Got to see one soon as I’m still getting tunnel vision since my accident in August, and was wondering what to expect.

Also been told to see a psychotherapist, to see if the memory loss is real or something else, looking forward to that.

But anyway, what does an opthalogist do that’s different to an optician?

ophthalmologist is a doctor, potentially able to operate on you too if necessary and with access to fancier machines to work out what’s up

seen a neurologist already ?

He won’t stick pins in my eyes will he 😥

Have you had your visual fields done and a brain scan?

I’m having trouble thinking of an ophthalmic condition which causes simultaneous bilateral tunnel vision… Things involving brain and optic nerves maybe…

An Ophthalmologist is a doc specialising in eyes. Opticians [generally primary care] will test your eyes and refer to an ophthalmologist [secondary care ie hospital]if some kind of pathology is suspected for diagnosis and treatment.

If it’s your first appointment you’ll get your eye pressures checked and drops put in your eyes to dilate your pupils for the Ophthalmologist to look inside, you’ll have a field test to ascertain the extent of the loss/ tunnnel vision. You might get a CT and/or MRI scan to check any structures behind the eye and to check the brain.

No pins in the eyes just some drops, that may sting and some very bright lights

If it’s bilateral could be more brain than optic nreve, depends on the extent and area of field loss.

What actually happened if you don’t mind me asking

Another option could be circulatory, if the tunnel vision is intermittent [amaurosis fugax] when the blood supply is reduced or cut off to the eyes

I was knocked off my bike by a car, the back of my head was the first point of contact. That was August. The back of my head just above the nape still feels heavy, and periphial? vision is terrible.
Just had a total bollocking today from the insurance companies doctor for not getting a full check up when it happened. I went to my GP to record the damage but played it down…..it’s a cyclist thing.

Not a money chaser, it was hit and run so out of my control as soon as it happened.

Amaurosix fugax rarely presents as tunnel vision though….
Bilateral tunnel vision could be ‘within the eye’ – retinitis pigmentosa (how’s your night vision?) or glaucoma, or behind the eye (i.e nerve/brain).
An opthalmologist seems an appropriate first referral, no?

DrP

Bilateral amaurosis fugax isn’t common, and this is persistent anyway

Do you mean “tunnel vision” ie diminished peripheral vision through 360 degrees in both eyes with preservation of your central fields… or just loss of vision to both sides (a bitveasier to explain…)

You must have had fields done…surely?

Glaucoma with simultaneous bilateral post-traumatic onset?

Just read your above post – that makes me think more ‘central’ i.e brain.
You need a CT scan buddy!

DrP

Agreed

First noticed it when I kept pulling out in front of cars, so I stopped driving. Vision is fine, though I use 1.5 glasses for reading, and needed 2.5 for a while afterwards.

Edit, my mother has Glaucoma. And to sum things up, I’ve been aware of my eyes constantly since i.e they ache all the time. With the memory loss, if that is real it feels like I’ve aged overnight.

If you’ve banged the back of your head that’s where the visual cortex is. It’s unlikely to be Retinitis Pigmentosa as that’s a degenerative condition rather than an acute vision loss especially following an accident. I concur with DrP CT scan definitely needed!!

(Sounds like a bitemporal hemianopia)

Most of the medical gumph on here can ‘wait’, but if you walked into my ED today, I’d have zapped your brain by lunchtime…. (then given you the obligatory MTFU)…

Good luck mate, let us know how it goes.

DrP