Doctors warn of many cases of blurred vision and headaches of unknown cause

Doctors say that if a person feels blurred vision, goes to an eye exam and finds the eye structure is normal but vision is increasingly declining, then other causes from the brain must be considered.

Since the beginning of the year, Ms. HTL (48 years old, from Binh Dinh) has often suffered from headaches. The pain makes Ms. L. always feel tired, uncomfortable, and have blurred vision, unable to do heavy work.

However, Ms. L. thought that these were symptoms of cervical spondylosis, so she bought painkillers to take. However, the pain did not improve and her vision clearly deteriorated.

Fearing that something was wrong, Ms. L. went to a hospital in Binh Dinh for examination and MRI. The results showed that she had a brain tumor that needed to be surgically removed. After being introduced by a relative, Ms. L. and her relatives went to Xuyen A General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, for treatment.

Based on the MRI results, doctors at Xuyen A General Hospital diagnosed the patient with a 3cm pituitary tumor that was compressing the optic nerve. This tumor was also the cause of Ms. L's blurred vision and frequent headaches. After consultation, the doctors agreed to perform endoscopic surgery to remove the tumor and free the patient's nerves.

MRI image of pituitary tumor in patient's brain

PHOTO: BSCC

On May 17, Master - Specialist Doctor 2 Huynh Van Vu - Deputy Head of the Department of Cranio-Spine Surgery 2, Xuyen A General Hospital, said that the tumor was completely separated and removed through the nose, minimizing the risk of affecting the surrounding brain area.

Three days after surgery, patient L.'s vision improved by 80%. She could see everything around her clearly. She no longer had headaches, her body felt light, and her health recovered quickly.

Similar to patient L., Mr. NVH (74 years old, Ca Mau ) also had a large pituitary tumor measuring 3.1 cm, compressing his nerves, causing blurred vision and headaches for more than 6 months. When he went to Xuyen A General Hospital for examination, he had an MRI scan and was diagnosed with a large pituitary tumor. With this condition, he was also indicated for endoscopic surgery to remove the tumor.

Do not be subjective with symptoms of blurred vision and headache.

Dr. Vu said that the two patients above both had large pituitary tumors measuring 3 cm, causing nerve compression. Pituitary tumors are abnormal growths of tumors in the pituitary gland (the pituitary gland is a part of the brain responsible for regulating the balance of hormones in the body). When a pituitary tumor appears, it leads to the production of too many hormones that control the body's functions. Or conversely, some pituitary tumors appear, causing less hormone production, leading to the body not having enough of the necessary hormones.

"Before being hospitalized, both patients did not think they had a brain tumor. They only had blurred vision so they went for an eye exam but the cause was not found until they had an MRI scan of their brain. Therefore, people should not be subjective when they have unusual symptoms such as blurred vision, headaches, and prolonged fatigue...", the doctor shared.

"If the patient feels blurred vision, goes to the eye doctor and finds the eye structure is normal but vision is increasingly declining, then we must think of other causes from the brain. In particular, when the patient has blurred vision accompanied by symptoms of headache, visual disturbances, weak arms and legs, they should have an MRI scan of the brain to detect the disease early. The earlier pituitary tumors are detected and treated, the better the patient's recovery will be," Dr. Vu advised.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bac-si-canh-bao-nhieu-truong-hop-mat-mo-dau-dau-khong-ro-nguyen-nhan-185250517123413516.htm