When eye floaters signal "Emergency"

[dixiegrrrrl]

Tuesday around noon I suddenly noticed vision blurring and large floater in my right eye.
The floater turned into a peripheral vision white flash if I was in a dark room.
Thinking it might be the same kind of "ocular migraine" I had had 10 years ago, I waited till the next morning to see if it had gone away.
Nope.
So wikkied the problem, read where it said "detached retina" symptoms, including the bit about getting the eye checked out within 24 hours to minimize risk of blindness.
That woke me up.
Called eye doc, they got me in a few hours later, got the vision exam.

Good news...it was "posterior vitreous detachment"
Bad news: it can lead to detached retina, especially in us "older" folks.
Doc ( and wikki) provided vision symptoms to watch out for.

Bad news: We have no insurance.
Good news: We live in an area of good affordable rural medicine.
A lengthy eye exam, and new pair of reading glasses, including frames, was just under 300.00.

Also I found a web page that has eye charts to use to check for stuff like this.

http://www.mdsupport.org/eyetests.html

Keeping fingers crossed there are no further symptoms, because I will have to drive to the "big city" 90 miles away for any needed treatment. This I do not want to do.

Sigh...older I get , the faster the learning experiences come at me.

[Warpy]

1. Better news

I've had a huge vitreous detachment in one eye for 31 years. I was warned that a blow to the head could cause a retinal detachment. In 25 years of nursing I was kicked more times than I care to remember and the sucker's still OK.

However, any sudden increase in floaters especially accompanied by flashes of light need to be checked out immediately. You don't want to go blind. I've been there and it's no damned fun.

If they catch it before it detaches, they can do laser surgery, sort of a "spot weld" to glue bits of the retina to the back of the eye. It's not nice, but it's a lot cheaper than reattachment surgery.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. How do you get used to it?

Right now I am going batty, it is really hard to read.

My eye doc is 30, says he had had one of these for a long time, too.
He says when the fluid that is leaking finally drains enough, the floater will leave.
I guess if it is taking a long time, there is less chance of a retina problem.

Thank you for your response, it does help. I am still a bit wobbly over this.

[Sal Minella]

2. As one of my friends used to say, "Once you hit forty, it's just patch, patch, patch."

[kundalinirising]

21. I think we need to change that belief pattern ASAP

To live as if we have no control over our bodies and health will lead to a self-fulfilling prophesy like chronic illness. The alternative is to educate yourself about how best to take care our yourself in body, mind, and spirit and make good choices. Operations and a medicine chest of various pills is not MY reality and goal in life! And so it is...

[napi21]

3. God bless you, and I hope it doesn't get any worse. Thanks for

posting the link to the tests. That's important to all of us.

[TornadoTN]

4. I'm 29 and I have a slew of floaters

I've had them since my early teens. Eye doctors have said that it appears that nothing is wrong, it's just "something that happens". It's annoying as I don't know what.....

Good luck to you!

[la la]

5. i'm 68 and

have had floaters for more than 30 years--my opthamologist tells me the same thing--they just happen and other than irritating, they aren't dangerous-- for me.

glad the OP got their floaters checked out.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Guess this is my birthday present then.

I will be 63 on the 8th Nov.

( Sure hope I get a good election outcome for a present):7

[Crunchy Frog]

17. I've had them since I was 12.

I've actually never asked about them, just sort of taken them for granted. I guess if anything terrible was going to happen, it would have by now.

[conscious evolution]

19. Same here

Especially after I got hit in the eye with a racquetball.
The eye doc told me floaters alone are usually not a problem but floaters accompanied by flashes need to be checked immediately.

Personaly,I have a theory that floaters aid in the fractalization of vision while under the influence of LSD.I am still doing field research to test my hypothesis.

[ashling]

8. Good news. I am glad you went to the Dr.

Since the first week in July I have had :

* Laser surgery on my left eye to reattach 5 tears in the retina (to keep retina from detachin)

* emergency invasive surgery to that eye to reattach the retina reattach retina that detached anyway

* another surgery to reattach the retina when it detached in another area

* laser surgery to the right eye to address weaknesses that could have led to the same problem

I am still recovering from the second retina surgery ( a vitreectomy) and will have to have another gas bubble put in the eye to replace the silicon will which will be removed in Dec. or Jan.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. egads...

I am so sorry you had go thru all that.

:scared: :scared: :scared:


I have follow up appt. in 3 weeks..so he is keeping and eye on the situation.
( no pun intended).

[madmax]

10. Wishing you the best

:hug:

[ananda]

11. You can live with that for years.

I've had flashers and floaters for over thirty years now,
and all is fine. It's because of near-sighted eyes. And
even though I've had successful Lasik to correct my vision,
my eyes will always be elongated and susceptible to retinal
problems. What makes me not get too worried is that the
symptoms are minimal right now and have subsided since the
first outbreaks over thirty years ago.

However, three siblings have had detached retinas repaired,
so I know it could happen to me.

I do have insurance, thank goodness!

[intheflow]

12. I've been told by eye doctors I should prepare myself for detached retina.

I have very minor floaters, have had them for over 10 years I think, and so far, nothing this extreme has arisen. But thank you for the post, I'll know if I get a large floater that hangs around even when it's dark that I should call my doctor.

:hug:

[earth mom]

13. Thanks for posting this. I went through an eye crisis a year ago last summer

when I noticed several floaters and was having an issue with one of my pupils. It was really upsetting and I had to see 2 different specialists only to be told nothing was wrong. My pupil is better now, but I still have the floaters. I've learned to live with them and ignore them for the most part. Funny thing was that they went away when I had my eyes dilated which one of the doctors found to be really surprising. Maybe a key to getting rid of them? I don't know. :shrug:

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Darn, wish they gone for me when he dilated my eyes...

but noooooooooo. All I had then was double blurry sunlight sensitive floaters...lol.

[nichomachus]

14. Getting old is not for sissies n/t

[ashling]

18. I used to sell cards and T Shirts with that slogan

with pictures of octogenarian swimmers, mountain climbers, weight lifters, etc.
:rofl:

[BrklynLiberal]

15. I had the same experience a few years back.

Went to an Eye and Ear Hospital and was told the same thing that you were.

So far, no further problems in the ensuing 8 years...but thanks for that link.

[newfie11]

20. I have had this in both eyes

I was at a taco johns eating with my daughter and had a black splash across my vision in the left eye. Then the raining down of floaters. For weeks before I had been seeing light flashes while in the darkroom. Bright enough that I tried to cover the film (I am an x-ray tech).

When this happened at taco bell I gave in and went to the er. They got me in right away thinking it was a detached retina. It was decided it was a vitreous detachment. I was sent home and was to come back to the eye specialist the next day. I did , they ran all kinds of tests and said that is all it was but if things changed or got worse to come in as I would be more prone to a detached retina for around 6 months.

Nothing happened, the floaters and the big black blob (blood on the optic nerve) finally went away. Then 2 years later the same thing happened to the other eye. Again the same answer from the docs.

That has been 3 years ago and so far no other problems. One thing I was told is the more near-sided you are the more prone to this happening.

[dixiegrrrrl]

22. Thanks newfie...that is reassuring information.

Various sources have said retina detachment danger period is 6 weeks to 6 months.
I am very nearsighted in that eye.
Far sighted in the other one.

My doc is good, closeby, and very affordable, so I will not hesitate to go to him if anything changes.

It has been a comfort to all of you who have shared information.
I love living out here " in the sticks" but the downside is there are not a lot people around to talk to.

DU is great.

[grasswire]

23. I've had a couple of crazy vision disturbances this weekend.

And, to the mods, I'm not seeking medical advice, so don't bother locking this. Just reporting my experience.

Last evening I noticed in the vision of both eyes a small flickery shape. They moved as I looked around, and grew larger as the moments passed. Flickery, sort of fiery around the edges. After about forty minutes, as I was pondering the unsavory idea of going to the ER on a Saturday evening, they disappeared.

About ten minutes ago, 24 hours later, it's happening again. Small flickery circles, expanding in size. I feel just fine, and have felt great all day.

Yes, I'll be calling the clinic in the morning for an eye appointment. And if I feel ill, I'll go to the ER. I expect this to pass just like they did last night.

Anyone ever had anything like this?