Question
I am an English truck driver, I am 26 years of age and right now I have a real bad problem with my eyes. When I drive especially on motorways my eyes start to hurt or strain and I find it difficult to be alert to what is on the road, this happens as soon as start driving on the motorway, less so when in towns and urban roads due to the fact there is more to look out for. Basically I will try to tell you as much info as possible. I find it really difficult drive when it is dark on a motorway, I feel disorientated and nauseous sometimes, sometimes light headed, I have a 6 month old baby who still wakes for feeds every 3 hours at night, although this problem has been building for 2 years, getting worse all the time and now I'm in the catch 22 situation where my mind is always worrying about how I will get to places feeling this way. Im still getting around but I would like to relax like other people do and overtake without panicking. I love driving so why am I like this. I have put on 2 or 3 stone in the last 2 years and now weigh short of 16 stone, I have no medical condition. I have had my eyes tested twice and been given glasses although I was told that my eyesight is quite good, although since I had my glasses I dont know whether to wear them or not and this seems to have added to the problem. So can anyone help me, am I totally tired or something and if so then why because even when I sleep well it makes no difference. Sorry for the long post, but i really do want to get to the bottom of this so I can get back to normal. Thanks, if u need more info then let me know.
Kerbdog
Answer
You give me many clues in your post. You mention a small child that has caused some disruption to your sleep schedule. There's one clue. So, when you are driving is it at the end of your AWAKE period or at the beginning?
You also indicate that you seem to encounter the most difficulty at night. You may be suffering from night blindness. Try adding a Vitamin A supplement to your diet. Vitamin A is found naturally in your orange vegetables. And we all thought Mom was kidding when she said "EAT those carrots, they are good for your eyes"! So, try increasing your intake of Vitamin A.
You may also want to try some of the YELLOW polarized glasses. They do not need to be prescription and you can buy some that clip on to or fit over prescription glasses. Be sure they are the lite yellow ones (NOT the darker Amber) and polarized are best for reducing glare.
I am guessing on this next one, so if your nausea and lightheadedness continues...PLEASE SEE A PHYSICIAN.
What you MAY be experiencing is a simple anxiety related reaction. You are so upset over your difficulty with vision that you whip yourself into a mental frenzy, which will tire you even further and compound the problem.
So here are my recommendations. Get some sleep right before you begin driving. Increase your Vitamin A intake. Try the yellow polarized lenses. But above all...IF YOU DO NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE, PLEASE DON"T!!!!
If these suggestions don't help, please see a physician. You may also want to see an Opthamologist (Eye Doctor) who will examine your eyeball, socket,nerves, etc. An optometrist merely corrects vision. You may have something more complicated going on that requires specialized attention.
Please check back and let us know how things go.
Keeping you safe, healthy and on the road.
Visit us at Visit us at
Answer
Thanks for your detailed reply, I am amazed at how precise you seem to have taken my symptoms in. What you said about the anxiety thing really sounds like what I am experiencing, the more I worry, the worse it gets ! I will try your suggestions and have heard of the yellow glasses before but never 'professionally'. One question I do have though is that I only feel like this when driving, motorways especially, when I stop my eyes feel 'tired' but I feel alert and 'normal' again so to me I think the anxiety of it all is what gets me the most, but can you get rid of anxiety ? Thanks once again, very much ... I feel merely less stupid as you seemed to understand my problem !!
Kerbdog
Answer
I also meant to say that my typical 24 hrs would involve getting up at 06:30am, get ready for work, drop wife at work and drop baby off at creche for 08:15, then start my job at 08:30. My work involves driving a class 1 artic (The largest truck for UK), nationwide in the UK - many drivers sleep over in the bunk in the trucks but in the company I work for it is mainly a distribution depot so I usually end up home every night (the furthest delivery points are around 250 miles away so makes round trip of 500 miles or so - but on other days we stay withing a 60 mile radius of depot), my day can last either 10 hours minimum or 15 hours max. and then I am usually in bed for 23:30hrs - the baby usually wakes twice in the night and me and the wife take turns of peace to feed him), I realise that tiredness is playing a part in my problem, but before my problem really got a grip I was 'tired' but I never had a problem with it, this is different now !! Thanks again.
Kerbdog
Answer
How's your diet, in general? Often times, lack of a particular nutrient can make your mind and body less able to deal with stress. And let's face it Dad, you've got some stressors! Especially with the addition of the a baby into the family! Not only is your sleep disturbed, but you've just added a whole host of new responsibilities to your life.
Is it possible that your wife is finding less time to cook healthy meals since the baby was born? I see that she is trying to work, take of of you both, and the house. Perhaps meals aren't what they used to be. Maybe they are, just the added stress may be making the difference.
There are many medications and therapy for releif of anxiety. But, I'm one of those people that beleives in trying the easiest, cheapest, and most natural way to remedy an illness.
Visit a health food store, talk to the people that work there. Ask what they recommend as a stress releiver. I know that Ginseng may help with the ability to deal with stress. I also find Chamomile has a calming effect on me.
Eat with an eye towards nutrition, choose a good multivitamin, a little extra Vitamin A, maybe some things like I mentioned. Give these things a try for 10-14 days.
If no improvement, then you may need to see a physician for a mild anti-anxiety medication. This will not necessarily mean that you will need the meds long term. Many people just need them during times of extreme stress.
How about asking for some help with the baby too. Bet you and Mom could use a night or two of good solid sleep. Relatives or friends are often dying for a chance to help out new parents.
Keep me posted on how you are doing ok?
Keeping you safe, healthy and on the road.
Visit us at Visit us at
Answer
Thanks for all your vaulued help Nurse Red. I bought the vitamin tablet, I had to buy multi vitamins (A C E) as they said that you cannot buy just 'A' on its own as you can 'overdose' and that is why there are other vitamins mixed with it. I take one each day. I also bought some polarised glasses, although as I have not had time to get to the city centre shops I had to buy the darker ones. With these 2 first steps I am feeling a lot happier towards driving, I still am a long way off getting back to 'normal'. The polarised glasses although darker tend to have a little effect for the better on me, but I think that the tablests really do help a lot.
After analyzing myself everyday, I do feel that my mindset is a part of the problem, this is the anxiety thing. I will ASAP get a pale yellow pair of polar glasses. The best thing though is that lately I am just maybe starting to enjoy driving the truck again !! I have also done more miles in the last week than I have within any given 2 weeks before I posted first time around. Today was interesting, I didn't go very far (only around 150 kms in total) and last night I stayed up later than I usually would because I think to myself that I will be alright tomorrow as I am not going far and I can have a sleep on the loading bay's when I arrive at each of the 3 drops, whilst driving today I felt the anxiety and a mild light headed, and when at the thrid and final drop I put my feet on the steering wheel and went asleep for a nap, I woke an hour later after being in a really deep sleep, but the anxiety was less on the drive home. I think I know the problems now thanks to you, it's up to me to sort my side of things out. I will get the pale yellow polar glasses, I will try to get to bed earlier of a night, I will try to relax more but what I think more importantly is that I will try to 'eat' the correct stuff. I dont usually eat at home, I usually eat McDonalds, Kentucky FC etc and if not a fast food outlet then usually something really rubbish at a truckstop or something. Really I've only got myself to blame and I should not really be looking at this computer screen now as it's getting towards bed time and my eyes are already tired. I will promise to post and keep you informed of the progress, and thanks once again.
Kerbdog
Answer
Keeping you safe, healthy and on the road.
Visit us at Visit us at