen was held out to me and I closed one eye and then opened it & closed the other, apparently I saw the pen shift more than probably the average person would. Interestingly, while my pupils have been dilated, the pressure I woke up with has been less. In general though it still seems like my eyes are experiencing a "susceptibility" to strain that has been quite limiting. Whether it's reading (which I've basically stopped doing), computer work (which I've significantly reduced), or even driving (or just waking up), my eyes get a feeling of tightness / pressure on the inside towards the nose. When not doing any of these things for a few days, I definitely see some relief . . . some but not total--as my eyes quick strain again doing something.
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