What Are My Eyes Telling Me?

Today, I have an appointment with an optometrist. There are a few things I want to rule out. I had my eyes tested before to see if I might need reading glasses (I’m over 40). That turned out to be the case. I can see street name signs or highway directional signs perfectly and from quite a distance, but up close, my vision isn’t great.

Reading, especially small print on packaging or a book, is difficult without glasses. I even notice that if I need to read or look at something less than 30 centimeters away, everything becomes blurry… My eyes just can’t focus. It’s not just letters, even my hand looks blurry when it’s within 30 cm. When I read, I often get a pain above my left eye. It feels like a localized headache that just suddenly appears.

I also sometimes experience colored zigzag patterns in my vision while reading. These patterns usually move along with my eyes. This often coincides with reduced vision, where a part of my sight gets darker or even disappears completely. This usually comes with a headache too. Sometimes it happens twice a week; other times, it won’t occur for months. I haven’t found any clear connection to specific circumstances.

This is the best way I can describe it. It often feels like there’s sand in my eyes, making me want to rub them constantly. Sometimes rubbing helps, sometimes it doesn’t. It mostly happens in the evening, as far as I can tell. Of course, there’s no actual sand or anything else in my eyes, but I can’t describe the feeling any other way.

My vision in the dark is actually quite good. Sometimes I feel like I see better than most people at night. The problem usually starts when I have to drive in the dark. The headlights of oncoming cars are so bright! I get completely blinded by them. Especially the newer cars with modern lighting (xenon, etc.) are unbelievably bright. After passing an oncoming car, it takes my eyes a lot of time to adjust to the darkness again.

Lights at night always seem to have this sort of haze around them… Whether it’s streetlights or the taillights of a car, there’s always this kind of halo effect. Driving in the dark takes so much energy because I have to concentrate so hard. Long distances are exhausting and almost impossible.

My eyes are also dry. This is interesting to me because I notice dryness in other parts of my body too. My skin is very dry (especially my hands), and my mucous membranes are often dry as well. I constantly have a dry nose, often with crusts inside. Since I also suffer from constipation, I wonder if my mucous membranes aren’t functioning properly there either. That’s why I think an optometrist might be able to help piece this puzzle together.

I also feel that medication often affects my vision. Over the years, I’ve tried various medications for different ailments, but they frequently impacted my eyesight. It’s as if there’s a kind of delay in my vision, which makes me feel unsteady on my feet. It’s a bit like being under the influence of alcohol—your reaction time slows down, and your vision feels delayed. Sometimes it even feels dreamy, like being in a sort of haze.

All in all, there are quite a few things related to my eyes/vision. My father suffered from glaucoma, so that’s something to keep an eye on during the examination as well.