SYMPTOMS

Sometimes it's just a cold. Sometimes it's something you ate. Sometimes it's a headache and stuffed up sinuses. Sometimes you don't know what it is.

If you're a hypochondriac like I am, you probably know about online symptom checkers. These are websites where you check off your symptoms and compare them to possible causes for your condition.

My left eye bothered me. My vision wasn't as sharp as it usually is. I went online to the symptom checker.

First, don't ever do this. The reason I say that is because some of the causes for blurred vision, like not getting enough sleep, are mixed in with all sorts of major diseases and disorders. I could have Oculomotor Nerve Palsy resulting from damage to the third cranial nerve.

Or I might have Horners Syndrome. This is a condition that affects the nerves in the eyes and the face. Horners Syndrome can be the result of a tumor, migraines, or a stroke. I assumed the worst.

I must have had a stroke.

But I also found out that I could have Multiple Sclerosis. Lyme disease. Or Ischemic Optic Neuropathy. There are no treatments for that condition so I figured I'd have blurred vision for the rest of my life. Maybe I had all three disorders? That thought triggered an anxiety attack which can also cause eye problems.

The blurriness in my left eye cleared up the next morning.  I didn't have Uveitis and I was sure I didn’t have Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy or Strabismus. My autoimmune system wasn't out of whack and there wasn't a macular hole in my eye.

Sometimes all you need is rest. Not only for your physical problems but your neurotic ones as well.