Visual dysfunction

A wide range of ocular signs and symptoms occur in ME/CFS. These include eye pain, photophobia (light sensitivity), visual processing problems, floaters and spots, tearing, dry eyes, poor focus, double vision, scotomata, blurred vision, tunnel vision, night blindness, depth-of-field loss, nystagmus, and early cataracts.

Prevalence

• 2001, In a Belgian study, 74.4% of patients meeting the Fukuda criteria and 77.2% of patients meeting the Holmes criteria, in a cohort of 2073 CFS patients, reported a problems with visual accuity.

Notable studies

• 1992, Ocular Manifestations of Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome
• 1994, Survey of the Ocular Manifestations of Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome
• 1994, The ocular signs and symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome
• 2000, Ocular manifestations in chronic fatigue syndrome
• 2003, Pathology of the organ of vision in chronic fatigue syndrome
• 2013, Characterising eye movement dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
• 2013, Patterns of abnormal visual attention in myalgic encephalomyelitis
• 2014, Vision-related symptoms as a clinical feature of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis? Evidence from the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire (Abstract)
• 2015, Increased Vulnerability to Pattern-Related Visual Stress in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
• 2016, Binocular Vision in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• 2018, Restricted Spatial Windows of Visibility in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)
• 2018, Visual aspects of reading performance in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) (Abstract)

See also

• Claire Hutchinson
• Dry eye syndrome
• Eye pain
• Photophobia

Learn more

• Visual Stress: A Symptom of ME/CFS
• Visual stress could be a symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, research suggests

• Jun 4, 2018, Victory For ME Disability Claim – U.S. Court Upholds Plaintiff's Lawsuit After Being Denied Disability

Brian Vastag was able to prove with qEEG and cognitive tests he had "significant problems with visual perception and analysis, scanning speed, attention, visual motor coordination, motor and mental speed, memory, and verbal fluency" winning his long term disability (LTD) claim.

chronic fatigue (CF) - Persistent and abnormal fatigue is a symptom, not an illness. It may be caused by depression, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or many other illnesses. The term "chronic fatigue" should never be confused with the disease chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) - Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome is another term for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but one which emphasizes the immunological aspects of the disease. Popular in the 1990s, this term has apparently fallen into disuse.

stress Stress can by either physical or psychological, or both. Stress is either 1) a state of emotional or psychological strain or 2) the physical stress (pressure or tension) that a physical object such the human body is placed under, e.g., a stress test is a medical test that monitors the cardiovascular system during strenuous exercise.

cognition Thought processes, including attention, reasoning, and memory.

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.