Floaters

[wakeupcall]

Does anyone here know what floaters are? Early this afternoon, I developed floaters in my left eye. It doesn't hurt, but it's very annoying. I read up on them and I didn't feel too concerned about it till I saw that the net mentions flashes of light. Well, I have what looks like sparklers (fireworks) now and then in my peripheral vision. I'm sure I need to go to an opthamologist, but I have a team meeting at difficult child's school at 1:00 tomorrow. How urgent is it? Do opthamologists just work ya in if there's something urgent? AAARRRGGGGG.......it's always something. I hate getting old.

 

[Hound dog]

Don't freak out. Floaters aren't that big of a deal, except annoying. Although they do need to be checked by an opthomologist to make sure you don't have anything else going on.

The way they were explained to me.... They are cell that are shed and get trapped in the jelly like fluid in the inner eye and appear as blackish dots in your vision.

Both my girls have them. Both checked out okay with the opthomologist.

Hugs

 

[witzend]

I had these periodically over about a two year period several years ago. I told my doctor and my eye doctor about them and neither of them seemed concerned.

They were just like sparklers, and they would start at one corner of the eye, then over a period of half an hour or so (just a guestimate at this point) they'd slowly move across my field of vision to the other corner of my eye. I couldn't tell you why they came or why they stopped. The only difference I can think of is that there are no longer children in my home... :wink: (twitch, twitch...)

 

[Star*]

I've had 2 for years - they are annoying, sometimes they float somewhere I can't see them - for a week or month and then there they are - it's like lint on a camera lens.

 

[wakeupcall]

You guys make me feel so much better. I was afraid I might be going blind or something. I'll make an appointment, but in the meantime I won't freak!

 

[WhymeMom?]

I don't think the floaters are that big a deal, but the flashes would concern me. I think (and have no special education in this area), that the sparklers could indicate the beginning of a detached retina....serious business. I think if I were you I would give the eye doctor a call first thing tomorrow morning and explain what is going on.....let them judge if you need to be seen soon....and if you need to be worked in sooner, bet you could still make the team meeting .....

 

[guest3]

oh you mean when you get an amoeba in your eyeball, that happens to me every so often, it is annoying!

 

[Lothlorien]

They are very common to get after giving birth. I've had them since being preg. with Missy. There is also another type of floater that I get every so often and so does my father. It's like looking through water. Things are kind of blurry, like looking through a glass of water. Neither is usually anything to be concerned about. You may have had the black speck thing for a while and not even realized it.

 

[SRL]

Funny you should mention this but I called today and made an appointment for the same types of problems and they gave me a cancellation appointment for tomorrow. The floaters didn't really concern me because of my age--occasional spots and lint-like shapes moving across the vision field. But I've been having occasional white light swirls in my peripheral vision. It's going on all around in sort of a synchronized pattern, sort of kaleidescope fashion, and it's over quickly.

 

[GoingNorth]

Sudden onset of floaters, especially associated with sparkling flashes of light, can be a sign of impending retinal detachment, especially if you are already very nearsighted, which predisposes.

Please do NOT take this lightly. I lost much of the vision in my right eye due to ignoring this.

If its nothing to worry about, or an optical migraine, let a professional tell you that.

Meanwhile, get your eyes looked "at" as soon as you can.

 

[Kjs]

No, No. DO get checked out. Personal family experience here.
My mother had floaters. Her doctor told her when she saw flash of light she was to close her eyes and get to the hospital ASAP.
Her Retina detatched. She was told when this happens she only has so many hours. She had the retina reattached. She still couldn't see very well. I drove her to the University hospital eye clinic several hours away. When her doctor reattaced the retina it was not put on smoothly. Like if you grab a handful of clothing. The eye clinic removed it and reattached it.

Detatched Retina is hereditary.

 

[Penta]

This happened to me about 2 years ago and I freaked out too! All of a sudden I had these black spots in my eye and light flashes when I looked to the side. I went to see an eye doctor right away. He tested me for glaucoma and did an eye test and other diagnostics and found nothing wrong. The floaters bothered me until I got used to them. Now I hardly notice them at all.

Have your eyes checked to be sure, but in time you will forget the floaters are there.

 

[Abbey]

I've had floaters for more years than I can remember. They are only really evident in bright sunlight.

Abbey

 

[SRL]

Pamela, were you able to get in today? I just got back from my appointment and wanted to compare notes.

My eye checked out fine. Doctor wasn't too concerned about my white light swirls because they are so brief (seconds) but said if they ever persist to call immediately.

I asked about a referral to a neurologist as I've been having headaches too (which I think are probably cafeine related but don't want to assume since I have other symptoms). He decided to be on the safeside and order an MRI and then decide from there.

Hope you checked out well.

 

[wakeupcall]

I just returned from the doctor (and errands). He said I'm fine, too!!! He said I was right to get it checked out, but he saw floaters in the other eye, too! He gave me a thorough exam and said I was fine, but like you, if it ever persisted or there were LOTS of floaters or bright lights that seemed to stick around, to get to the doctor immediately. (He dilated my pupils and they have been like that for five hours! UGH....VERY uncomfortable.)

Good luck with your MRI. Very glad your floaters were nothing, also!

 

[Marguerite]

Pamela, are you short-sighted? Floaters are fairly common, especially if you're short-sighted. I've had mine since I was a kid. One floater in particular is a nuisance, it's big (looks like a ball of sago) and is affected by gravity, so if I'm looking down a microscope, for example, if floats on down to get in the way so I can't tell if I'm looking at what's on the slide, or what's in my eye. Very annoying when trying to sketch what I see... REALLY annoying if it's a blood slide, because this floater looks a lot like a red blood cell at about 300x.

I also have been getting lightning flashes in my peripheral vision for 30 years. At first it came on fairly suddenly was was associated with headaches and a lot of pain, but it settled and nobody could tell me what it was. Since then, the flashes have changed from jagged lightning, to full circles of light. What I think is happening, based on my own observations plus what I've been told by doctors - I am EXTREMELY short-sighted, so the eyeball is much longer. Part of this has meant that with an eyeball not properly round, as my eye looks to the sides the muscles on the outside which are making it move, are pulling in the retinal You see, the orbit, or bone in which the eyeball sits, IS round. At least, rounder than my eyeball.
You get a similar effect if you push on the side of your eyeball, because it distorts the retina which sends an electrical signal via the optic nerve. So in my case - the full circle I now see, is the full circle of even 'pull' on my eyeball (and the retina on the inside) from the muscles moving my eye. My eye doctor knows about it and he keeps a close watch on my retina because there is always the risk that it could suddenly detach after all these years.
Oh, and the lightning flash is white not coloured, because the cells which see colour (cones) are concentrated where they will do the most good, in our central vision. The light-dark receptors (the rods) are scattered round the whole retina and it's almost exclusively rods round to the periphery.

The doctor gave you good advice. Keep monitoring things and ANY sudden change, get it checked out pronto and give them your history.

Marg

 

[WhymeMom?]

Glad you ladies got your eyes checked out. You don't want to mess around with the possibility of losing your eyesight....