Losing vision in one eye and I have a crazy theory

[jhicks]

I'm still comparatively a young buck at 22, but I have been afflicted by a few things that don't show up for most people until much later in life. The one I would like to focus on is vision because it's the most annoying to me.

I don't get checkups too often so as best as I can recall, I had 20/15 eyesight in both eyes up through my mid teens. However, when I was 19 (second year in college) I would drive a few hours home from the uni every other weekend and during those trips I had a LOT of free time. On one of these trips I noticed that I had subconsciously closed my right eye most of the trip (I've since noticed I do it a LOT and friends have commented on it). I opened it up and of course the vision was blurry but I was quite shocked when it didn't go away. Since then it's been going downhill to the point where if I close my left dominant eye I can barely read the title slide of a powerpoint presentation from the middle of an auditorium with a huge screen in the front, but my left eye remains at 20/15 vision.

Anyway, I thought it was curious that one of my eyes was going so bad so quickly and some time later I noticed two things: First, pulling back gently the skin just to the right outside of my right eye causes my eye to refocus and I can see almost perfectly, and second, I sleep exclusively on my right side with my eye buried into the pillow. Now I have no idea how the eye works so this is just my crazy theory, but is it possible that over time I have reshaped the lens in my eye by sleeping on it with so much pressure for years on end?

 

[Evo]

We can't give out a diagnosis here, you need to get to an eye doctor.

 

[jhicks]

Oh no I wouldn't ask for medical advice here :P. I have since seen an eye doctor and was simply told I was myopic, but the cause of it is one thing I never got an answer to.

 

[binzing]

I've noticed the thing of being able to pull the skin next to my eye and get it to do that as well...As far as your other theory, I kind of doubt it.

 

[tiny-tim]

ee!

Hi jhicks!

I'm still comparatively a young buck at 22, but I have been afflicted by a few things that don't show up for most people until much later in life.

erm … yes they do … defective eyesight is normal … a large proportion of young people wear (or should wear) glasses or contact lenses.

ee … even the Fonz had to wear glasses!

 

[Moonbear]

I've noticed the thing of being able to pull the skin next to my eye and get it to do that as well.

This is common. It helps to slightly change the shape of your eye to help the misshapen lens/eye to focus correctly. Some people with bad eyesight squint, rub their eyes, press or pull near their eyelids, etc. Those are all ways they help adjust their vision in the absence of corrective lenses.

 

[schroder]

Now I have no idea how the eye works so this is just my crazy theory, but is it possible that over time I have reshaped the lens in my eye by sleeping on it with so much pressure for years on end?

That is not very likely. If body parts could be reshaped by applying pressure for a few hours per day, we would all have flat butts from sitting in front of our computers for hours on end! Also, flattening out the lens or cornea should result in far-sightedness, not myopia. In the vast majority of cases, myopia can be traced to heredity, and usually on the maternal side. Does your mother wear glasses, or anyone on her side of the family?