[Harland E. [n.m. u.s.a.]]

Hey people, I'm trying to help solve a health problem\mystery for a friend.This person told me about her vision problem that her doctors don't seem to have any experience with. She told me she has been suffering from phantom "floaties" that come and go across her field of vision.They appear to be three dimensional and very solid and real.The scary part is that they seem to be out in front of her face not inside her ocular fluid which is where we figure they really are.The reason I'm posting here is because I'm sure I read someones post at some time with the EXACT symptoms she describes.I did a search but came up empty.Can anyone else remember the post?Anyone else ever even heard of this? Any info would be appreciated.Peace to you.

 

[jcaplins]

I'm not a doctor...

, but I have spoken to eye specialists about all the pamphlets they had in their office while waiting for laser vision surgery.... (and I did stay in a holiday express)

Sounds like a floater or flasher. yes, that seemed to be the technical terms. They are caused by the seperation between the layer seprerating the viscous fluid and the something that holds the fluid in (the eye?). It sounds like his/her floater happens to be in focus for it to look like it's sitting out in front.

I was told they are quite common as people age, and not much that can be done about it. BUT...this should be discused with a pro eye doc, I shouldn't have even responded.

 

[brayski98]

My wife has the same condition

I'm not sure when it happened, but my wife has floaters and they will sometimes affect her vision and move around. I was with her at the eye doctors with the use of a magnification device, I saw exactly what he was looking at. It appears to look like pictures of a nerve ending that I have seen. I would recommend you go to an opthamologist (sp?) and have it checked. They may refer you to a retina specialist.

 

[skelrad]

Has your friend been to an ophthalmologist, or has she just seen a general practice MD? A visit to an ophthalmologist is in order if this is a new condition that has come on rather suddenly. If it started suddenly, and/or is accompanied by any kind of "flashing" or visual field changes, get it checked out.

For what it's worth, vitreous floaters are extremely common, and they are not necessarily only for the older folks. I'm 30 years old and have had a significant number of them in both eyes for as long as I can remember. They drive me nuts on cloudy days or when I'm trying to read because I can see them all over the place against a solid, light colored background. In most cases these "floaters" are nothing to be worried about, but a good eye doctor will be able to say for sure. Been there, done that.

Brandon

 

[mackd]

I'm 27 and started noticing lots of "floaters" when I was 23. They freaked me out pretty good for a while, but my eyes have been diagnosed as "perfectly healthy" by an ophthalmologist (eye specialist). I think it has a lot to do with your perceptions as to whether you notice them at all and how bad they seem to be.

While they still frustrate me greatly at times, I've learned to tune them out.

She should definitely have them checked by a qualified ophthalmologist, however, as a sudden increase in floaters has been known to precede retinal separation.

 

[flyeyes]

Anyone else ever even heard of this? Any info would be appreciated.Peace to you.

Your friend is describing vitreous floaters.

The eye is a hollow structure, and most of its volume is filled with a "jelly" which approximates the appearance and consistency of raw egg whites.

In childhood, the vitreous tends to be more uniform, and is firmly adherent to the sides of the eye.

As we age, the vitreous tends to contract and get stringy. The little irregularities and debris that appear can bend or scatter light, and cause the floaters that most of us see when we look at a featureless light background, like a blue sky or white ceiling. Eye movements will stir up the vitreous and make the floaters move around some, but they'll typically stay in the same region of the visual field. Many patients note that if they try to look directly at a floater, it will seem to dart away.

As this process progresses, the bulk of the vitreous may completely detach from the eye wall (a posterior vitreous detachment). This may cause a sudden and fairly dramatic increase in floaters, and the new floaters may be very impressive because the are close to the retina and therefore in relatively sharp focus. This happens more often, at an earlier age, and more impressively in nearsighted people.

The vitreous detachment by itself is annoying but benign. The problem is that occasionally it remains firmly enough attached to part of the retina to pull a tear in the retina itself, which can lead to a retinal detachment.

I see about 2-3 people a week in my practice with new onset floaters, and will dilate them to look carefully in the periphery of the eye for retinal tears. I usually see them back about six weeks later to recheck, because the risk remains elevated for a few weeks.

Patients are often told they will go away, but that's not really true. What happens is that they may sink lower in the eye (out of your central vision) or that you just get used to them.

Hope this helps.

 

[frankh]

Ohhhh

Maybe -ve G aerobatics have been shaking up my floaters like one of those "snowstorm" christmas ornaments..Hah!..Wondered why mine were getting worse..

In reality the brain gets used to ignoring them in time..at least mine did.

Frank

 

[Ron B.]

I notice them a lot , looking thru a window with a reflection. Especially on an airliner looking out over white clouds. Had them checked also, told not to worry. Have an appointment in Aug, should mention them again.

 

[Canadian_JOY]

Umm... I've had these "floaters" or collagen fibrils for as long as I can remember. One thing that I've noticed is that they are, for me, a clear indicator of my personal hydration level. If I let myself get dehydrated they become much, much worse. Your mileage may vary, but try drinking more (water!!) and you might see a positive change.

 

[dougweil]

Hi all:

This is very interesting as I had a sudden onset of PVD (posterior vitreous detachment) on Monday afternoon. I am an airline pilot and perfect vision is kind of a "nice" thing to have! I was on a trip and noticed a rapid increase in floaters in my left eye and my morning it seemed I was looking through a clear curtain with zillions of little spots and other stringy things floating around. Next day at home I ran to my eye doctor (I was just there a few months ago for a very complete eye exam), and he diagnosed PVD. He too said he sees 2-3 people a week with this!! (and I had never heard of it before). My retina is fine although I have a very mild flashing in dark light which my doctors says is triggered by the fact that tendrils of the vitreous are still attached in random areas and as my eye moves around it mildly pulls on the retina and triggers the flashes. We are monitoring it closely for any sign of retinal tears but all looks fine.

It is very distracting when looking at a light background as everyone said. Today I was cleaning the bugs off my RV-4 and it was hard to tell which were bugs and which were spots in my left eye. My visual acuity however is perfect 20/20. My doctor also says they may sink to the bottom of my eye or maybe not. I will just have to adapt I guess. Getting old is a bummer!

 

[8CW]

Dang... I've had these things for years and have pretty much ignored them to the point forgetting I even had them... that was before I read this thread. Now I'm seeing the stupid things again.