Headache and lenses

[Paul Morgan]

I'm not over worried about this, but as some of you may remember - I'm still pretty new to lenses, I guess I have been wearing my soft RGP's for about 2 - 3 months now and getting on pretty well. Certainly the vision is excellent.

When I used to wear glasses only I suffered badly with headaches for fairly obvious reasons. These had pretty much gone since I started wearing lenses.

However, today I had a terrible headache this morning which came on after I put my lenses in and felt as though it was coming from behind my eyes. Sound daft...well it probably is, but that's how it felt. In fact it really made me feel quite sick and lasted 3 - 4 hours or so. I was away from work this afternoon so took my lenses out and rested my eyes (well as much as you can looking after a 3 year old and an 11 month old!! aarrgghh). This afternoon the headache went and I felt fine.

My query is, has anyone else experienced anything similar with lenses. I suppose I put it down to all the pushing and prodding associated with getting the damn things in and the stress that can result from that and a hectic morning at work. Should I just expect this from time to time?

Should I be worried? I bet I'm just fine again tomorrow.

[Sweet]

Hi there!

Sorry to hear about your headache, hope this clears up soon. I get them but normally when i leave my lenses out as i am struggling to see! I find some paracetamol does the trick though.

I suffer more with actual eye pain when i blink or move my eyes, but i have had this for years so i guess i just live with it.

Hoping someone else can give you some better advice!

Claire X x X

[Sajeev]

Hi Guys...well i don't wear contacts...i'm a boarder line case for them...I certainaly know about headaches, the only way i can clear my headaches is to have a good drink...lolol...honestly it works for me!...the only trouble is you need to keep drinking

[Jacqueline Cheetham]

Paul, Are your eyes red at all... My soft lenses are brilliant, but for the past two weeks my eyes have been a lovely shade of red. As I work in the Doctors surgery my Dr. was really bugging me today to phone the opts and have a chat. I did and looks like I might be on my way to Addenbrooks to see them... My Dr. spoke to the 'on call' Opo at the 'local' hospital, who really didn't have a clue... Anyway everyone is in a panic except me... I must admit my eyes are redder with the lens out.. Lens in really does help.. My Dr. had a quick look and said she could 'see something'. But she is the first to admit that she is no expert, she's a GP. See what happens then....

[Paul Morgan]

Hi Jac

No not red at all...it was just like a great headache which seemed to come directly from behind the eyes. Never had it before...and guess what, today everythings just fine, all back to normal! Maybe my eyes just needed a bit of a rest from the lenses.

Generally I find these softer RGP's to be fantastic...and it was probably nothing to do with them.

Keep us up to date with progress though will you?

[Jacqueline Cheetham]

After a dash to Addenbrooks, it seems that my nice red eyes are due to a virus I had last week. I had swollen glands in my neck and was feeling pretty ill. So thank goodness nothing to do with the wonderful soft lenses. I have some prednisilone eye drops to use. Am so thankful to be able to continue wearing the lenses.. Paul, are your eyes very dry? I found out through trial and error that was the cause of the awful headaches and eye pain I was suffering about a year ago.

[Lynn White]

Paul..

You know I have been wondering whether this headache was a migraine - especially as it made you feel sick. Visual stimulation can trigger it so the lenses could have inadvertently made it worse...but it would not be caused BY the lenses. So see how it goes and keep us posted!

Jacqueline.. if you have viral symptoms in your eyes...then I am afraid it might take a while to settle. The drops will help only while you use them - they tend to make the eye white because they reduce inflammation symptoms but the redness can come back when you stop them. Viral infections can make soft lens wear difficult and they can recur if you get stressed..

So keep me posted as I can offer a few tips on how to manage it... I have juggled viral infections and soft lenses myself, so know a trick or two

Lynn

[Jacqueline Cheetham]

Lynn, Really want to just ask your advice, Virus gone, sort off, well Lumps gone.... But since then my sight especially in my 'bad' eye, left one, has really gone downhill. You know how you can't explain to someone, but you just know something has happened?? What do you think , could the virus have caused that to happen??? I was taking my make up off the other night, and with my right eye closed I could hardly see my face in the mirror, and I have never had that problem before.... Keep up your good work, we need you.. Jacqueline. x

[Lynn White]

Jaqueline...


Firstly... thank you for your kind words here and on the other thread.. they are most appreciated!

Now, about the virus.. I actually thought when you mentioned your virus and that your eyes were really red that it may well affect your eyes in this way... but thought - well lets see what happens, as it may well have cleared up without a problem.

Yes, it is very likely that the blurriness is caused by the viral infection in your eyes, which tends to hang on after physical symptoms die down. The prednisolone will mask the symptoms = so you will most likely have no discomfort or redness - but it will disrupt your vision - temporarily.

If this is the case, then you should really leave your lenses out for a short while... which is another reason I was loathe to worry you about it.

If you read some of posts to Claire, I have been through this myself so do know what its like!! Basically, the virus tends to cause disruption to the top layer of your cornea - the epithelium. Your vision is initally fine with your lenses in - but worse with them out and as a KC you would not really notice this at first!! Obviously! Eventually it goes to a phase when your vision is blurry whatever!

However, I cannot see what your eyes are like so I would go back to Addenbrooks to make sure it is "just" that.

If it is the virus then you may have to reduce wear a lot for a week or so.(they will probably say leave them out) Soft lenses in particular tend to be a bit of a problem with viruses - this is because your eye needs a lot of oxygen when it is under the stress of the virus and the soft lens, because it covers the whole of the cornea, reduces the oxygen supply markedly under these conditions. This is why your eyes were going so red!

Don't worry...you can get back to normal wear... (though I remember I was told by a hospital registrar when I got my virus, that I would never wear lenses again... hmmm well 20 years later and I am still wearing them!!)

Do go and get them checked - you cannot take any risks here and I can only guess at what is wrong as I cannot see your cornea myself!

And please - I don't want anyone else who is wearing any form of soft lens to worry - you get viruses like this whether you wear lenses or not... its just that this pattern of symptomless redness is typical of viral infection when wearing softlenses.. often people who don;t wearlenses at all do not have any redness at all and don't realise they have a virus until the stage of blurriness starts.

Lynn

[Jacqueline Cheetham]

Lynn, Thank you once again. I am very grateful for your advice. Taking out my lenses is not much of an option, as I'm sure you know. I'll keep plugging on with it, hoping it does improve. Sad to see Clare's comments. Thank You. Jacqueline.