Is it possible to wake up blind

However, it could potentially be permanent, especially if not treated quickly. The retina is the focusing surface at the back of your eye. Any damage to your retina, such as a detached retina or artery occlusion, is a possible cause of sudden blindness. A detached retina can cause total loss of vision in the affected eye, or it may only result in partial vision loss, making it seem as if a curtain is blocking part of your vision.

The macula is the central focusing area of the retina at the back of your eye. This is known as a vitreous haemorrhage. If this occurs, it can block the light which enters the eye, causing sudden blurred vision if it is not as dense, or the sudden appearance of spots within your vision.

There are some serious medical conditions that can cause sudden blindness, such as a stroke or brain tumour. I was determined to see the world while I could and to keep working as an engineer for as long as I could.

He stayed in London and in married Marti, a South African primary school teacher on a two-year working visa. Life was brilliant. I just put the whole eyesight thing at the back of my mind. The sun was coming in the window and I could see it was shining on my hand and I could see my five fingers. There was no way I could work as an engineer again.

There was a sense of loss, that I would never get my sight back and that part of my life was gone forever. Even though he had been gradually losing his sight for years, Robin says the reality of total permanent blindness was shattering. All their faces were gone. Or see someone's recognition of you when you're passing them in the street. Having eye-to-eye contact and just having a smile.

It's a touch - two people having a bond for a fleeting second. Even though I'd been losing my sight for a long time, I literally went blind overnight. Ironically, Robin and Marti had just spent two years doing the paperwork required to move to Australia. Authorities knew about his diminished sight but the sudden loss of all eyesight threw a spanner in the works. But authorities agreed he could still be a contributing member of society and gave the move the green light.

No sooner had they settled in Perth, than Robin returned to England to study remedial massage at the Royal National College for the Blind. They didn't make it easy.

You had to learn to survive in the real world. I had an operation at the eye hospital to remove the top layer of my corneas. Afterwards, the episodes became slightly less frequent, but still occurred every three weeks. After six months, a specialist diagnosed me with recurrent corneal erosion syndrome , and put me on a course of treatment that involved steroids, lubricant drops, vitamin C and omega-3 supplements. Do you have an experience to share?

Email experience theguardian. Experience: I woke up blind twice a month for a year. As told to Eleanor Tucker Do you have an experience to share? But he is back to doing them now, and his old habits of always being prepared are certainly helping. Now he gets to the mall. And he rides the bus, timing the route on his smartphone and reminding his driver gently that his stop is coming up.

The coaches are almost like your cheerleaders. They follow up. Then I have something to say. It seems like you know a little bit about everything. Skip to content. Features Top Features.