AboutDr. Margaret Placentra Johnston, OD Expertise I can answer almost any question about vision and general eye health care. As a non-surgeon, I may not be able to answer very involved technical questions about surgical procedures or highly specialized medical treatments.
Experience I hold the degree of Doctor of Optometry and was in full-time private practice for twenty-five years. Currently I have reduced my schedule to part-time to allow time to write a book on another topic.
Organizations American Optometric Association, Virginia Optometric Association, Northern Virginia Optometric Society (and others unrelated to this topic)
Education/Credentials O.D. (Doctor of Optometry) Pennsylvania College of Optometry (now called Salus University,) B.S. Pennsylvania College of Optometry, M.A. (Education) Catholic University of America, B.A Catholic University of America.
Question QUESTION: Hello...I can't find an experet in the sinus related field but thought you may be able to help. I have had off and on pressure behind my right eyebrow bone...if I press on it, it is very achey and tight whereas the left is not like this at all. I had an eye exam last year and a CT of the head without enhancement and and EEG, both normal. I have this pressure on the brown bone and forehead above my right eye and around my temple,and is very achey when pressed but I'm aware of the pressure and tightness when not pressing, also. I do have sinus issues and when I was a teenager, I took a blow to the nose on that side, up around the corner of the eye--on the bridge of my nose. I'm 38 now and have had off and on sinus pressure and issues all of my life, but this last year only...I have this weird pressure on the right side of my head, along with the sinus issues and I'm wondering if an eye infection from contacts could cause this weirdness...I tried contacts last spring and summer for the first time ever and then started having woozy spells, head & sinus pressure, etc...I also have cervical spine issues...so maybe that causes some of the head pressure but any comments you may have would be appreciated. I'm tired of guessing and wondering. Thanks so much !
ANSWER: Well, that is quite a situation you have there. I assume the CT and EEG were done BECAUSE of the pressure problem, which started BEFORE those tests were done? If not, I would go back and have them redone.
I don't know what kind of doctors you have seen, but I am thinking ear, nose and throat specialist and/or neurology. Have you seen either type of specialist since the pressure problem started?
What you report is most unlikely to be caused by contact lenses, especially if you are no longer wearing them. Eye infections are fairly acute and the symptoms are usually obvious: red, sore eye, mucous discharge.
I am sorry I don't have a more specific answer for you, but I wish you luck on resolving this problem.
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QUESTION: Thanks, Dr. Johnston...I did have the CT and EEG after the head pressure started. I also saw a Neurologist because the ER thought I had Trigeminal Neuralgia at the time, but the Neuro. said he didn't think so and did an EEG, which was normal. The CT scan was unenhanced in the ER. I don't think it covered my sinus areas, or would a CT of the head include that ? I think some of it was anxiety related because I had been having the woozy spells after trying contacts (and getting new glasses...which were very strong to me because I hadn't had an eye exam or new glasses in several years). I had the CT while in the ER for head pressure and facial twitching, etc...high blood pressure (episodal...because of worrying about the cause of my sypmptoms). I left out lots of details because since last Spring, I have had all sorts of health issues and was fine before that. I have thought it was caused by a zillion different things. I've changed several things to try and figure out what's behind this pressure. I mentioned it to my family doc about the woozy spells...he said was probably related to my hypoglycemia and didn't pursue it. I have this achiness in my facial bones on the right and sometimes I feel it's related to my cervical spine issues...misalignment, maybe, and sinus infections, etc. ?? I did not have red infected looking eyes, but worried that my eyes were affected by the contacts somehow...lack of enough oxygen or something ? I wore the disposable Accuvue Oasys with Hydraclear. I did nap for a while a couple of times while wearing them and then started having the wooziness, etc. I did have the Optometrist look at my eyes again to check the strength of my Rx...but he said I was fine and that I'd get used to it. I haven't worn the contacts since last summer and I'd like to...but I am afraid. I don't know if it's my sinuses, cervical spine or something else causing these things. I sometimes think it's worse around the time of my menses and then again I think it's worse when I use my cell phone. There was a couple of months that I used my cell phone for hours at a time, and that was over 2 years ago. No problems for a year after but then last year, my body seemed to get all out of whack and this pressure on the side of my head and below my ears around my jaw and throat, carotids...are always achey and tender. The doctor felt of my glands last year and said I was fine. I worried about the cell phone use causing a brain tumor because I had the pressure, not much pain...however, but the corners of my eyes would blur up suddenly for a split second all the time last year. That has stopped. I had facial twitching on the day I went to the ER last August. I stopped using so much caffeine, I stopped using tampons, I stopped eating microwaved food, I stopped all sorts of things. I also had caused myself to have what my gastro doc thinks are ulcers and I take Prilosec-OTC for that, and my stomach issues are better. I was fine before last Spring...when all of this started, I had been drinking lots of strong coffee (not as much as some, but lots for me) and started drinking diet cokes, which I hadn't had before. I was eating dark chocolate frequently and I think I had some panic attacks from all the caffeine and also use of nasal spray for sinusitis, stuffiness. Before that, which I seemed to do all at once for a while...I had not used these things much at all and so I know a lot of the extreme head pressure last year was from stress. I made myself relax, stop the caffeine and things really got better but occasionally I have these woozy spells that come on suddenly and are gone just as suddenly. The room does not spin, but inside my head does. I have had these spells since age 19 or 20, but they only happened once every few months or 6 months or once a year or so...but this last year, they started happening quite frequently and when they happen...I have a slight twinging sensation at my temples or on one side or the other). I thought the EEG or CT may show something but was relieved to hear that they were normal. I am still baffled as to the cause of these spells and this sinus/eye/head pressure. It is annoying, but not bad. Please...any comments are welcome. Thanks !
Answer I cannot speak to all the rest of your problems. I do hope you find an answer.
But please rest assured that nothing you did with your contact lenses - slept in them, wore them too long, got an infection - could be affecting you now all these months later.
That being said, I totally do not recommend you try contact lenses again until all these other problems are resolved! You cannot afford to further muddy the waters that could help find your diagnosis. Since you seem to be what we call "visually sensitive" (get neuro sounding symptoms from vision, like if your contact lenses are too strong or too weak) adding contact lenses to the mix could cause you undue worry, confuse the issue and further delay your diagnosis.
