Ongoing PVD but causing pain like toothache in my eyes
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi
I had a PVD back in August, thought by my optician to be a Macular hole (I had a yellow circle in my central vision, left eye). The eye hospital said it wasn't and said it's a PVD and will fade in a few months.
Now, 5 months later, I had another massive lightning flashes and black floaters resembling a swarm of mosquitoes and large tadpoles swimming all over my vision!
It mostly faded in a few days but I was left with a grey translucent curtain that sweeps from left to right when I blink. I went to opticians who said it was all fine and just another PVD. I asked if you get pain with that and they (like the hospital) said def not as there are no nerves in there to cause pain.
The had to re-do my eye pressure puff of air test 4 times as they didn't seem to be getting results. I feel the 4th time was no different to the others and they just said we'll leave it at that it's fine.
However, the flashes have mostly gone. I have been left with a vertical line of flashing right in the outside corner of the eye and I see them if I look left to right (eg when driving and checking mirrors). I also still have the grey curtain.
But what is really bothering me is the pain. I have intermittent pain like a sudden bad ache just above and behind my eye. It lasts maybe 10-20 seconds they completely disappears, and strangely, it has started in my right eye or a less painful scale than my left yet I have had no probs in that eye.
The pain part is what worries me. Why would it happen suddenly and stop and then again on an off throughout the day.It can happen at rest as well as when I'm active.
Does anyone have any thoughts?
Many thanks
Marisa
0 likes, 9 replies
diane48177 Marisa.i
Posted
I too have pvd since July. Mine is 2 grayish blobs that move back and forth with every eye movement. I sometimes get that ache that comes and goes. Its not fun.
Marisa.i diane48177
Posted
Thank you Diane. I appreciate you mentioning the ache. Not happy for you having it too but good to hear its not just me. its just strange they said there should be no pain with PVD. I hope yours clears soon, its def no fun.
Songbill Marisa.i
Posted
Might be you are experiencing several problems at the same time. I've had PVD for over a year and it is prone to fade in and out in intensity. Not much can be done about it. Annoying but not a threat at all to your vision. The flashing indicates to me that you've got some minor periodic pulling on your retina, perhaps by residual vitreous. That's what can cause quick flashes when a tiny part of the retina is slightly pulled on and then quickly releases, kind of like if you pinch and release the skin on the back of your hand. These flashes can be but almost always are NOT a forewarning of a detached retina in your future. It's very rare but if you ever have one happen, get to an emergency room or ophthalmologist immediately. It will look like a black shade has suddenly been pulled down in half your field of vision.
The intermittent pains in your head could be something entirely unrelated. If they continue occurring, I'd discuss with your regular doctor.
Hope your flashes and pains clear up for you, as they eventually did for me.
Marisa.i Songbill
Posted
Many thanks Songbill for taking the time to write a lengthy response, I really appreciate it and the description is very helpful.
Hopefully it wont lead to a detached retina or anything sinister.
I think I will get the pain issue checked just to rule anything else out.
Its strange I get the same pain in my right eye too although a lesser time length (2 or 3 seconds as against 10-15 in my left) even although I've no PVD in my right. Maybe theres one on its way ☹.
Thanks again!
Guest Marisa.i
Posted
I would see an opthamologist instead of an optician, also it seems weird for them to be spending so much time checking your eye pressure when it has nothing to do with a pvd. My big concern in your statement is the grey curtain you mention seeing, as a paraoptometric myself when people mention anything resembling what you are we get them in immediately to check for a retinal detachment. Having any loss of vision or vision impairment (except where the floaters are) is not normal. Id seek someone else to look at the back of your eye with dilation, and if it were me Id be doing a retinal ct scan on your eye. Best of Luck!
Marisa.i Guest
Posted
Thats interesting to hear. it was the opthalmologist at the eye hospital back in august that said it was a PVD and not a macular hole. The optician said the curtain that comes down is linked to a retinal detachment but not from side to side.
I'm definitely going to make an appointment with my GP to get referred back to the hospital. ill mention what you said too. i wonder if the pressure tests were just to rule out any other underlying problems. The optician did a check in the back of my eye (I believe) after putting some orange drops in to enlarge my pupils. That took a few hours to wear off.
The pain is what I find worrying . Many thanks, ill update when i hear.
suzana86 Marisa.i
Posted
Hi Marisa,
how often do you have your flashes? are they every day while you have your PVD? the flashes occur only when you come from light room to dark room? I have the flashes (arc like ones) in my side corners, it started in May 2019 in my left eye and went to 4 check ups and nothing is wrong, only they mentioned a bit of liquid in my vitreous, then in december 2019 it started in my right eye, went to check up and everything is fine. I have lots of floaters too and my eyes are aching too. I am high myopic with astigmatism too. I am 33 years old and I am scared that I will go blind 😦(
Marisa.i suzana86
Posted
Hi Suzana,
I dont get the flashes happening every day. They were like a storm when it started to pull I guess. Then lots of debris floating around everywhere for a day then it settled down.
i'm left with a line of lights right into the corner of my left eye. The outside corner not the inside. They seem to be stuck there and i can only see them when i an driving and look in my right then left mirrors, back and forward. and also the grey curtain swishing back and forward from left to right when I am reading words across my PC screen. dont worry too much, hopefully we wont go blind, but i do understand your concern. i think it too sometimes!
its interesting you have pain too though. why they say theres no pain with PVD is baffling me as you're the third or fourth to say it too now. I'll let you know my findings again here when I go to my docs.
Marisa
suzana86 Marisa.i
Posted
Hi Marisa,
Thank you very much for your reply. My flashes are a small light circle in the corner which always start from the bottom lash line or up lash line in the corner, how can i describe it better, like a shooting star, and sometimes if i bend my head down, reading on my phone, watching tv, moving my eye side to side, I always have that flash also if my eyes are fixed on one direction, i sometimes have like a star, like a fuzzy bubble in a fizzy drink. This is happening every evening now and it's always from light to dark room, or if I move my eyes side to side. I dont't have the black cloud though, lots of debris, invisible snake, floaters everywhere, the left eye started in May 2019 and the right eye just recently Oct 2019. I read one time on a AMD site (age macular degeneration) about that cloud and the pain which you are experiencing, I don't want to scare you but there where lots of people describing your condition, with the cloud moving across their vision, just google it probably you'll find the forum too. I will go to the emergency next week as I am off and I will see what the doctor will say about me as I am scared of retina problems 😦((.
will keep you posted x