Peripheral Vision Loss


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I had a field test with the new ophthalmologist this week. That's where they cover one eye and you look into the machine, and click the thing in your hand each time you can see a flashing light.

 

My results show essentially NO peripheral vision to my left (my stroke was on the right side of the brain, which deals with stuff to the left).

 

This is profoundly disappointing. My incidents of "left side neglect" have become very few and far between, so I had hoped I was getting some of it back, but it looks like maybe I've just gotten good at compensating for its lack. Good enough for day-to-day activities, at least -- not good enough for driving.

 

The ophthalmologist didn't know of any exercises I could be doing to try and work on it. I'm hoping that that might be because her focus is on the eyes themselves and not the brain -- but where else should I be looking for such exercises? Or is it, in fact, hopeless?

 

David

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Hi David,

 

Have you seen a Neurologic Opthamalogist? My husband doesn't go to a regular optomatrist or opthamologist anymore. He has right sided hemionopsia and does have various blind spots within his field of vision. I do know there are prism lenses that may be used in some cases. Have you talked about those? There is also a program called NovaVision that is supposed to help you retrain the brain so your peripheral vision comes back. Here is a link to that system:

 

http://www.novavision.com/

 

Good luck to you!

 

Ann

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David,

 

You are not alone, I got the same problem and take the same test at the VA. You know I think it depends on the brain and any compensations it has made for what was lost with the stroke I don't think mine is that bad and I'm getting help from other brain cells in that area of the brain. I got two pairs of glasses and still I have to put on, take off, then at times I see better without the glasses.

 

I don't know the answers but our eyes are probably all different from the stroke we suffered. I passed the eye test at the DMV, been had my drivers license since 2005, my stroke was January 2004. I sure don't know what you can do to correct that. I would just try passing the driving eye test at different stations until you pass if they keep telling you that's your only problem.

 

Your left side neglect is getting better you said, I would go take the driving test. They even got my med list from me when I first got my licenses back. Then July my birthday I had to renew my drivers license, they took away my motorcycle license and put a restriction of Automatic transmission only on my license.

 

What they don't know is I got a 3 wheeler, Harley with steering wheel, gas and brake pedal and 4 cylinder motor in it with auto trans! I was limping a little bit and holding my left arm up too far so she said I would have to take the test again when I was ready to operate a motorcycle again.

Fred!

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David,

Ann is absolutely correct. You need to see an optomatrist who specializes in neurological issues related to vision. They are the only ones who are trained and have the equipment to test for peripheral vision loss. The test id not that simplistic, takes well over an hour, and is done with pretty high tech equipment. It will very accurately determine the degree of your field cut. If it is determined it is correctable you may be prescribed prism glasses along with vision therapy such as Novavision. My hemianopsia was treated and completely corrected, so there is hope.

 

http://www.nanosweb.org/i4a/member_directory/feSearchForm.cfm?directory_id=1&pageid=3390&showTitle=1

 

Best of luck.

 

Maria

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HI I HAVE NO PERIPHERAL VISION TO MY EYES SINCE MY STROKE 3 1/2 YRS AGO AND THIS PREVENTS ME FROM DRIVING TOO. I SAW 3 NEURO EYE DR AND THEY HAD NO EXCERSISES FOR ME EITHER AND RECOMMENDED PRISM GLASSES, IN HOPE THAT WILL HELP, BUT SO FAR NOTHING. I JUST LEARNED TO TURN MY HEAD NOW TO SEE SOMEONE. IF YOU HEAR OF ANYTHING, LET ME KNOW . THANKS PATTY

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EVERYONE WHO HAS VISUAL FIELD LOSS-PLEASE GO TO ANN'S LINK ABOVE. It's great! I hoped that I could benefit from it, but VRT, as it's called, is only for visual field loss, which I don.t have. Anyway, it has a place where you can enter your zip, and find a doc near you. Lending credibility to the tedchnique was a neuro opthomalogist at Duke Hospital, which is one of the top 10 hospitals in the country! Question": Do ya think that if ya go to a doc(which an opthomalogist is, but an optometrist is not)for Rehab or Retraining (the "R" in VRT), and not just corrective lenses, do you think that an insurance co. would pay then? I don't know, but I did think that this therapy sounded pretty promising, and worth looking into. Becky

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thank you Ann, Maria, Becky. a Neurologic Ophthalmologist is definitely what I need, and I'll need to check and see if she is one. and I'll check out thar link, too -- my challenge is to demonstrate that I can and will beat this.

 

I don't want to beat the test, I want to PASS it, fair and square.

 

(Sending this from my birthday present to myself -- an iPad2.)

 

David

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NovaVision sounds like exactly what I need. Except that:

 

a. The only independent clinical review I can find online seems to cast doubt on their effectiveness, and

 

b. They went into bankruptcy a year ago, and their assets were acquired by an outfit called VyCor (?).

 

I'm understandably reluctant to spend a lot of money without a lot better omens....

 

David

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David,

 

I didn't do the home version of Nova. I did it with a neuro optical therapist all through the doctor, as you would with OT or PT so I was covered by my insurance. Bankrupt or not if a doctor has the program, he's likely still using it for therapy if he finds it effective, or has another he does.

I say best place to start is a good neuro opt for both results and feasibility.

 

Good luck, let us know how you make out.

 

Maria

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This is why I drive 2.5 hours to go to a doctor that specializes in that. He does therapy for me as well.. He works with Bincular vision and Perception. Make sure of that for i went to a wonderful Neuro Opthamalogist in a hospital and they didn't do anything for me. Which is why I go here..

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David, Like I said, I didn't research this procedure except that I read all of the research articles on-site. On the physician-locater, I put in my zip (28052) within a radius of 500 miles, and that's how I found out that there was a neuro opth at Duke University who did the re-training. That, plus the fact that the re-training is FDA-approved, gave me hope that it works. The Duke Eye Clinic ph# was listed at the Duke site, if you're interested. I would want to see more research, too, if I thought I might be a candidate. I was hoping that by telling you my zip, you could get a jump-start to do just that, if you wanted. Becky

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Just one additional piece of information regarding NovaVision. I saw a sign in my husband's neurologist's office! So, ask your neurologist about it. My husband's doctor did make the comment that because of the cost he knew most of his patients would be unable to get the equipment in order to follow the program. So, not all neuro-opthamologists will even recommend the program because it is somebody else's program and they won't benefit from it!! There may be something else, but Bill's neuro opt didn't have anything to offer him either.

 

Warmly,

 

Ann

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had a field test with the new ophthalmologist this week. That's where they cover one eye and you look into the machine, and click the thing in your hand each time you can see a flashing light.

 

My results show essentially NO peripheral vision to my left (my stroke was on the right side of the brain, which deals with stuff to the left).

 

This is profoundly disappointing. My incidents of "left side neglect" have become very few and far between, so I had hoped I was getting some of it back, but it looks like maybe I've just gotten good at compensating for its lack. Good enough for day-to-day activities, at least -- not good enough for driving.

 

The ophthalmologist didn't know of any exercises I could be doing to try and work on it. I'm hoping that that might be because her focus is on the eyes themselves and not the brain -- but where else should I be looking for such exercises? Or is it, in fact, hopeless?

 

David

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I have no left peripheral vision neither. And I don't drive since I stroked, that's four years ago. I'm afraid I could hurt someone or even me.But I'm still young, maybe one day I'll try it again, because the car is so necessary!

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I drove for awhile after my stroke in 2006. I had a Thrombotic Stroke and walked with a four prone cane. Then last year I had surgry on my Arota and caused me to become parilized form the waist down.

 

 

 

Bruce Schwentker

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Guest furiawill

I have no left peripheral vision neither. And I don't drive since I stroked, that's four years ago. I'm afraid I could hurt someone or even me.But I'm still young, maybe one day I'll try it again, because the car is so necessary!

I HAD THE SAME KIND OF VISION PROBS UNTIL I TRIED THESE GOGGLES THAT WHEN YOU WEAR THEM THE LIGHT MOVES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. i FOUN THESE GOGGLES IN A CHIROPRACTOR'S OFFICE IN CONCORDIA, MISSOURI. HIS NAME WAS WAYNE MYERS AND THE THERAPY WORKED FOR ME AND I AM ABLE TO DRIVE WITHOUT ANY RESTRICTIONS. I HOPE THIS HELPS.

-WILL

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The problem with a vision field loss is not only the inability to see peripherally on one side. What it also does is throws off your center of vision. What happens then is you think you are looking straight and you are really not. I remember I would walk in to door jambs not because I couldn't see them, but because I thought I was looking straight and in reality I wasn't. If you're driving down the road and you think you are looking straight to find you are steering into oncoming traffic would surely not be a good thing. I swore I was looking straight ahead until I was shown with a simulator how far off I was.

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My strokes were left hemisphere and I have been left with a loss of right peripheral vision. So far, therapy is not bringing it back. I have a service dog, for mobility/balance assistance. Monster has figured out I don't see on my right side and has learned to watch my right side for me. The intellegence of helper dogs still amazes me some times. He even whimpers when we are in the car and something comes up on the right side - his way of playing copilot/navigator, as far as I can guess.

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