I have a SERIOUS eye phobia. please help!

Question

I have a serious fear of being poked in the eye (with anything) for example, if I am talking to someone during dinner and they are holding a knife or fork and are using their hands to talk, I always just know that the utensil is going to fly straight into my eye! I am not afraid of eyes in general (I can maintain eye contact with people, etc) but when it comes to my eyes I always think that something is going to get stuck in my eye.

My first question is: Does anyone else have this?

Also, I have to wear glasses/contacts. (I can touch my own eyes, by the way, I just can't stand other people near my eyes) Anyways, I need to renew my contact perscription soon and I am completely freaking out about the exam. (I haven't been to the eye doctor for about 2 1/2 years and my fear has gotten much much worse since then)

So my next questions is: Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to cope with going to the eye doctor? I have to get a full eye exam (eyes dialiated and everything! The WORST for me is when you have to rest your chin on that bar and then the doctor brings that thing with the blue/purple light towards your eye!!!)

Please, please help!

Answer 1

I have very similar fears, they are all irrational and I hate having them! I used to be afraid to get hit by balls in gym class or fall and break a leg just running... I just grew out of it and had friends telling me all the time that there never was anything to worry about!

Answer 2

If you've really this intense a phobia, wear glasses. That way when the fork does come, it'll hit those lenses and not your eye.

You might ask the person doing the measurements of your pressures to not use that type of tonometer. The air puff one is a bit more shocking but no one 'touches' your eye. There are also little hand held tonometers that just touch the eye surface for a part of a second and you have a reading.

You do NOT need to have your eyes dilated every time you go to the eye doctor. You just don't. If they've done a complete dilated exam last time, there's not a lot that's going to change especially if you are asymptomatic.

And if you've a negative family history for glaucoma you don't need visual fields or screening fields every time either, nor funds photos to 'document' the retina or nerve. It's just a charge that's extra, but not really necessary for your ocular health at ALL.

If you don't want your pressures taken, just tell them you'd prefer NOT to have that part of the exam, nor the dilation, nor the photos, nor the screening fields, and just get the anterior segment looked at to make sure your contacts aren't causing a problem and let the rest go.

If you do have new floaters, or light flashes or have borderline pressures, see a retina specialist and get a good retinal exam and be done with it. I don't mean to sound so 'negative', but a lot of people get this whole exam without a real reason. If it's a new doctor, he'll want his baseline exam, if not, he's already got it.