OSA and eye focus

[nmevan]

greetings

I was diagnosed with severe OSA about 6 months ago and have been on cpap for the last 5 months

I have probably had OSA for at least the last 15 years and I am now 54

since a few weeks prior to the initial OSA diagnosis my eyes started taking a longer time to focus when I turned my head (which is why I went to my doctor in the first place)

I have never worn glasses and my eye doc says I don't need them, except for the lowest power reading glasses

the focus lag time makes me feel unstable, almost dizzy...and in turn leads to what feels like panic attacks every time it happens

when I am jolted by the surprise and fear of my eyes not instantly focusing, my brain hits the panic button and secretes some type of fight or flight hormone or chemical ... and it feels a lot like an anxiety attack

I feel that this is directly related to my OSA, but without any real proof

I was hoping it would clear up with the use of cpap, but it has yet to

has anyone experienced such a thing or can anyone shed some light as to what might be happening and more importantly, how to cure it?

thank you

evan

[Otter]

I have no answers, but I do have three questions.

Has this problem gotten better or worse since you started cpap therapy?

Do you have a theory, even a half-baked one, of how your OSA would cause this problem?

Have you consulted an ophthalmologist or a neurologist about this?

[nmevan]

thanks...these are good questions

I think that the only aspect of this that has improved is that I have less anxiety when it happens, since I am getting somewhat used to it and I have never actually passed out or fallen down

I have consulted both an ophthalmologist and a neurologist about this? My eyes are fine and the neurologist does not have a clue.

My half-baked theory is that either the lack of oxygen I have been experienced over the years while sleeping, or the excessive amount of cortisol, may have damaged something in my brain

also, I think that if I do not get enough good sleep, I remain tired and that effects the focusing of my eyes...I think that it is not uncommon for one's eyes to be harder to focus when one is sleepy...but I am shooting in the dark here

thanks

evan

[BlackSpinner]

Yes vision difficulties are associated with O2 deprivation.
http://anthro.palomar.edu/adapt/adapt_3.htm

The result is hypoxia , or oxygen deprivation. Hypoxia usually begins with the inability to do normal physical activities, such as climbing a short flight of stairs without fatigue. Other early symptoms of "high altitude sickness" include a lack of appetite, distorted vision, and difficulty with memorizing and thinking clearly. In serious cases, pneumonia-like symptoms (pulmonary edema click this icon to hear the preceding term pronounced) and an abnormal accumulation of fluid around the brain (cerebral edema ) develop, leading to death within a few days if there is not a return to normal air pressure levels. There is also an increased risk of heart failure due to the added stress placed on the lungs, heart, and arteries at high altitudes.

Also can you see your AHI? You may want to borrow and oxymeter for a few nights to see your O2 levels.

[Country4ever]

Hi Evan,
I'm assuming you're male? I almost went into my perimenopause schpiel.....then I noticed your name.
I don't think it has anything to do with OSA. I would see a neurologist if I were you.
What kind of eye doctor did you see? Hopefully it was an ophthalmologist and not an optometrist. If not, I would see one of those first.
If it were some kind of Eustachian tube/sinus problem, I could understand you getting dizzy when you turn your head, but not the blurry vision part.
Keep us posted.

[nmevan]

thanks for the input

here is one more piece to the puzzle

I only sleep about 6 hours or so before my pressure starts to wake me up

I reach over and hit my ramp button 4 to 8 times each night to lower the pressure in order that I may get back to sleep

in addition to that, my machine tells me that I have between 6.5 and 8.5 AHIs per hour

my sleep study counted 50 per hour

I'm wondering if my eye focus thing is just a symptom of exhaustion

but it makes me wonder why more folks on this site have not experienced such a thing...since lack of sleep is common

thanks again

evan

[Jade]

My eyes ability to focus has always varied quite noticeably. I don't know if it's connected to poor/restful sleep or oxygen desats. Last appt, my eye dr said it could be a sign of incipient diabetes, but I've had it for decades. I'm an avid reader.

I don't know if this will make sense to you, but my take is your body has a lot of adjusting to do. All those interconnected systems are pretty mysterious...so much we don't know about how it all works and fits together. It's possible this is just a period of acclimation for body's systems.

But I'm glad you are also getting it checked out by experts. If you don't trust the results, keep looking. Ya gotta feel good in your own skin, right?

[BlackSpinner]

thanks for the input

here is one more piece to the puzzle

I only sleep about 6 hours or so before my pressure starts to wake me up

I reach over and hit my ramp button 4 to 8 times each night to lower the pressure in order that I may get back to sleep

in addition to that, my machine tells me that I have between 6.5 and 8.5 AHIs per hour

my sleep study counted 50 per hour

I'm wondering if my eye focus thing is just a symptom of exhaustion

but it makes me wonder why more folks on this site have not experienced such a thing...since lack of sleep is common

thanks again

evan

You have to stop hitting the ramp button, in fact get rid of it and adjust to your full pressure. This is one of the things causing your higher AHI.

Another thing is that your mask might be leaking into your eyes. That is one of the reasons I switched to the Hybrid. When I wear the Quatro my eyes act up in a similar way. The ophthalmologist said "not possible" but he doesn't live with my eyes. I think they still get leaked in from the tear ducts but it isn't as bad now.

[Hose_Head]

greetings

I was diagnosed with severe OSA about 6 months ago and have been on cpap for the last 5 months

I have probably had OSA for at least the last 15 years and I am now 54

since a few weeks prior to the initial OSA diagnosis my eyes started taking a longer time to focus when I turned my head (which is why I went to my doctor in the first place)

I have never worn glasses and my eye doc says I don't need them, except for the lowest power reading glasses

the focus lag time makes me feel unstable, almost dizzy...and in turn leads to what feels like panic attacks every time it happens

when I am jolted by the surprise and fear of my eyes not instantly focusing, my brain hits the panic button and secretes some type of fight or flight hormone or chemical ... and it feels a lot like an anxiety attack

I feel that this is directly related to my OSA, but without any real proof

I was hoping it would clear up with the use of cpap, but it has yet to

has anyone experienced such a thing or can anyone shed some light as to what might be happening and more importantly, how to cure it?

thank you

evan

I really have no idea what this could be. However, I have read that changes in vision can be linked to out of whack blood sugar levels. Are you diabetic? Have you been tested?

[nmevan]

thanks for everyone's input

interesting that the last reply mentions blood sugar...that thought has crossed my mind as well

I was tested for blood sugar about 6 months ago...109 with fasting...pre-diabetic

my pcp was not overly concerned and suggested I shy away from sugars and lose some weight

I think I'll get another test

thanks

evan

[DoriC]

What are your pressure settings? Your AHI isn't really optimal. You may be having runaway leaks vs increasing pressure causing arousals and maybe leaks into your eyes.

[EricinNC]

Off CPAP, my eyes get so bloodshot that my vision is actually blurry. And no I dont have diabetes, been checked out for that many many times including very recently. If I get a leak in my system, the bloodshot eyes comes back really fast and is dramatic. I also will get blurred vision. So yes, there is some sort of biological thing going on between untreated or undertreated OSA and vision. What that is, I dont know medically, I just know there is a relationship because I experienced it. And it goes away (at least for me) when I am on proper OSA treatment.

Eric

[idamtnboy]

since a few weeks prior to the initial OSA diagnosis my eyes started taking a longer time to focus when I turned my head (which is why I went to my doctor in the first place)

Could be age also. As we get older the fluid in the lens of our eyes gets stiffer and eventually hardens. When that happens you lose the ability to focus because the lens isn't flexible enough to change thickness. That's why older folks have to get reading glasses even when they've had perfectly good vision their whole life previous. I'm thinking that your lens may be getting stiffer and it takes a noticeable length of time to change focus.

When the lens material really gets stiff it sometimes changes texture and color and then you have cataracts. That's when lens replacement becomes the solution.

[Otter]

I have consulted both an ophthalmologist and a neurologist about this? My eyes are fine and the neurologist does not have a clue.

So that was a yes?

If I'm not mistaken, a good opthalmologist should be able to talk to you about the muscles that focus your eyes, the nerves that control them, and perhaps a bit about the area of your brain that in turn controls the nerves. If you saw one who focused myopically on your eyes and ignored the fact that the eye does not focus itself, maybe you should try again. OTOH, all he'd probably be able to do is refer you back to your neurologist.

My half-baked theory is that either the lack of oxygen I have been experienced over the years while sleeping, or the excessive amount of cortisol, may have damaged something in my brain

This seems possible. OSA can cause strokes too, did you talk to your neurologist about the possibility of a very small CVA?

The good news is that your brain has an amazing capacity to adapt. Because the damage seems to be minor, if that is it, you'll probably be able to recover once you effectively treat your OSA. You might find some reassurance in googling "neuroplasticity", if you haven't researched it already.

also, I think that if I do not get enough good sleep, I remain tired and that effects the focusing of my eyes...I think that it is not uncommon for one's eyes to be harder to focus when one is sleepy...but I am shooting in the dark here

That happens to me. Does your inability to focus correlate at all with your subjective sense of fatigue, how late in the day it is, your AHI, etc? Also, is it always hard to focus, or does it come and go. If it comes and goes, how long does it last?

Another question: When you can't focus, does it make you more nearsighted, more farsighted, or limit your range on both ends?

[Country4ever]

Not to frighten you, but the lag time in focus is common with M.S. That's why I thought you should see a neurologist. A brain MRI might be helpful.