Ann wrote:
- quote -

My GP didn't suggest much, but instead of going to a regular chain
optician like SpecSavers, he suggested an independant who really knows
their stuff etc....

So that's fine by me.

Cya
Simon

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 12:24:38 +0000, Simon Dean
<sjdean[at]simtext.plus.com> wrote:

- quote -

Good. It will be interesting to hear what the doc says.

Ann

- quote -

Thanks for the info. It's just frustrating that it's just under a very
specific set of conditions. See what the doctor says tomorrow.

And I'll post the info here.

Thanks
Simon

On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 15:05:28 +0000, Simon Dean
<sjdean[at]simtext.plus.com> wrote:

- quote -

It's usually as a child that you would notice scotopic sensitivity
first. My daughter has it along with dyslexia and it first showed
itself with her failing the depth perception type sight test at
school. She was given a coloured overlay which didn't do much for her
but I now suspect that the optician who saw her wasn't really
qualified to test for it.

Maybe your being a bit run down with the infection etc has meant that
you notice it now for the first time. Tiredness and illness can bring
out the worst.

Alternatively, most drugs can have visual disturbances as a side
effect so it could be something to do with that.

Ann

Ann wrote:
- quote -


Just having a look at that now. Don't rule anything out with me.
According to the dermatologist, I have a skin condition that's more in
tune with old ladies.

I have Lichen Aureus, which is one of the Pigmented Purpuric Dermatosis,
which is basically capilliaritis, couple that with my hypothyroid
condition, and the fact that Im now on the same acid indigestion tablets
as my grandmother, lansoprazole, don't rule anything out just because Im
young.

It does sound rather interesting... it talks about Light Sensitivity
which I feel I have, but I don't think I have issues with contrast (ie
the LCD is bright white, the paper is a paper white colour, and the LCD
I can view fine). Maybe I do and don't realise it. There's no restricted
field of clear vision, as far as I can tell, Depth Perception appears
fine at night.

But I'll look out for that. but again, it's just odd that it happens
just at work, under fluorescent lights and LCD monitors, and since I've
been two and a half weeks off.

I've used LCD Monitors under Fluorescent conditions before.


Maybe there's something to do with how I had time off? I ended up going
in for minor surgery on my toenails, ended up getting an infection,
ended up going on antibiotics for a a week I think it was, Fluxc...
something or the other.

Im also on Lansoprazole and Thyroxine.

Cya
Simon

On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 14:06:55 +0000, Simon Dean
<sjdean[at]simtext.plus.com> wrote:

- quote -

Sounds a bit like scotopic sensitivity except it's doubtful that you'd
notice it first time at this age.

Ann

Mike Tyner wrote:
- quote -

I know. That's the thing that's so confusing. I might agree with the
lighting, because me and fluorescent tubular lighting have never got on
well with me, they always give me headaches and mess around with my
vision, but I've never noticed what Im experiencing before, and I know
they havent changed the lights in my absence. Which is why Im inclined
to believe it could be some freaky thing to do with the monitor. But the
monitor looks perfect.

- quote -

Here is is again, just in case:

May 2005:
Right Distance +0.50 Sph, -0.75 Cyl, 135 Axis
Left Distance +0.75 Sph, -0.50 Cyl, 35 Axis



- quote -

So barrel distortion is a glasses-only phenomenon?



- quote -

Sorry, started thinking about the ride at Universal Studios, where
you're on the studio backlot tour, you go through a tunnel, and the
tunnel starts revolving, though the track stays where you are, and what
you see, isn't actually what's happening in the physical sense...



- quote -

I realise Im really starting to get clumsy with my wording... Ok... see
if I can better summarise.

So after an hour of looking at the computer monitor without glasses, my
vision on the printed or written word appears sort of, well, I've
learned it's not distorted. It's true it would be blurry, black appears
grey, ink scribbles blur and blend into each other, maybe to give the
impression of being blurry. But it's not just that it's blurry.

I would have described it as being like I've scanned something into the
computer and printed on low quality, but here I am, at home, looking at
a scan, and apart from it being blurry (due to the low quality), it
appears fine. (getting confused again).

At work however, different scenario. It's not that it jus appears
blurry, but it seems to take on some 3D aspect, with almost a colour
bleed (on black text, appearance of orangey hues around the outside,
though I could be mistaken), and maybe the sense that what is on the
paper, isn't on the paper.

This is frustrating me, and probbaly isn't helping you, guess I'll have
to wait til Im back at work to give you a better description. I wonder
though if there's anything about "depth perception".

But something interesting, don't know whether it's worth mentioning, my
sister just bought herself a pair of "pin hole glasses" I dunno. I tried
them for a couple of minutes, really hurt my eyes, but I got the sense
my right eye was stronger than my left, and I may as well not have a
left eye in those glasses as it didn't seem to be being used unless I
concentrated.

- quote -

I hope not either. But it doesn't sound like a typical optometry problem
does it? And I certainly don't have any hope in hell of explaining it.

Grrr.

Sorry about that, but thanks for your reply.

If you can think of anything at all, let me know.

One thing I've omitted (because Im not sure if it's the case, Im not
sure of anything anymore to be honest), but, after I put on the glasses,
my vision would be fine, the text on the paper would be crisper and
sharper, but that weird sense would develop a while later that the text
wasn't sitting on the paper... even though my vision was sharp.

Ahem.

Guess it's sounding even more bizarre now.

Cya
Simon

"Simon Dean" <sjdean[at]simtext.plus.com> wrote

- quote -

I've never heard of LCD monitors "causing" such symptoms. There might be
something else involved, like the office lighting.

- quote -

IIRC, your prescription was low minus and low astigmatism, something usually
recommended for far vision, not especially for near vision.

- quote -

Then all my expostulating about barrel distortion was irrelevant.

- quote -

Then barrel distortion has nothing to do with it.

- quote -

You lost me there.

- quote -

Some glasses can produce a color distortion that might give a 3-D effect.
But if you're getting the effect without glasses, again I'm stumped.

- quote -

I don't think you're imagining it. I just don't think it signals anything
ominous.

-MT

Mike Tyner wrote:
- quote -

I hope not. I only seem to be getting these issues at work. I can sit in
front of my lovely CRT monitor at home all day, then look at some paper,
and everything feels great. The difference is when I go into work...

Eye surgeon sounds ominous, but I'll answer the rest of your
questions... I think you hit the nail on the head later on.

Thank you very much for replying, it is very much appreciated...

- quote -

THat would be difficult to wear contact lenses just for close up work
then keep taking them out.

- quote -

That sounds weird. The sensation is there with or without glasses (only
at work) and the prescription is very minimal as far as I can tell...
and I've never had this sensation before! With or without the glasses!

- quote -

No, i think the edges are straight. Although I do sense ripples in the
paper a bit too easily that it's distracting.



- quote -

Hrm. It feels distorted, but there's no distortion then, because I know
there's no bends, curves, waves etc.


- quote -

I think I meant here sorry, it's MORE than just fuzzy text...


- quote -

Though I was probably incorrect given that things do seem straight...

- quote -

That sounds like the thing actually... letters seem to stand out, which
is probably why Im getting freaked out since I know the things are on
the paper, I know the writing is on the board and I can't correlate the
two...

Im looking at some fuzzy text at home of a scan I made of a piece of
paper, and that looks fine... that's why I say it's more than just
fuzzy, or blurry text... I think the standing out and the 3-D off the
page might be great explanation.

- quote -

No disorders? Oh great, please don't tell me Im imagining it... Mind
you, known optical phenomena... does that mean I should switch back to a
CRT at work? I've read about contrast sensitivity, maybe I should change
my monitor contrast and brightness settings???

Thanks
Simon

"Simon Dean" <sjdean[at]simtext.plus.com> wrote

- quote -

Your GP will have little to offer except referral to an eye surgeon.

Yes, you do seem to be a little anxious about your symptoms, and I think
that makes your symptoms worse.

- quote -

"Fish bowl" is a very familiar complaint in the optical industry. A certain
amount of barrel distortion is inevitable with prescriptions like yours.
When the prescription is "right", the effect seems to go away after a few
days of full-time wear. Barrel distortion can be diminished with smaller
lenses, closer-fitting glasses, and contact lenses.

When the sensation doesn't go away, sometimes it means the prescription is
stronger than it needs to be and we recheck the prescription after
cycloplegic drops.

- quote -

Does "weird" mean the edges aren't straight?

- quote -

"Blur" means lack of focus. "Distortion" usually means apparent bends,
curves, waves, etc. Many eye people don't know the difference between
anti-alias and Auntie Alice.

- quote -

Barrel distortion is one of the problems you named. The other wierdness had
to do with printed and handwritten text, and how it differed from LCD. I got
the impression you were describing letters that seem to stand out, in 3-D,
off the page. If my understanding is accurate, then I think I have an
explanation, but I'll wait to see if I'm reading you right.

Bottom line, your observations are probably accurate and your symptoms can
probably be explained in terms of known optical phenomena and so far they
don't indicate any disorders of the eyes or brain, except maybe neurosis. So
relax and tell us more about it.

-MT