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"Floaters" in both eyes simultaneously

Posted , 3 users are following.

Subchop
Subchop

Hello all,

I'm a 54 year old male, currently deployed to Afghanistan (Army civilian). Recently I've experienced floaters in both eyes when I wake up in the night or first thing in the morning (never at other times). The floater appears as a ping pong ball size object about 2 feet in front of me, then moves closer before disappearing. As it moves closer it seems to resemble a 'spider unfolding' and grows to about twice the original size before disappearing. Closing either eye, I see the floater in the other. Any thoughts as to what this might be? I won't have access to an eye specialist for about two more months. Thanks for reading (commenting). Casey

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • r28705
    r28705 Subchop

    Posted

    Dear Casey, you should have your eyes examined immediately. Increased floaters may be a sign of a retinal tear or detachment, which needs to be treated right away to avoid vision loss. I don't want to be alarmist, and it may not be that, but still needs to be examined very urgently. The army will surely fly you back as it is potentially a medical emergency. Good luck and best wishes, Robert

    • Subchop
      Subchop r28705

      Posted

      Thank you Robert for the response, I'll see what the base medical says.

    • r28705
      r28705 Subchop

      Posted

      Do insist they fly you to be examined in an eye hospital.  NB sometimes a tear is difficult to detect initially, even for a hospital eye unit specialist, but you then need to revisit each day until they find it - that was my experience when I had a tear.  Eventually they found it and operated to repair it. As my optician advised me at the time, if a retinal tear or detachment is left untreated, cells then die, with resulting permanent vision loss.  If operated on, it will be fine.    Of course it may not be a retinal tear or detachment, but it still needs to be investigated, and only a hospital eye specialist can tell you - I am not qualified to give medical advice of any kind - but am relaying the important advice my optician gave me when symptoms appeared - to seek immediate attention.
    • Subchop
      Subchop r28705

      Posted

      I haven't received any head trauma and perhaps 'floaters' was the wrong word to use. I see the same image from either eye and the image gradually changes. I've never experienced this before.

    • TiffanyNOLA
      TiffanyNOLA Subchop

      Posted

      What you are describing sounds a lot like a Weiss ring that occurs from posterior Vitreous detachment. It may be harmless but only a dialated eye exam can determine that.
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