[pschlute]

As photographers we would miss functionality of our eyes a little bit more than most I suspect.

This week I had an episode late one evening where I started to notice “floaters” in my right eye more than usual. I started to worry when I noticed flashing lights in the same eye. A bit of googling had me in a panic as I read about retinal detachment. The following day I was unable to get an optician appointment but was urged by them to go to a&e

A&e referred me straight away to a ophthalmology clinic at a different hospital who checked me out. Luckily I have Vitreous detachment (PVD) rather than the more serious retinal detachment.

I had never heard of this apparently common condition. Importantly however the symptoms are the same as a retinal detachment (one can lead to the other) So the moral is if you see these changes get to a&e or an optician straight away. If it is retinal detachment 24 hours can make the difference between losing your sight completely or not

[jhankins]

I'll also throw this out there: field curvature (imagine looking at a square tile bathroom floor and seeing a "bubble" where the lines bow out that follows where you look) can be a sign of macular degeneration. There is "dry" and "wet" macular degeneration, and the latter has some treatment options that are time-critical, I believe.

[Bob 256]

I was on vacation when I noticed blurring in my central vision whenever I tried to look at something up close (it persisted after doing that for several minutes). Since my vision cleared, I didn't consider it something to have looked at immediately, but on the home bound leg of my vacation, I noticed a red spot in my vision (centrally located) and recognized it as hemorrhaging so that REALLY scared me. It spread somewhat, and then began to fade slightly over that day. The first chance I had, I checked into an ophthalmology office.

I too was lucky. It was Vitreous Macular Traction (VMT) which occurs when the backside of the globe of vitreous material detaches and pulls away from the retina and was deemed age related. The red spot gradually faded completely and disappeared, & my vision actually got better than before the incident, but it was a lesson in getting eye treatment as soon as possible for such occurrences.

Now my other eye is showing slight signs of the same but the detachment hasn't taken place so not much to be done - only a slight "wrinkle" in straight lines when they pass the small area. No problems with a blurred spot or hemorrhaging and the ophthalmologist is keeping tabs on it to make sure the detachment is clean (when and if it happens) and doesn't cause retinal issues.

[travelswsage]

I had the similar scare last summer -- rapid onset of grey cloud/haze over the right (my dominant) eye and a host of floaters. Got into the optometrist who got me over to the retinal specialist pretty quick. Diagnosed with a hole in the retina which the doc was able to fuse with laser surgery. Have been ok since. Funny part of the story -- waiting for doc to appear after preliminary staff tests she finally walks in and was an extremely attractive 30 ish lady. All worried I asked if excessive work on the computer was the cause and she just said very matter of factly "No your just old" -- great, first the eye and now attractive ladies calling me old -- could the day get any better? Relaying the story to my wife on the way home expecting sympathy and a no you don't look old comment her response: "well serves you right for noticing how pretty she was."


Hope everyone recovers well ...

[Aaron28]

oh my that's awful but good news after the fact....don't think and don't want to experience that.....on occasion (rarely) I will have bright dots of light swirl around like gnats about my head but have been told that it is from the gel in eyes.....its weird and trippy fortunately does not last long......at night when I am doing astro stuff I will think I see streaks of light like a meteor but its my eyes playing tricks on me as my head is usually moving at the time but its a weird sensation

[Apet-Sure]

Scary stuff, but good reminders to get to the eye doc right away at the first sign of trouble. And for those of us over 50, get to the eye doc regularly before the first sign of trouble. My other passion is music, which is why I always wear earplugs when cutting the grass or using power tools.

[pschlute]

And for those of us over 50, get to the eye doc regularly before the first sign of trouble

very true. i am approaching 60 now and will be changing from two-yearly visits to annual ones from now on.

[35mmfilmfan]

i am approaching 60

Approaching 60 ? Cor ! Kids of today, don't know they're born.

Problem I find is that items I place away from table edges move invisibly to where a careless movement knocks them flying, then hide in full view. Anyone else get that ?

[Aaron28]

hide in full view. Anyone else get that ?

ha! never happens!!! never!

[alfa75ts]

This week I had an episode late one evening where I started to notice “floaters” in my right eye more than usual. I started to worry when I noticed flashing lights in the same eye. A bit of googling had me in a panic as I read about retinal detachment.

Same thing happened to me a few months back. Woke up Saturday morning with floaters and flashes, the floaters included a flock of Ravens just off to my left.
Got to an Ophthalmologist Monday and fortunately no sign of a tear. Returned six weeks later and the ravens had eased into a few flies.

The flies are still there and I still have a floater like a thin slice from a sponge, when birding I keep turning my head to see if the flies are a bird and the viewfinder is often blurry.

Hopefully it will clear up.

[WPRESTO]

Another visual event that can be scary the first time it happens: You suddenly see irregular rippling patterns, sort of like lightening bolts but within them it looks like shimmering heat waves. If they are off to the side of your visual field and you shift your eyes to get a better look, they move with your eyes as if they were attached to the retina, which in fact they are. Nerve cells just go screwy for a while, possibly caused by sudden contraction of blood vessels serving the retina, but they will settle down and the patterns will disappear in maybe 15~25 minutes, almost always in less than an hour. Totally harmless, not indicative of any acute or chronic problem that needs attention, but scary the first time they happen, more so when they recur and you haven't learned what they are.

[gaweidert]

As photographers we would miss functionality of our eyes a little bit more than most I suspect.

This week I had an episode late one evening where I started to notice “floaters” in my right eye more than usual. I started to worry when I noticed flashing lights in the same eye. A bit of googling had me in a panic as I read about retinal detachment. The following day I was unable to get an optician appointment but was urged by them to go to a&e

A&e referred me straight away to a ophthalmology clinic at a different hospital who checked me out. Luckily I have Vitreous detachment (PVD) rather than the more serious retinal detachment.

I had never heard of this apparently common condition. Importantly however the symptoms are the same as a retinal detachment (one can lead to the other) So the moral is if you see these changes get to a&e or an optician straight away. If it is retinal detachment 24 hours can make the difference between losing your sight completely or not

This happened to me some 5 years ago or so. I was driving down the interstate at about 70mph (112 kph) when everything in my left eye went grey with lots of floaters. Totally blind in it for a few minutes. This was on a Friday and I had to wait until Monday to see my eye doctor. Over the weekend it cleared up quite a bit and no problems since. Pretty scary stuff.

[Buffy]

As photographers we would miss functionality of our eyes a little bit more than most I suspect.

Some of us never had much functionality, anyway. . That said, I would definitely miss what little I do have.

At my annual physical last year my doc asked if I had seen an eye doctor that year and I replied, "No, what's he gonna do? Tell me I'm still blind? I already know that." And she went on to say how it was important for many reasons including those that people have listed in this thread.

[DeadJohn]

Another visual event that can be scary the first time it happens: You suddenly see irregular rippling patterns, sort of like lightening bolts but within them it looks like shimmering heat waves. If they are off to the side of your visual field and you shift your eyes to get a better look, they move with your eyes as if they were attached to the retina, which in fact they are. Nerve cells just go screwy for a while, possibly caused by sudden contraction of blood vessels serving the retina, but they will settle down and the patterns will disappear in maybe 15~25 minutes, almost always in less than an hour. Totally harmless, not indicative of any acute or chronic problem that needs attention, but scary the first time they happen, more so when they recur and you haven't learned what they are.

If that happens to both eyes in the same time it's a "visual migraine", an electrical disturbance. I get that around once a year with no apparent pattern to what triggers it. In my case it starts like a kaleidoscope pattern at the edges of my vision, working its way inwards over 5 minutes until I have very narrow tunnel vision, then clearing up in reverse over the next 15 minutes. This is the aura that precedes a painful migraine headache but in my case I just get the aura without pain.

I completely agree that the first time is very scary. I thought it might be a stroke. I asked coworkers if my speech was slurred, and started picking up heavy objects to make sure my arms were working okay.

If it only happens with one eye it's called a "retinal migraine" and likely caused by a blood flow disturbance.

[pentax360]

That's scary I'm glad you're ok.
the strangest thing I've had is if I'm focusing too hard for too long, my eyes will dart left and right a very fast a couple of times on there own.