Eye Strain, Dizziness -- Please help!

[mikeandtina]

The quote below pretty much sums up the problems I have since my Lasik surgery some ten years ago.

All of these issues may combine into the “perfect storm” to cause problems with focusing, perception of distances, eye strain, headaches, vertigo, nausea, and/or dizziness. If you are experiencing these problems after Lasik or similar surgery, there are some options you may consider. What is most appropriate will depend upon the exact nature of the problem.

I have dizziness, eye strain (during close-up work, computer) and nausea. I was told I had a convergence insufficiency and did extensive eye therapy within a year after the Lasik which did not help. The Lasik surgeon did monovision and my brain never adjusted. I wear reading glasses with prisms which help but do not solve the problem. I do not have dry eyes. I am 55 years old.

I read in this website that some people are helped with contact lenses. There are no USAEyes-recommended doctors in my state -- Washington. I contacted a doctor in California but he said that he does not do contacts, only surgery. So my questions are:

Do you think contacts will be of help to me?
Do I need to see a doctor who has special training to fix this problem?
If I get fitted for a regular pair of contacts could that solve the problem?
Does anyone have a doctor in Washington State or Southern California whom they would recommend?

I send my appreciations in advance for any suggestions or recommendations anyone may have!

Tina

[LasikExpert]

Do you think contacts will be of help to me?

Yes, very likely wearing contacts to bring both eyes to the same refractive error (or no refractive error) will help. Read our articles about Lasik eye strain, focus, and headach problems, and Lasik monovision for more details.

Do I need to see a doctor who has special training to fix this problem?

Probably not. An optometrist who has experience in fitting contact lenses should be adequate.

If I get fitted for a regular pair of contacts could that solve the problem?

So long as they resolve the imbalance between the eyes, you should see almost immediate improvement.

Does anyone have a doctor in Washington State or Southern California whom they would recommend?

An optometrist who is most convenient to you would likely be best. You may need several fittings to get everything just right. Convenience will be important for the multiple trips.

[mikeandtina]

Thank you for your reply, Mr. Hagele!

So even though my eyesite is corrected with glasses, I may lessen the eye strain and other symptoms by using contact lenses?
Will it be of any help if I show this e-mail thread to the eye doctor?

I'll be scheduling an appointment and will let you know how it goes!

Thank you again!

[LasikExpert]

Whether or not contacts will be better than glasses depends greatly on the amount of prism you require. Refractive correction at the spectacle plane is different that at the cornea. The image is shrunk to accommodate the refractive change. If the image size at the retina of one eye is different than the other, you can have some of the symptoms you describe even if there is no refractive error.

The purpose of the prism is to align the image arriving at the left eye with the image arriving at the right. If the misalignment is because of widely different refractive error (two different sizes) and not linear alignment, then contacts may be better. If the convergence issue is pronounced, then a combination of contact lenses and prism glasses may be the best.

You should discuss all of this with your eye doctor, and certainly you can use this thread as a reference. Let the eye doctor explain how our observations may or may not apply to your individual circumstances.

[mikeandtina]

Hi, Glenn,
You state that whether or not contacts will be better than glasses to resolve eye strain post Lasik depends greatly on the amount of prism I require. I am currently using a 1.0 prism. Can you tell me if that is considered a large amount of prism...?

Thank you for your response!