PVD symptoms that continue or change over time, is it normal?
Posted , 8 users are following.
I know, yet another PVD topic right? Well yeah, but I really wanted to talk about my issues and hopefully realize maybe I'm not doing as bad as I think.
The first time I ever saw what I guess would become eye floaters I was in grade school, my grandpa, who was about 60 at the time, told how you could see tiny things inside your eyes if you squinted by a bright light, I remember seeing something and then never thinking about it again.
When I was about 18 I got my first real eye floaters, it was quite frightening at first, got to see an eye doctor and had a retinal exam with dilated pupils, he found nothing wrong. It was annoying but eventually I managed to ignore most of them even if I could still see them.
This July/August I suddenly realized, after waking up, that I could see many more eye floaters than I did before, at least 3 or 4 times as many if not more. I remember I was dealing with eye strain at the time, and because I had had floaters before I tried not to think much about it, even though there was obviously something out of the ordinary. One day I woke up with a blurry eye, which may have taken at least about 2 or 3 minutes to clear up but then mt vision was back to normal.
In October I also started seeing, for the first time, eye flashes. I had seen "stars" before after spending several hours on the computer, but this was different and happened at any time, small bright dots that disappeared in less than a second.
So I finally started getting really worried and went to my eye doctor, the same one who had seen me 12 years ago, he got my pupils dilated, took some photographs and took a well look at both of my eyes. He also did a regular eye exam to see if my vision had not abruptly deteriorated since, which it didn't. He found no signs of tears or detachment on any retina and asked me to come back in a year for another checkup.
So apparently this is all due to regular PVD, at 30 years old, which to be honest made me feel quite satisfied, at least until the next day.
A week has passed since my appointment, and my symptoms have changed, my eye floaters are still many but they appear to be less and are less noticeable, I had a big one that I could see all the time, even in low light, now it's still there but it feels smoother and maybe a little bit smaller. It also appears that some of the smaller floaters might have grouped together at the edges of my eye, because I see these thick lines fall down whenever I look up and then down. left and the right or viceversa. They look dark outside and actually white inside, as if there was light in them. The flashes calmed down for a couple days but incidentally today I had what I think was the worst one yet, before they looked bright but seemed like stars in the night sky, today this big one looked like a camera flash, and several other smaller ones.
So if you've read at least some of my story I'd appreciate it if you could help me understand this better. Does this sound like normal PVD, with symptoms changing within these weeks? If I had no damage done to my retina when it was checked out, am I still at risk? My vision has not gotten worse, and I have not had peripheral vision loss to my sides, when is the right time to come back for a checkup with these symptoms? What else can I expect?
I have dealt with anxiety for many years and health issues always brings the worst of it for me, so this is really a problem for my mental state, I keep checking for new symptoms all the time and seeing if the lines and floaters change, I have literally caused myself eye strain for looking for them all the time, it makes it very difficult to concentrate at work or anything in particular.
Thank you for chiming in!
0 likes, 11 replies
may26103 WorriedSick1
Posted
hi, I can understand and empathize with the worry you may experience due to these symptoms... I'm 36 years and started experiencing eye floaters last year. I felt that it was due to my extreme nerves that I had due to my doctor not managing some disturbing news of eye pressure. I got them after two days of a regular eye exam and the news of eye pressure. my eye floaters have increased since then and have got it checked out by a retina surgeon who couldn't find anything wrong... so now I take it as it comes... try not to worry. when I do I even imagine symptoms that's not there. it helps to get it checked to relieve the mind... I personally feel the mind has a lot to do with it... so, as difficult it may seem, try to take one day at a time
WorriedSick1 may26103
Posted
This happens to me as well, even my eye doctor told me to not dwell on the symptoms so much, but that's just part of who I am, it's not new that I over analyze things, and possibly having my eyesight's future on the line is not exactly the most relaxing feeling.
One of the symptoms I actually didn't explain to my doctor, mainly because I didn't want to exaggerate something that was probably just me pining on something, was that I have noticed for a couple weeks now that when it's sunny outside and I'm wearing my sunglasses, I can see these bright circles in front of each of my eyes, it feels like a reflection of them, and it was frightening when I realized I could actually see floaters in them, and also what appeared to be bubbles hanging around, which I have no idea what they could be and I don't see them normally, but since this was before my appointment I figured the eye doctor would see them. Up to this day I still prefer to just cover any source of sunlight when I see these circles.
suzana86 WorriedSick1
Posted
Hello,
My advice is not to worry. If the doctor said that your eyes are fine, you must trust him.
I started to have eye floaters and kind of flash, how can I describe, it's like an arching one in my bottom eyelash and I can see it sometimes during the day when I don't blink or staring at the TV/phone etc. I went to see 2 doctors, they done all the test including dialation of the pupils and nothing it's wrong.
Bare in mind that I have very high myopia, so I am 100 times likely to have detachment or tears. I am a very anxious person too, especially when it comes to health. I was thinking why me? I am 32 years old, I was also thinking that I would go blind and stuff, but nothing is wrong, so my symptoms remained the same, then I started to get worried again and went to check my eyes again, and once again nothing is wrong. Even if i have the high myopia, the doctor said that my eyes are very healthy so..... i am thinking ok... if they said that, then that's it! Ohh and they haven't said a thing about PVD, so I don't have it yet 😃)). What i found that is helping a lot, is a heated eye mask and drops like, shooting drops,dry eye drops without preservatives, but you must ask your doctor if you are ok to use it.
keep us updated!
WorriedSick1 suzana86
Posted
I do trust my doctor, hence why I came back to him instead of looking for another one, and I do trust his diagnosis, I guess the main worry stems from the fact that while everything may have been fine at the time of the exam, if symptoms continue or change over time, is it still fine? I feel going daily for an eye exam would make him distrust my symptoms, an "it's all in your head" kind of thing, anxiety I know. Due to my self caused eye strain I would get this very uncomfortable heavy feeling in my eyes/eyebrows/forehead, and pain in my eyes especially when having to look up, because I would look up and down all the time to see if the line was getting worse, or if it was leaving a shadow on my vision as I've read that's a symptom of retinal detachment.
suzana86 WorriedSick1
Posted
Retinal detachment is very rare, at least this is what I have been told by the specialists. If you turn to Mr. Google ( this is what i call it when we look on the internet) 😃))... you'll read all the worst scenarios ever... trust me... I am doing the same... and this gets my anxiety 100 times worse, hence I went to 3 doctors to be checked up. Retinal detachment is when you have flashes, this I mean like camera flashes all the time, lots of floaters, like someone will trow with pepper into your eyes plus you'll have a black curtain coming on your vision and will not go away, PVD last up to 6 months but sometimes can last longer then that, in time the PVD syntoms will fade but from time to time some people experience the flashes, the sad part is that the floaters will remain there but your brain will learn to get used with them and that's the good part because you'll start to not seeing them anymore, but if you concentrate to follow them, that will make you feel worried and think the worst. Try to relax, have a glass of wine and try to fill your mind with something which you like.
Also don't do any contact sports, roller costers etc... apparently that will put pressure on the retina. Any questions please do ask, as I know how are you feeling.
All the best,
Suzana
Mattmaffews WorriedSick1
Posted
hi
sympathise with you. I have had pvd for 8 months. Definately lot to do with the mind. not thought of mine until got your post today. Do try not to worry. Not easy I know. You take care
WorriedSick1 Mattmaffews
Posted
I have managed to make me feel slightly better by attempting to ignore most symptoms, which by itself makes me worry because what if I'm ignoring something I shouldn't. I also have a road trip planned for thanksgiving week, and can't stop thinking what if something happens when I'm driving, or I'm in the middle of nowhere at the time, plus I may have to spend a week on the road as well after and I'm gonna be several hours away from medical facilities, plus all the new symptoms it's not exactly helping me relax.
Hudsongrl WorriedSick1
Posted
P.S. I would not change your travel plans . in an emergency you can always get to a doc somewhere to take a look. i thought i had a tear on a holiday weekend and had to wait 30 hrs to be seen. No tear but i was told even if it had been I'd have to wait another 12 hrs to schedule repair. Try to enjoy your Thanksgiving
Guest WorriedSick1
Posted
Yes your floaters and flashes can change. When the background is bright like being outside or computer screen you will most likely notice them more. Also the gel in the eye is becoming more liquid so as this happens some of the floaters may fall below your line of vision, so you will not always see them. As far as the flashes,it sounds like the gel is pulling harder at the retina, which is why your flashes are more intense. But try not to worry, as long as you are having flashes then it is still attached. I would recommend having your eyes rechecked a couple weeks after the flashes have stopped. This next statement is not to worry you , as everyone will go through pvd but not everyone has flashes or notices floaters, if there were to be a detachment your vision would not typically be blurry or hazy it would be more of a black curtain hanging across part of your vision. I only say this so you know if this happens to be seen immediately and so if your vision is blurry from dryness or anything else you wont be panicked. Best of Luck!
Debs24 WorriedSick1
Posted
hi, i know its very worrying but if they couldnt see a problem when they examined your eyes then i expect we should trust them, i had my first experience in April, i had a flash to the left of my left eye that went after about 20 mins, but i had a lot more floatersfrom then on, i have had my retina checked and nothing was found, it was a bit dry eye and a bit pvd, my left eye seems to be blurry a lot and feels like theres something moving across the surface when i look from left to right or up and down. i still have a large floater thatmoves across my vision a lot, not sure what to do really , i wear glasses for reading, but my distance vision is also not as good as it was, hope you get some answers with your problem.
Hudsongrl WorriedSick1
Edited
hi there i have had PVD in both eyes. in my right eye it was complete in a couple months. my left eye was very slow and took 2 years. completion was confirmed by OCT exam. During the process the vitreous gel of your eye keeps changing. Sometimes PVD causes a retinal tear which is why rechecks are important. The most risky time for a tear or detachment is the first 6 weeks. You are way past that time frame and have been rechecked. You might continue seeing flashes and floaters for quite awhile. If you see a veil or a curtain or lose peripheral vision those would be signs you could have a tear or detachmeng and you should need to be seen again ASAP. I know this is anxiety provoking but I think you will be fine.