hazy vision, balance off, heavy eye

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Starting 3 weeks ago, I noticed a gray dot in my right eye that I keep seeing in the same area. It comes and goes and tends to be more prevalent during activities or even just bending down and picking something up. In doing so it comes and goes for about half a second. Days after this I developed an odd headache in the right side of my head with fatigue and a sharp stabbing pain going back through my eye. I went to the ER they did a CT scan and said nothing was wrong.

Two days later the headache and stabbing pain went away but my eye tensed up like the eye muscles are weak and are straining to keep open. Its an odd feeling and affects everything I do because it's constantly there.

My vision and balance got worse as well. When I look at things it's as if I'm in a dream and is probably the most frustrating of all. It's like my brain can't process what I'm seeing fast enough and it's leaving me with not so clear vision and a haziness like the opacity on everything is turned down.

My balance is worse it seems. This is where I run into trouble describing what I mean. I have seen people use the terms vertigo and dizziness and bad balance but it is really none of that. I can still stand on one foot and walk in a line but doing so takes so much more effort than it should and when I walk in a straight line its like I'm moving to the side. I thought this would be related to my eyes but when I close my eyes I have the same type of feeling like I'm on shaky ground and very unsteady.

I had a CT scan that checked out and because of the visual symptoms I went to the optometrist and he ran a full eye exam and It showed I had exceptional vision and that nothing is wrong no retinal tears or anything like that.

I know a lot of problems have symptoms like this but what I've found just from doing research is that it could be something serious and I should get it checked out to be sure. I don't know what to do though. Common sense tells me that this seems like something neurologically wrong or maybe with one of the arteries in my head and that I should probably go for a MRI or something. I have an appointment set up for a physical with a primary care doctor
but that is weeks away and it seems like something like this shouldn't be prolonged I don't have health care though so there's is no immediate doctor I can go to and I understand that most specialists require a referral before they will do anything so I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I'd appreciate any helpful info you can give me. Thanks a lot.

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Type: Question • Score: 3 • Views: 1,162 • Replies: 16

[+3] - Miller - 12/21/2010Your age, medical history, and medications are all relevant to your diagnosis as well as prognosis. One is advised never to go to the ER with a vision problem. See a specialist, in this case...

@scatmanwfm,

If you are near a university health center, the ones I know have clinics for eye care; I see an excellent ophthalmologist (not an optometrist!) at one. If you call to make an appointment, insist it is an emergency and describe the symptoms, so you are seen as soon as possible. This may or may not be primarily a vision problem, but an ophthalmologist would be likely to help you find out.

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Your age, medical history, and medications are all relevant to your diagnosis as well as prognosis. One is advised never to go to the ER with a vision problem. See a specialist, in this case either an MD or an OD.

You did see an OD, who didn't detect a problem based on the tests administered.

Before seeing an opthalmologist, I'd see an internist, who's your PCP ( primary care physician ). This MD will then make the necessary referrals based on tests adminstered in the Internal Medicine department.

You don't know what your problem is until you receive a complete physical examination. When was your last physical?

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Are you diabetic?

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@Miller,

Yeah I wouldn't of gone to the ER but having multiple symptoms and never having anything like this just wanted to get it checked out and I don't have any health insurance.

I haven't had a physical in forever. That is actually what my optometrist suggested since the blood work might show something. I'm scheduled for one but it's in 4 weeks I found another place that is taking people immediately so I might change it. He also said that if it comes back ok, to contact him again about seeing a specialist. I guess he meant ophthalmologist. What might show up in the blood that would be related to this or are there just too many things it could be and blood work is to eliminate a bunch?

Are you able to see an internist if you are paying out of pocket? If so you said they give you referrals based on the tests they run? Would they give you multiple referrals if the symptoms suggest different things? Thanks again for the help and info I appreciate it.

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@PUNKEY,

No I'm not diabetic.

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@ossobuco,

Yeah that does seem like the next step. My optometrist mentioned to get a physical and if the blood work came back ok he would recommend a specialist.

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@scatmanwfm,

scatmanwfm wrote:

Yeah I wouldn't of gone to the ER but having multiple symptoms and never having anything like this just wanted to get it checked out and I don't have any health insurance.

I haven't had a physical in forever. That is actually what my optometrist suggested since the blood work might show something. I'm scheduled for one but it's in 4 weeks I found another place that is taking people immediately so I might change it. He also said that if it comes back ok, to contact him again about seeing a specialist. I guess he meant ophthalmologist. What might show up in the blood that would be related to this or are there just too many things it could be and blood work is to eliminate a bunch?

Are you able to see an internist if you are paying out of pocket? If so you said they give you referrals based on the tests they run? Would they give you multiple referrals if the symptoms suggest different things? Thanks again for the help and info I appreciate it.

----------------------------------------------------

Buy low cost health insurance, right now.

See the internist for a complete physical, which will include blood work.

You can pay the Clinic with cash or a credit card, or work out some sort of paying arrangement.

You will get referrals for everything from your MD ( internist ). Do not ask the optomitrist for a referral.

One can speculate as to the "cause" of your medical problems.

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Quote:

went to the ER they did a CT scan and said nothing was wrong

How much did you pay for this?

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What do you consider "low cost" health insurance?

Just with the tests he's had already, he'd be put into the "high risk" pool.

Insurance companies will find out EVERY test and EVERY medication you have ever been on and will adjust rates accordingly PLUS factor in the risk of future possible diseases.

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You need to have this problem checked out quickly. Low cost insurance (@$500 per month) comes with a $10,000 deductiable in my state - and if you get too sick to work and can't make a premium they will just cancel your insurance anyway. You're best off working out a payment program if you are an individual without insurance. See if your local hospital has a community clinic and they will also have a financial counselor on staff to help you figure out how much things will cost and a payment plan. They sometimes will work on a sliding scale if you make little enough money (under $15,000 for an individual with no other household income is the typical number, under $10,000 with no sellable or liquid assets and you might be able to get Medicaid). I pay all my doctors cash and I usually get a small discount for saving them the insurance company paperwork hassle. I also find I get faster appointments when I wave cash at them (last time it saved me a 6 week wait). Labs will charge you more for not having insurance and their payment programs can involve interest rates. Always ask up front about what they are going to do and get costs in writing so there are no surprises.

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@PUNKEY,

PUNKEY wrote:

What do you consider "low cost" health insurance?

Since no mention was made of age, one has to guess. For a senior on Medicare, or even medicaid the cost per month can be as low as about $95.

In Massachusetts, since it's the law we have to have health insurance, there are several low cost plans. For those between the ages of 55-65, a normal cost with BC/BS can easily be around $10,000/year. But BC/BS isn't the only insurance plan available.

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@PUNKEY,

PUNKEY wrote:

Just with the tests he's had already, he'd be put into the "high risk" pool.

No reason for him to be put in a "high risk" pool, since the few tests he's had showed no abnormalities. Basically, he's a well man, as evidenced from the tests performed.

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@PUNKEY,

PUNKEY wrote:

Insurance companies will find out EVERY test and EVERY medication you have ever been on ...

If the insurance companies are paying for your health care, why shouldn't they know what tests and meds you're on. By the way, the only way they can know what your meds are, is if they're paying for them. You can go to Walgreens, buy a card and then buy many generic medications for about $10 and no one but the pharmacist will know what you're taking.

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@Green Witch,

Green Witch wrote:

You need to have this problem checked out quickly. Low cost insurance (@$500 per month) comes with a $10,000 deductiable in my state - and if you get too sick to work and can't make a premium they will just cancel your insurance anyway. You're best off working out a payment program if you are an individual without insurance. See if your local hospital has a community clinic and they will also have a financial counselor on staff to help you figure out how much things will cost and a payment plan. They sometimes will work on a sliding scale if you make little enough money (under $15,000 for an individual with no other household income is the typical number, under $10,000 with no sellable or liquid assets and you might be able to get Medicaid). I pay all my doctors cash and I usually get a small discount for saving them the insurance company paperwork hassle. I also find I get faster appointments when I wave cash at them (last time it saved me a 6 week wait). Labs will charge you more for not having insurance and their payment programs can involve interest rates. Always ask up front about what they are going to do and get costs in writing so there are no surprises.

Most of the unemployed can't afford to pay in cash. They need the $$ for food and housing.

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I don't know what a CAT scan would cost if you were to pay for it in cash. I do know that an MRI for a small dog is about $2000.

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I still would go to a university medical center clinic. You can go to see an internist or you can go see an ophthalmologist. They would refer you internally from clinic to clinic in any case. Explain when you call, as I said, your symptoms, to get seen without a long wait. At least that worked for me.

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hazy vision, balance off, heavy eye

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