Off-Topic Detached Retina! (longish)

[donnamp]

Thanks, Karen! I only notice them in my left eye - but I have a "dominant" eye and it is my left, so it is possible I have them in my right eye but they don't bother me there. b/c my left eye is my dominant eye I'm sort of scared to do anything with it - but I would love to be rid of these floaters. I will have to see what the retina specialist has to say. Did your insurance cover it - or was it considered a non-essential procedure?

Donna

[Vintage VFer]

Salamader, how frightening! Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope you improve every day!

Originally Posted by Fidget Queen

That is so weird. It's so interesting that it's a sign of something bad for some but not in others. I'll have to start paying close attention.

I've read that floaters in themselves aren't dangerous. It is the sudden appearance of them or more floaters that is supposed to be a sign to be concerned about.

Originally Posted by Carol K

One thing you can prevent is macular degeneration: wear sunglasses!

And wearing hats during months when UVs are the worst, like April through November.

[donnamp]

Originally Posted by Vintage VFer

Salamader, how frightening! Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope you improve every day!


I've read that floaters in themselves aren't dangerous. It is the sudden appearance of them or more floaters that is supposed to be a sign to be concerned about.



And wearing hats during months when UVs are the worst, like April through November.

Yes! Floaters, I think, are fairly normal as we age - the vitreous does detach from the retina. The trouble is sometimes when that happens, it causes the retina to detach or tear or scar.

When my vitreous detached I had a lot of symptoms that mimicked a detached retina - light flashes, tons of new floaters, etc. When the same thing happened to DH, he didn't have symptoms that were as dramatic as mine, but slowly over time he noticed he was losing his field of vision - turns out his retina detached when the vitreous pulled away and mine didn't. After being examined by a retina specialist - it was determined that my DH had thin spots in his retina which made him more prone to a tear/detachment.

I guess the bottom line - if you notice anything different about your vision, even if it seems minor - get it checked out ASAP.


Donna

[Karen Beckwith]

Originally Posted by donnamp

Thanks, Karen! I only notice them in my left eye - but I have a "dominant" eye and it is my left, so it is possible I have them in my right eye but they don't bother me there. b/c my left eye is my dominant eye I'm sort of scared to do anything with it - but I would love to be rid of these floaters. I will have to see what the retina specialist has to say. Did your insurance cover it - or was it considered a non-essential procedure?

Donna

Donna - I have Medicare plus a Supplement F plan and, yes, it was fully covered. I think I might have paid something for eye drops but that's a different plan than Medicare or Supplement F.

[killoffsonny]

I think I went in to my optometrist three or four times last year because of flashes. No detached retina but he was happy I came in when I did. He told me to not make an appointment but go in and wait each time it happened. The flashes have stopped. I still have floaters now and then. Its an age thing.

[videofit]

Originally Posted by Carol K

He said I had a detached vitreous, but my retina was intact. He said there was no treatment for a detached vitreous and the floater would eventually become unnoticeable.

Had the same. Wish my floaters were unnoticeable but I think they've gotten worse with time. Have to look quickly to the side or up and down to jostle them out of my line of vision. That might be one way of distinguishing between a detached retina and floaters. The floaters 'float away' while your retinal blind spot probably remains stationary. Don't really know.

The only treatment is to pump silicone oil in the eye which is very risky. I suppose if your vision is totally gone then it would be worth trying.

[Carol K]

If your floaters have gotten worse, I would go back to the ophthalmologist, because it is possible for a detached vitreous to turn into a detached retina. I barely notice mine at all, but if anything takes a turn for the worse, I'll be right back there at the doctor's office.

[donnamp]

Originally Posted by Carol K

If your floaters have gotten worse, I would go back to the ophthalmologist, because it is possible for a detached vitreous to turn into a detached retina. I barely notice mine at all, but if anything takes a turn for the worse, I'll be right back there at the doctor's office.

Agreed! The floaters from my PVD never went away - unfortunately, but they haven't gotten worse either.

Donna