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Thanks everyone for your input. I have a question though regarding the possibility of having a PVD or detached retina. I raised those concerns with the optometrist and he said he would have seen those. He did a thorough exam on 3 different occasions, with dilation.
Wouldn't an optometrist be able to see and diagnose these things?
I still think a second opinion from a physician is in order. Did your optometrist use the slit lamp or just a hand held scope?
You say you can see the individual cells in the floaters. That's interesting, because I told my opthalmologist that same thing and he diagnosed PVD before he even looked in my eyes.
You do not say how old you are. If you are less than 50 years old, PVD is less likely.
I do not see why the optometrist is so resistant to your getting a second opinion. Most professionals encourage them, even if the original opinion is confirmed. Peace of mind is worth a lot.
He used a slit lamp. At least I believe thats what it was... it was like a little mirror that reflected light into my eye. I am 28 years old.
Here's an image that I found online that is as close to what I see, however the ones that are larger or if I squint to concentrate on the smaller ones the body of them is made up up round circles just like the ones you see in this image.
I see 2 or 3 of these kinds all the time, even on really dull dark rainy days, it doesn't even have to be bright outside. However if it is bright outside and I look out a window at the sky and squint a little bit I see probably 30 of these things... most of them are all tangled up or linked together like chains.
It could be a detached retina, or possible mac degeneration... I would advise to get a second opinion. You only have two eyes, and they can't be replaced!
Floaters are common as you age.They are very annoying. Some people have more than others. Like someone else said, migraines produce floaters to, but those particular ones are temporary.
I never mentioned this but around the same time that I developed the floaters I started having chronic neck pain that would start at the base of my skull (Occipital Neuralgia) I believe. It's almost daily and comes and goes. I had an MRI of my neck and determined that I have degeneration of a few discs in my cervical spine as well as an abnormally large blood vessel. I haven't gone any further with this results, although I am pushing my dr. to send me to a neurologist. I'm just wondering if whatever is wrong with my neck could be putting pressure on a nerve or something or affecting blood flow which could be causing me to see all these floaters, as well as the eye pain from being so sensitive to light and the after images that are starting to bother me. Any thoughts on this as being a possibility?
Jr991, is the eye pain on the eyeball or at the back area of the eyeball?
Thanks for replying. The pain is not constant but when it hurts it is like a strain or tension type pain as if the muscles around my eyes are contracted. It sometimes even stretches into my temples.
Here's an image that I found online that is as close to what I see, however the ones that are larger or if I squint to concentrate on the smaller ones the body of them is made up up round circles just like the ones you see in this image.
That looks different than what I thought... I hadn't even heard of the word until a few weeks ago. I was just describing to people what happened to my eyes after a bad blood transfusion and somebody suggested it could be floaters. What I had, though, was very different. Both shapes were round and big. When I blinked with my left eye, I got very bright light, like flashlight; in my right eye I got the same size and shape gray shadow. I could only see them if I was looking at a monitor or some other big, solid-color surface.
I was also very upset about it because I read that problems like this showing up gradually are related to age, but if they appear all of a sudden, it's usually a sign of bigger trouble - like a detached retina. There were suggestions to wait and see, though. About 3 weeks since then the (what I assume was) floater in my left eye is gone. The gray one in my right eye is very small and barely there. As a matter of fact, I almost forgot all about them until I saw this thread.
jr991 I started to develop floaters in my late 30s ( I also used to suffer with migraines with some spectacular ziggy lines,colors,etc.) but those disappeared after a while. My eye doctor told me floaters were a result of aging so I let it go. Then I started seeing halos around light and was diagnosed with narrow angle Glaucoma and had to have laser eye surgery to prevent any further damage to my vision. My suggestion is to go see an opthamologist and get yearly checkups. Good luck.
That picture is exactly what I see myself at times and have for many years.
And I've had many eye exams because I've worn glasses for decades.
No problem has ever been found with my eyes other than poorer eyesight from aging. I'm 64 but I've seen what you describe long before I needed glasses.
I'm prone to sinus infections and inner ear problems and I generaly see this while having bad sinus problems.
If it's any consolation I have experienced the same thing as you since I was young and there is nothing structuraly wrong yet.
The pain you feel around or behind the eyeballs and in the temple area is probably sinus pressure. That is where I get it too.
I'm no doctor and I'm certainly not trying to tell you to ignore your concerns but it has not turned into anything serious for me and hopefully it won't for you either. It's just something that happens to some people with no further bad effects.
But you should take whatever steps you think is best for you.
I'm just trying to let you know that it may not be the worst case scenario that everyone first imagines when a problem like that arises.
I wish you well and hope it is the nothing more than I've dealt with for many years. I don't pay much attention to it anymore.
But again, you do what you think you is best.
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