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Eye Care Archive (Expert Forum)
Extreme light/glare sensitivity after cataract surgery
Our Ask A Doctor Ophthalmology Forum is where you can post your question and receive a personal answer from physicians affiliated with the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Extreme light/glare sensitivity after cataract surgery
by light show, Dec 01, 2006 12:00AM
I am 55 yrs. old. I had bilateral cataract surgery in June'05 on the right eye and the left eye Sept.'05. Laser on the left eye Nov.'05. IOL's were Alcon SA60AT. The left eye is extremely light/glare sensitive. Light entering the left temporal area is very uncomfortable..the outer edge of my left eye/orbit is blurry and exposure to light results in a deep ache that radiates to the brow/temple area...this ache/pain can intensify to migraine like symptoms depending on how much and what type of light I've been exposed to, i.e. flourescent lighting, halogen, backlit signs, sun reflecting off white surfaces such as pages of a book, TV, computer screen...any white/gray glowing type light ... cannot drive at night..traffic lights are huge starbursts and distance vision at night seems worse. I wear welder's type eye protection on bright sunny days ... my polarized sunglasses offer 'normal light' but do not help much.I wear sunglasses while everywhere indoor to ensure some level of comfort. I have researched on my own and recently and quite by accident found a condition dysphotopsia that fits my problem to a tee. Explantation is very risky due to previous laser as the capsule is now compromised. I would love to hear from anyone with this problem ... my lifestyle has changed drastically and would appreciate comments and suggestions on how to work around our very well lit world.
Doctor's Answer
by Forum-OD-MP, Dec 01, 2006 12:00AM
not a common problem or diagnosis. not too many people here will have had similar experiences. but good luck!
Immediately after each procedure I had a brief glimpse (lasting no more than a few hours) of fantastic vision. To me that proves that the lenses work as they are supposed to and that my problems developed in reaction to the surgery. I also have been extremely fortunate to have one of the leading surgeons in his field. I know the man personally and professionally and have the utmost respect for both him and his work.
Make no mistake I’m not some self effacing doctor worshipper. On the contrary I’m accustomed to teaming with physicians in providing patient care. So when I say that I’m convinced that the aberrations are in my head I merely mean that my brain has not yet fully adapted to seeing beyond them. I read the article the doc in Utah wrote about dysphotopsia and I have to agree. Although I entered this process with a positive outlook and the hope that I would not suffer the adverse effects, I’m not totally surprised by my situation. I know myself well enough to know that I’m highly attuned to all things visual. I’m a visual learner and I notice things that other people overlook. Thinking about it, I guess if anyone was going to notice the aberrations it would be me.
There is some definite improvement. The shadows were the first to go. Glare is no longer much of a problem. That took until Aug 06 to resolve to the point of being able to tolerate overhead fluorescent lighting sans sunglasses. I found that not enough light was almost as hard on my eyes as too much and was hindering my adjustment to light. I have five pairs of sunglasses, in varying degrees of shading from quite dark to barely tinted, for various light conditions. I’ve also found that closing my eyes and resting them for just a few minutes when they start to bother me helps to head off worse discomfort. I’m far less aware of the ghosting which seems to be most evident when reading the eye chart in the doctor’s office. Floaters are now no worse than before the cataract surgery. Flickering and twitching only occur when my eyes are overly tired. As far as the burning, itching and grittiness go, they are symptoms of dry eye – a common reaction to eye surgery. For that matter glare and ghosting can also be caused or exacerbated by dry eye.
Try running a humidifier. Avoid the wind. When I must endure wind I wear Panoptic sunglasses - the ones with foam inserts for motorcycle riding. You can find them on line or at most Harley-Davidson dealers. When in the car make sure the air vents are aimed away from you. I’m indebted to other contributors to this forum for suggesting Nature’s Tears – a spray. I always carry it with me. I’ve found that the big box stores and malls are ultra dry. The spray is very convenient and effective. Go to their Web site and read the details as to how they are different from drops. The other product is Thera Tears Nutrition. They are capsules containing Omega 3 fatty acids. Again you can look up the details.
I do believe I (and you too, light show) can overcome these problems. I first noticed that I could avoid daytime halos by moving my eyes very rapidly. Of course one can only stand to do that for about one minute. Then when I was in the car one day with my daughter and grandchildren I realized that I wasn’t seeing halos. Obviously I was so into the kids that I just didn’t see the halos – until I thought about it. Now I have pretty much banished the daytime halos. I still see them at night but now, like K-D (another contributor), only on headlights at a distance and on streetlights. They’re also decreasing in size.
I can truly empathize with you, light show. I hope it helps, at least, to know that you are not alone this far out from the cataract surgery.
Pete
I too had a brief glimpse of clear distance vision shortly after my laser treatment ... which was awesome. You see, I had to wait a long time for my cataract surgery. The first