u/Good_String_2448

Hello everyone, recently I experienced ghosting after a long screen time, it is funny that I was binge watching The Pitt, as I finished I experienced some ghosting for the first time ever. I have a white board with some things written and when I looked at it I saw some shadows below the letters. So I did the most basic thing asked google. It said it might have been due to a tear film quality, dry eyes, astigmatism, and keratoconus.

At first I just assumed it was dry eyes, and asked my mother to get some off the counter eye lubricant. When I woke up the ghosting had decreased by a lot and I came to know it went away with glasses. Then I checked out astigmatism, apparently I have been wearing cylindrical lenses all my life and never knew I had astigmatism. So after putting in drops, following google's advice there was still a bit of ghosting. Then I decided to check out, what keratoconus is? And after that my world began to spiral. I experienced severe anxiety about what to do if I was diagnosed. Cost of treatment, Cost of lenses, etc.

After a day of clicking photos of my eyes from different angles and obsessing over the white board. I went to a cornea specialist.

He told me I was 30 years old so it is highly unlikely, An slit lamp test was done and advised to reduce screen time and prescribed klean tears.

My power @ 2022 was

RE -1.00D 180°

LE -1.50D 180°

Now -

RE -1.50D 180°

LE -1.75D 10°

Anyway I came back home and thought, fine if it gets worse so be it I better be prepared. While I was reading through I came across how CXL can cause Herpatic Keratits. I have had cold sores before just below my eye and lips and now I came to know that the only process that can potentially stop it from progressing can cause another issue that is equally dangerous to the cornea.

So this is where I am. I am sorry if it silly that I am overreacting even though I have not been positively diagnosed. But it is scary and I have anixety and tend to assume the worst. My next stop is a therapist. And I glad to see so many people who have overcomed this and learned to live with it.

I was reading youtube when I noticed what was ghosting, at first I thought my tablet screen was broken but when I switched on the lights and looked at white board I saw = instead of -. I had dry eyes once so I was ok last night and asked my mother to get me an eye drop , woke up and felt much better. But the ghosting happened again but not as aggressive as before. It gets corrected when I wear my glasses. I didn't know about this condition but since then it has made me so anxious I cannot sleep. I rubbed my left eye due to eyelash and I have been thinking back if I rubbed my eyes often or not. The anxiety is killing. I have been checking my vision all day. Took pictures of my eyes to see if my cornea is deformed. I am scared to go for a checkup. I have not achieved anything as of now and if I get that diagnosis I wouldn't know what to do. I have read through many comments and even the corrective methods don't go as planned and sometimes make it worse.

As of now I can see fine when I wear my glasses. I have kept a matchbox on the wall next to me, I take off my glasses and for a brief moment it's fine but the ghosting happens on word home that is on the matchbox. If I blink my eyes a few times and it goes away sometimes but comes back again. I have not experienced it with any large objects. Just letters for now. I am planning to go next week if it does not go away. For now I plan to reduce screentime and get proper sleep for a few days to check if it is not eye fatigue or dryness. I know corneal topography is the only way to know for sure but if anyone ....

Edit: I am 30 years old, preparing for the civil service exam. Not experiencing halo. Just a bit of blurriness and a very burning sensation in the top part of eyes. And my eyes feel very tired.