med school makes vision worse?

[fun8stuff]

Since I started med school last August my vision has seriously delcined. I had better than 20/20 vision and never had any problems. Now, I am having problems seeing faces down hallways, seeing the television, reading signs on the road, night vision sucks, and I can't read the board/projection screen at school.

Does anybody know if there is evidence that increased reading can cause nearsightedness? Has anyone else experienced this?

edit: well, looks like i found my answer:
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040710/fob1.asp
http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=73

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[McGillGrad]

That would mean most lawyers would have vision problems because they certainly read more than a medical student does.

The amount of light that is present when you read has an affect on how much your lenses have to strain to focus the script, so they get tired faster.

 

[fun8stuff]

That would mean most lawyers would have vision problems because they certainly read more than a medical student does.

The amount of light that is present when you read has an affect on how much your lenses have to strain to focus the script.

well, i have a super bright reading lamp and another bright light. So I don't think that's it.

I heard one time of certain exercises one can do to supposedly improve your vision... anybody know what these exercises are and if they work?

 

[McGillGrad]

Common Causes of Vision Loss:

-Aging (the most common cause of decreased vision)

-Cataracts (common in older adults)

-Glaucoma

-Complications of diabetes (the most common cause of blindness in the United States) including double vision, retinal hemorrhages and diabetic retinopathy

-Eye infection, inflammation, or injury including infection of the cornea or retina

-Floaters (tiny particles) drifting across the eye which are usually harmless and require no treatment

-Fatigue

-Medications

 

[McGillGrad]

well, i have a super bright reading lamp and another bright light. So I don't think that's it.

I heard one time of certain exercises one can do to supposedly improve your vision... anybody know what these exercises are and if they work?

Those are usually marketed to people with eye problems that require glasses, right?

 

[sga814]

hm, this is probably the strangest thread ever (well almost)-

go to eye specialist and get checked out- it might be something serious, or it might just be your limbic system messing with your optic radiations (i.e. your head is playing tricks on you)

 

[McGillGrad]

hm, this is probably the strangest thread ever (well almost)-

go to eye specialist and get checked out- it might be something serious, or it might just be your limbic system messing with your optic radiations (i.e. your head is playing tricks on you)

I had 20/15 in both eyes until I fishing weight flew out of a fish's mouth and hit my eye and scratched the cornea years ago. Now I have 20/20 in the right eye and 20/15 in the left eye. And I see colours only a tad bit differently in the two eyes.

 

[DrHuang]

get reading glasses...itll reduce the strain on your eyes

 

[vtucci]

Yes, many students lose some visual acquity during medical school. It has happened to me and many of the older students in my class. I am almost 30.

As for the posting regarding law school and that lawyers read more than medical students, that is inaccurate. I am an attorney and a first year medical student and I have read way more in medical school than in law school. Law school has review guides that are relied on a lot more than the medical school ones even-- it summarizes the cases. Plus the texts in medical school are not particularly conducive to people taking notes in the margin so they are completely filled to the brink and the text is much smaller.

 

[fun8stuff]

hm, this is probably the strangest thread ever (well almost)-

go to eye specialist and get checked out- it might be something serious, or it might just be your limbic system messing with your optic radiations (i.e. your head is playing tricks on you)

haha, well i just checked and i don't have any hemianopsias or quadranopsias. regarding the light, it was a gift from my grandma who get it when she bought an orick vacuum cleaner.

i had my eyes checked in december and they were down to 20/20, but they seem worse now. I told the optometrist that my upper eyelid had been swelling up before exams. He told me it was probably a stye, but it's not like the styes I have had in the past. There is no head... it is more like a chalzion w/ just a swollen eyelid.

I guess it is probably a combination of reading so much, reading my laptop up close, and getting older (although I am only 23). I hope it doesn't have anything to do with an infection.

 

[McGillGrad]

As for the posting regarding law school and that lawyers read more than medical students, that is inaccurate. I am an attorney and a first year medical student and I have read way more in medical school than in law school. Law school has review guides that are relied on a lot more than the medical school ones even-- it summarizes the cases. Plus the texts in medical school are not particularly conducive to people taking notes in the margin so they are completely filled to the brink and the text is much smaller.

McGill Law reads much more than McGill Med and med school is also filled with plenty of review guides for all types of concepts. Juust because med student furiously photocopy journal articles all day long does not mean they read them all.

 

[trudub]

As a general rule, I would agree that medical students read more than law students. I have brothers and sisters in law school and a number of friends in law school and I guarantee I read more than they, really not even in the same ballpark.

 

[joe6102]

haha, well i just checked and i don't have any hemianopsias or quadranopsias. regarding the light, it was a gift from my grandma who get it when she bought an orick vacuum cleaner.

i had my eyes checked in december and they were down to 20/40, but they seem worse now. I told the optometrist that my upper eyelid had been swelling up before exams. He told me it was probably a stye, but it's not like the styes I have had in the past. There is no head... it is more like a chalzion w/ just a swollen eyelid.

I guess it is probably a combination of reading so much, reading my laptop up close, and getting older (although I am only 23). I hope it doesn't have anything to do with an infection.

Get it checked out with an opthomologist. I had some pain/redness/blepharitis in one eye, and my generalist said it was probably allergies. I came back 2 weeks later and he referred me to optho, who told me that I was well on my way to a corneal ulceration due to chronic dry eyes and improperly fitted contacts. Damn eyedrops cost $15/ounce, and I can't even think about wearing contacts again for months.

I don't know if med school had anything to do with it or not, but if not then it's a big coincidence.

 

[angel80]

I noticed my eyesight decrease during medschool. I was beginning to have trouble focusing on objects far away. I was contemplating going to an optometrist to get tested for glasses, but I didn't go. Instead, I started making sure that while I was studying, every 10-15 minutes I would look up from my books and look around the room, focusing on far-away objects. After a few months, my eyesight seemed to improve, but I have several friends who developed the need for glasses during med school. I was even told by a few people before I started med school that if I didn't need glasses before med school, I would definately need them after.

 

[LuckyBambooGirl]

According to my eye doctor, reading and doing other close work (for example, using a microscope all day, which is what I did before starting med school) can make you more near sighted. He suggested that I read without my glasses or contacts as much as possible, because it strains your eyes less. Unfortunately, my eyes are now so bad I can't read without my glasses!

 

[Diceman M.D.]

It's the fluorescent lights, man. Reading too much under fluoro lights will definitely dim your vision and probably cause a lot of headaches, insomnia, and general malaise as well. Ever visit thesmokinggun.com and read various celebrities' accomodation riders, and wonder why every single one of them contains a phrase like: "ABSOLUTELY NO FLUORESCENT LIGHTS INCANDESCENT ONLY CONCERT IS CANCELED IF I FIND ONE IN MY ROOM"? Incandescent is the way to go! Snoop Dogg knows that, so should you.

 

[fun8stuff]

It's the fluorescent lights, man. Reading too much under fluoro lights will definitely dim your vision and probably cause a lot of headaches, insomnia, and general malaise as well. Ever visit thesmokinggun.com and read various celebrities' accomodation riders, and wonder why every single one of them contains a phrase like: "ABSOLUTELY NO FLUORESCENT LIGHTS INCANDESCENT ONLY CONCERT IS CANCELED IF I FIND ONE IN MY ROOM"? Incandescent is the way to go! Snoop Dogg knows that, so should you.

i did a google search and could not find proof... perhaps i am not using right search terms. do you know of any sources that state this?

 

[adiddas125]

So our education system is killing our eyes? (assuming your school uses fluroescent bulbs...)

 

[fun8stuff]

So our education system is killing our eyes? (assuming your school uses fluroescent bulbs...)

well, the bright lamp i always study under is fluorescent. i never heard of fluorescent bulbs being bad for your eyes. I couldnt find any websites on this.. has anybody else heard of this? snoop dog is great and all... but given how much a tokes up, i am not sure how much weight i would put on health advice.

 

[angel80]

I think the reason that celebs don't like fluorescent lighting is because it is the least flattering type of light for your skin. Fluorescent lighting makes the skin an unflatteriong color, and emphasizes every little blemish.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

What you're experiencing is something called "pseudo-myopia." It happens to a lot of people with prolonged reading, etc. At your age, it's more UNlikely that you're losing your vision. It's probably a matter of getting re-refracted to update your prescription.

Does your vision get blurry after reading for a few minutes and improve on blinking? If so, you may be suffering from dry eyes. Since we blink a lot less when we're reading, working on the computer, etc, I'd recommend you use some artificial tears (NOT Visine "get the red out") throughout the day. If you buy the preservative free kind, feel free to use it as frequently as necessary.

But just to be safe, I'd recommend you get your eyes checked out by an Ophthalmologist. Oh, one more thing, please do NOT wear your contact lenses overnight! Take them off everynight before you go to sleep. Yes, even if it says "extended-wear."

 

[fun8stuff]

What you're experiencing is something called "pseudo-myopia." It happens to a lot of people with prolonged reading, etc. At your age, it's more UNlikely that you're losing your vision. It's probably a matter of getting re-refracted to update your prescription.

Does your vision get blurry after reading for a few minutes and improve on blinking? If so, you may be suffering from dry eyes. Since we blink a lot less when we're reading, working on the computer, etc, I'd recommend you use some artificial tears (NOT Visine "get the red out") throughout the day. If you buy the preservative free kind, feel free to use it as frequently as necessary.

But just to be safe, I'd recommend you get your eyes checked out by an Ophthalmologist. Oh, one more thing, please do NOT wear your contact lenses overnight! Take them off everynight before you go to sleep. Yes, even if it says "extended-wear."

thanks everyone for your input. do i need a referral for the opthalmologist?

 

[celticdoc]

I have contacts because I am near sighted and my eye doc told me to wear very light magnifying glasses when I read to reduce strain on my eyes as prolonged strain can lead to vision loss. So maybe try a +1 or +1.25, but check with your doc first if you have any concerns. You can get them at your local grocery/drug store.

 

[Diceman M.D.]

i did a google search and could not find proof... perhaps i am not using right search terms. do you know of any sources that state this?

Oh yeah, this was solely my opinion/what I've heard around. Never intended to state this as absolute fact. Still, tho - if a man who tokes up THAT much can make so MUCH money...

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

I have contacts because I am near sighted and my eye doc told me to wear very light magnifying glasses when I read to reduce strain on my eyes as prolonged strain can lead to vision loss. So maybe try a +1 or +1.25, but check with your doc first if you have any concerns. You can get them at your local grocery/drug store.

IMO, reading glasses for people under 40 years of age (PRE-presbyopes) is NOT necessary. There seems to be a difference in approach b/w Optometrists and Ophthalmologists when it comes to this. I'm willing to bet the "eye doc" that you saw was an Optometrist. Just curious, did he/she have an optical shop affiliated with their clinic?

I won't get into the business/politics of it here but just know that OTC reading glasses are NOT necessary! Check with your local Ophthalmologist if you want to confirm my thoughts.

 

[8744]

Si

...Does anybody know if there is evidence that increased reading can cause nearsightedness? Has anyone else experienced this...?

It also has caused hair to grow on my palms. I swear that's what it was.

 

[fun8stuff]

It also has caused hair to grow on my palms. I swear that's what it was.

oh yeah? all these years i thought that was masturbation that caused that. man, i have been missing out.

 

[Wee Free Woman]

Maybe invest in those magnifying glass devises that blow up a whole page or part of a page as you read...

That would be horrible. My vision is already so bad that I'm nearly blind...

I suppose this will be me in 4 years -->

 

[8744]

Need glasses to look at porn. Vision gets worse and I need new glasses. It's a vicious cycle I tell you.

 

[ShyRem]

My eyes were getting worse every 3 or 4 months during school. Every eye doc I talked to (and yes, I talked to both opto and ophthal's) said "get a pair of reading glasses to take the strain off" -- it helped and my eyes didn't change quite so quickly.

 

[HessExpress]

Interesting topic...I recently developed a bunch of floaters in my vision. I'm definetly not looking forward to studying all day with those ****ers in my eyes.

 

[8744]

All kidding aside, I got my first pair of bifocals last year and I hate them even if they do work pretty well.

My vision sems to have gotten much worse in the last four years but whether this is old age or studying I don't know.

 

[fun8stuff]

Interesting topic...I recently developed a bunch of floaters in my vision. I'm definetly not looking forward to studying all day with those ****ers in my eyes.

floaters?! i hope to god this is different than the floaters i see in the toliet....

 

[HessExpress]

yeah much different

 

[funshine]

great to see our suspicions confirmed...premeds heading toward blindness .

check out this related thread: http://drslounge.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=277662

I've heard lots of floaters can be a warning that you'll soon suffer retinal detachment. Is this true?

 

[crys20]

i started undergrad badly myopic and ended even more myopic. just waiting for the eyes to stop getting worse to get lasik.

 

[shaddap]

That would mean most lawyers would have vision problems because they certainly read more than a medical student does.

The amount of light that is present when you read has an affect on how much your lenses have to strain to focus the script, so they get tired faster.

smooth muscle doesnt tire in the same way as skeletal muscle. The amount of light has no bearing.

 

[DoctaJay]

I don't know if this counts, but my uncle had to drop out his third year due to a detached retina

 

[McGillGrad]

smooth muscle doesnt tire in the same way as skeletal muscle. The amount of light has no bearing.

You might want to ask an ophthalmologist before breaking out your stellar Bio 101 knowledge.

 

[tupac_don]

Interesting topic...I recently developed a bunch of floaters in my vision. I'm definetly not looking forward to studying all day with those ****ers in my eyes.

I have those pesky little ####ers too. I always had them, just got more of them in med school, just check that you dont' have retinal detachment. Sometimes when you get a sudden increase in them could be due to retinal detachement. Trust me just don't pay attention to them, they are just like background noise of an airconditioner, noisy at first, but once you get accustomed, you don't know it's there. Later.

 

[tupac_don]

I don't know if this counts, but my uncle had to drop out his third year due to a detached retina

Drop out?? Why couldnt' he get it fixed and keep going?

 

[tupac_don]

great to see our suspicions confirmed...premeds heading toward blindness .

check out this related thread: http://drslounge.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=277662

I've heard lots of floaters can be a warning that you'll soon suffer retinal detachment. Is this true?

It sure can be, but it's not a 100% sure, and also you get other s/s with retinal detachment.

 

[yanky5]

Since I started med school last August my vision has seriously delcined. I had better than 20/20 vision and never had any problems. Now, I am having problems seeing faces down hallways, seeing the television, reading signs on the road, night vision sucks, and I can't read the board/projection screen at school.

Does anybody know if there is evidence that increased reading can cause nearsightedness? Has anyone else experienced this?

My vision also seriously declined recently and I can't see clearly past 20 feet. I found this out when I was driving in a rainy night and couldn't see the road!!! So now I wear glasses. I don't think medical school has anything to do with it. Many people's vison declines as they get older and we are getting old.

 

[celticdoc]

My eyes were getting worse every 3 or 4 months during school. Every eye doc I talked to (and yes, I talked to both opto and ophthal's) said "get a pair of reading glasses to take the strain off" -- it helped and my eyes didn't change quite so quickly.

Thanks for backing me up ShyRem, because I too have seen multiple ophthal's and had them say the same thing! If your eyes don't have to work as hard to focus on text then they won't have as much strain!

 

[shaddap]

You might want to ask an ophthalmologist before breaking out your stellar Bio 101 knowledge.

I think being an attending at the #2 ophtho program in the country qualifies, right? you might want to graduate medical school first, toughguy.....

 

[amy2003uva]

To the OP -

I was thisclose to getting LASIK the month before medical school started, and boy am I glad I didn't! My eyesight had been stable for 4 years prior to med school, so my LASIK opthamologist deemed me a suitable candidate for the procedure.

I'm glad I held off because my contact lens prescription went from -2.5 in both eyes to -3.5 and -3.25!!! I thought things were looking a little blurry 10 months into med school so I got my eyes checked - I was quite surprised! The optho told me her vision also deteriorated during medical school, and then rebounded to her pre-med school acuity during residency.

I guess that's some good news! She reminded me to take BREAKS (even just 10 seconds) to look at faraway objects.

Good luck.

 

[DrHuang]

I think being an attending at the #2 ophtho program in the country qualifies, right? you might want to graduate medical school first, toughguy.....

oooh burned! but seriously, my dad the O.D. told me that staring at books and computer screens for hours at a time plus bad genes were causing my eyes to get worse so he told me to go get reading glasses from walmart for $5...and i must say, it helped!

oh, and shaddap is right...the amount of lighting doesnt affect your vision...my dad the O.D. told me this too

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

I think being an attending at the #2 ophtho program in the country qualifies, right? you might want to graduate medical school first, toughguy.....

Ouch!..haha.

Hey Doc, what's your opinion on reading glasses for people under 40? I worked as an ophthalmic tech in an Ophtho Dept for > 2 years and we NEVER prescribed reading glasses for pre-presbyopic patients.

What are your thoughts?

 

[zeloc]

well, i have a super bright reading lamp and another bright light. So I don't think that's it.

I heard one time of certain exercises one can do to supposedly improve your vision... anybody know what these exercises are and if they work?

I know several people in medical school who have gotten stronger prescriptions and one of my friends, who has been 20/20 all his life, became nearsighted during M1 year. My optometrist actually developed myopia from optometry school and recommended to me that I take a break every hour or so while studying and focus on something across the room or outside a window. Possibly there is a genetic predisposition to myopia, but I think that the inciting factor is definitely reading or excessive TV, etc. The increase in nearsightedness in Singapore and Alaska would be hard to explain any other way.

As for the exercises, you are referring to the Bates method. The idea is that people develop bad habits that cause their vision to deteriorate, such as reading for hours without a break or spending all your free time on SDN , and by improving your visual habits, you can improve your vision. The Bates method is really more of a philosophy on life and how you should use your eyes 24 hours a day as opposed to a set of exercises you can do for a fixed period of time while expecting your vision will improve. There is a tome written by Quackenbush that has gotten good reviews, but it is quite lengthy and I gave up on it before too long. Dr. Bates, an ophthalmologist and the founder of the Bates method, has also written a book.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Since I started med school last August my vision has seriously delcined. I had better than 20/20 vision and never had any problems. Now, I am having problems seeing faces down hallways, seeing the television, reading signs on the road, night vision sucks, and I can't read the board/projection screen at school.

Does anybody know if there is evidence that increased reading can cause nearsightedness? Has anyone else experienced this?

edit: well, looks like i found my answer:
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040710/fob1.asp
http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=73

I read alot more in college than I did in medical school. My vision started to decline in my college human physiology course (we covered 80 chapters in a one-month summer course, all of which I read.) I never even bought any textbooks in medical school.