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Normally and flashes of light are linked to a detached retina, my step son had that. He would see flashes of light in his side vision. I have some floaters but do not see flashes of light. Scott
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My floaters started in 2005 at the age of 55. It started with months of bright flashing light when I moved my eyes quickly to the left or right. Flashes are only occasional now but the floaters are getting bigger.
I learned to deal with the floaters when shooting by looking way to the right, then hollering pull just as I bring my eyes back to the front. This keeps me ahead of the floaters. some days are better than others, but the eye movement has kept them out of the way for shooting.
John
I learned to deal with the floaters when shooting by looking way to the right, then hollering pull just as I bring my eyes back to the front. This keeps me ahead of the floaters. some days are better than others, but the eye movement has kept them out of the way for shooting.
John
I've had the floaters since I was 27. They have gotten worse in the last 15 years. The one surgeon I talked to said he could change out the fluid, but said the floaters would begin to return in 6 to 9 months. I didn't feel it was worth the risk. Gus Bradshaw
The auto mechanic I use had the vitreous gel drain and replace operation. He also had cataract surgery on one eye at the same time. His vision deteriorated to where he no longer drives. The fluid replacement in his particular case gave him additional problems and he regrets having it done. In the past year or so his vision has improved some but is still not adequate for him to feel safe driving. Night time glare is also a problem.
You may want to check out carefully just what the results have been for others having similar work done.
I personally had a percolated hemorrhage in one eye and got a flash of light every so often but I got lucky and the percolate tear cleared up on its own. When it was happening I had the long "chain of worms" type floaters which were quite distracting. After a while they were filtered out by the body. There are still a few "fruit flies" that pop up but I am no longer distracted by them.
Best course is to have a board certified ophthalmologist give you a full and comprehensive exam including peripheral vision, color acuity, light sensitivity, and another test that checks focus tracking and astigmatism and a dilation to allow close examination of the eye. This is much more than the typical "eye exam". It also is suggested that pictures of the internal eye be taken to provide a baseline for comparisons in the future to see what problems may occur and to keep, pardon the expression, a close eye on existing problems to see if they are improving, worsening or maintaining status quo. These pictures should be done yearly or more often if conditions justify it.
You may want to check out carefully just what the results have been for others having similar work done.
I personally had a percolated hemorrhage in one eye and got a flash of light every so often but I got lucky and the percolate tear cleared up on its own. When it was happening I had the long "chain of worms" type floaters which were quite distracting. After a while they were filtered out by the body. There are still a few "fruit flies" that pop up but I am no longer distracted by them.
Best course is to have a board certified ophthalmologist give you a full and comprehensive exam including peripheral vision, color acuity, light sensitivity, and another test that checks focus tracking and astigmatism and a dilation to allow close examination of the eye. This is much more than the typical "eye exam". It also is suggested that pictures of the internal eye be taken to provide a baseline for comparisons in the future to see what problems may occur and to keep, pardon the expression, a close eye on existing problems to see if they are improving, worsening or maintaining status quo. These pictures should be done yearly or more often if conditions justify it.
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My favorite website for all medical questions is shown above. I just had my annual visit to my Ophthalmologist yesterday and I still have Post Vitreous Detachment which my Dr. says is a fancy word for Floaters. I live in Western Canada and there is not a single Ophthalmologist around here who would perform a Floater only Victrectomy. I have a friend who had this procedure done and he had bad complications and for a few years he switched to shooting left handed until subsequent Cataract surgery allowed him to return to shooting right handed. There is a Doctor in Virginia who has the following website on treatment but I know absolutely nothing more about this. For Trapshooting my best scores are shot in sunlight with vermillion shooting glasses and I have more problems with a cloudy sky background than a green tree background; go figure.
http://www.eyefloaters.com/
http://www.eyefloaters.com/
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I've always had floaters from an early age, but in 2006 I got the "flashing lights" and went to the emergency room. Fortunately all I had was "PVD" -posterior vitreous detachment. Now, seven years later, at age 74 the condition has actually improved. The floaters are better -or at least - out of my field of vision, and the flashing lights appear infrequently.
The point is, don't think that you absolutely have to have some medical
procedure done. The condition may change, and it may get better.
The best rule about having an operation - any operation - is to avoid it if you can. Most of the time, you come out of the hospital worse than when you went in. I'm sure a lot of you know what I'm talking about.
The point is, don't think that you absolutely have to have some medical
procedure done. The condition may change, and it may get better.
The best rule about having an operation - any operation - is to avoid it if you can. Most of the time, you come out of the hospital worse than when you went in. I'm sure a lot of you know what I'm talking about.
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C.E in the 'reply to thread section there is a line marked ; Website URL: and a line box. Paste the link there and it will show up as clickable like in this posting.
I have started seeing a 'ghost' image, with the ghost right above the real image. In full day I don't notice it but in low-light it really bothers my shooting. I've seen a couple of eye doctors and they have gotten it better but with very slight cataracts they think it will get a bit worse before I am a 'candidate' for cataract surgery.
Waaaa.
Don Thompson, Littleton CO
I have started seeing a 'ghost' image, with the ghost right above the real image. In full day I don't notice it but in low-light it really bothers my shooting. I've seen a couple of eye doctors and they have gotten it better but with very slight cataracts they think it will get a bit worse before I am a 'candidate' for cataract surgery.
Waaaa.
Don Thompson, Littleton CO
My floaters got so bad that occasionally I would not see the target at all, especially if the light was bad. I had a vitrectomy done in September which caused the very rapid formation of a dense cataract. By Christmas I was blind in that eye. I have since had the lens replaced and can again see. I still have not had new prescription glasses made because my Doctor wanted to wait until my eye was done changing. I can see much better than before the surgery even without the new prescription and things are bright again. I believe the end result is going to be good but I don't know if I would choose to go through it again.
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A couple of months ago I had the same experience as dickgtax explained in his posting above. After the fireworks when moving my head I went to my opthamologist and he said I had experienced a PVD event in my left eye (right eye master) and do not be too concerned about it. He said only about 10% experience the lights with a PVD. The big floaters will eventually settle down.
I had the same thing happen to my right master eye and it took two years of looking upward and to the right before calling for the bird to get the giant floater from blurring 1/2 of the traphouse. For me, it got better with time. I hope the same thing will hold true with the left eye. Getting old sucks. I just got vet classification in January.
I had the same thing happen to my right master eye and it took two years of looking upward and to the right before calling for the bird to get the giant floater from blurring 1/2 of the traphouse. For me, it got better with time. I hope the same thing will hold true with the left eye. Getting old sucks. I just got vet classification in January.
Recently, my left eye feels like cobwebs are in the eye, I went to the Univ. Of Penna last
Week who diagnosts this as a very large floater, they said that my brain (if I still have one.)
Will get used to this problem and that shortly I won't even notice it...it is now a little better.
I have another appt in a few weeks. However if I have flashers, I am to go to
The hospital at once....this could be. Quite serious.
Greta Cesario
Week who diagnosts this as a very large floater, they said that my brain (if I still have one.)
Will get used to this problem and that shortly I won't even notice it...it is now a little better.
I have another appt in a few weeks. However if I have flashers, I am to go to
The hospital at once....this could be. Quite serious.
Greta Cesario
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Rick:
I've had more than my share of eye issues over the last 10 + years. The BEST advice I can give you is to first find the absolute BEST Retina / Ophthalmology surgeon / specialist you can find in your area. I don't know where you live, but fortunately I have local access to a world class Eye Clinic where every Doctor has (1) an eye specialty and (2) further specialization including retina surgery, laser surgery, cataract surgery, reconstructive surgery etc.
I was born with a lazy left eye and have used my only good eye to do everything my entire life. In 2000, I had cataract surgery (lens implant) on my good eye. I had endured floaters before that. All went well, until about 3 years later when the retina in that eye detached. I later learned that in very few cases, the cataract surgery may contribute to a later retina detachment, but there is no way to predict. Given that the eye is one of the most delicate organs we have, it's understandable that Doctors I have dealt with prefer to do surgery as a last resort and don't want to be monkeying around in there for long. My cataract surgeon has done well over 30,000 procedures and when I told him to take his time, he told me the faster he gets done the better - less stress on the eye.
After several surgical procedures over a 5 month period and almost complete immobility, my ophthalmologist told me the scar tissue forming on my retina was irreparable. He suggested I go home and learn to live with my new disability. Imagine my shock - being in my early 50s and only being able to see as though my eye were covered with Vaseline all the time. No driving, certainly no shooting, no clipping my fingernails, no reading, no working on the PC etc. Facing that, I sought out a different retina surgeon at the same clinic and he removed the scar tissue successfully. I thank him and God for the fact that I can see out of my good eye today and am occasionally able to break 25 targets.
About 5 years ago, a cataract began to form in my lazy left eye and my ophthalmologist suggested I wait as long as possible to have the cataract removed. His concern was my past apparent sensitivity to the cataract procedure. I did as he suggested until October 2012 when I had the cataract removed. The cataract specialist said I should not have waited so long and it was one of the hardest and longest procedures he'd ever done. I just recently got a clean bill of health from him, after 6 months of checking pressure etc.
The floaters you are experiencing are part of aging, as the vitreous in the eye begins to break down; in some cases, this process may hasten retina detachment. In other cases, folks have floaters for years with no retina problems. If you begin to see flashing lights when your eye is closed, get to that eye Doctor IMMEDIATELY. In my case, I was watching TV on a Sunday evening and began to see the flashing. Saw the Doctor that night and was in surgery Monday at 8AM.
I'd absolutely advise you to go see that BEST Doctor in your area and seek his advice about the floaters. IF you can tolerate the floaters, my advice is to do so. If you cannot, then find the specialists who can work with you. I am not convinced that recoil contributes to floaters or eye problems. I asked one of my eye Doctors about that and he said the only way he could see shotgun recoil damaging the eye is if you held the gun butt directly in front of the eye, perhaps a few inches away, and pulled the trigger.
Good luck. If you'd like to talk privately, please PM me. Sorry this is so long, but I thought perhaps my experience might help you and others.
Gene in Illinois
I've had more than my share of eye issues over the last 10 + years. The BEST advice I can give you is to first find the absolute BEST Retina / Ophthalmology surgeon / specialist you can find in your area. I don't know where you live, but fortunately I have local access to a world class Eye Clinic where every Doctor has (1) an eye specialty and (2) further specialization including retina surgery, laser surgery, cataract surgery, reconstructive surgery etc.
I was born with a lazy left eye and have used my only good eye to do everything my entire life. In 2000, I had cataract surgery (lens implant) on my good eye. I had endured floaters before that. All went well, until about 3 years later when the retina in that eye detached. I later learned that in very few cases, the cataract surgery may contribute to a later retina detachment, but there is no way to predict. Given that the eye is one of the most delicate organs we have, it's understandable that Doctors I have dealt with prefer to do surgery as a last resort and don't want to be monkeying around in there for long. My cataract surgeon has done well over 30,000 procedures and when I told him to take his time, he told me the faster he gets done the better - less stress on the eye.
After several surgical procedures over a 5 month period and almost complete immobility, my ophthalmologist told me the scar tissue forming on my retina was irreparable. He suggested I go home and learn to live with my new disability. Imagine my shock - being in my early 50s and only being able to see as though my eye were covered with Vaseline all the time. No driving, certainly no shooting, no clipping my fingernails, no reading, no working on the PC etc. Facing that, I sought out a different retina surgeon at the same clinic and he removed the scar tissue successfully. I thank him and God for the fact that I can see out of my good eye today and am occasionally able to break 25 targets.
About 5 years ago, a cataract began to form in my lazy left eye and my ophthalmologist suggested I wait as long as possible to have the cataract removed. His concern was my past apparent sensitivity to the cataract procedure. I did as he suggested until October 2012 when I had the cataract removed. The cataract specialist said I should not have waited so long and it was one of the hardest and longest procedures he'd ever done. I just recently got a clean bill of health from him, after 6 months of checking pressure etc.
The floaters you are experiencing are part of aging, as the vitreous in the eye begins to break down; in some cases, this process may hasten retina detachment. In other cases, folks have floaters for years with no retina problems. If you begin to see flashing lights when your eye is closed, get to that eye Doctor IMMEDIATELY. In my case, I was watching TV on a Sunday evening and began to see the flashing. Saw the Doctor that night and was in surgery Monday at 8AM.
I'd absolutely advise you to go see that BEST Doctor in your area and seek his advice about the floaters. IF you can tolerate the floaters, my advice is to do so. If you cannot, then find the specialists who can work with you. I am not convinced that recoil contributes to floaters or eye problems. I asked one of my eye Doctors about that and he said the only way he could see shotgun recoil damaging the eye is if you held the gun butt directly in front of the eye, perhaps a few inches away, and pulled the trigger.
Good luck. If you'd like to talk privately, please PM me. Sorry this is so long, but I thought perhaps my experience might help you and others.
Gene in Illinois
Forgot to add that when I had the problem, with flashes of light, I immediately headed to the hospital. Got to the ER and they said it would be at least three or four hours till they could get to me. I left and my wife drove me to a bigger hospital about 40 miles away. There I was put right in to be worked on. The ER doc looked, called the ophthalmologist who advised doing a scan to insure there was no other problem and I had an appointment the next morning at 8:00 A.M. This was in my right (master) eye.
One other thing happened earlier that was even more scary. In my left eye, I suddenly lost all sight in the lower left quadrant. As soon as I got that, I called and headed right for the eye doc. The sight returned in maybe a couple of minutes but it scared the living He** out of me. It was diagnosed as an "optical migraine" which was explained to me as being like a quick interruption of the nerve signal. No known reason for it to happen and no re-occurrence. I had forgotten about it until this discussion brought it back to mind.
One other thing happened earlier that was even more scary. In my left eye, I suddenly lost all sight in the lower left quadrant. As soon as I got that, I called and headed right for the eye doc. The sight returned in maybe a couple of minutes but it scared the living He** out of me. It was diagnosed as an "optical migraine" which was explained to me as being like a quick interruption of the nerve signal. No known reason for it to happen and no re-occurrence. I had forgotten about it until this discussion brought it back to mind.
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Pyrdek: What you described could have been an optical migraine, which I've had
on numerous occasions. That's when you see the "cracked glass" image, usually
not losing the entire vision. However, an optical migraine doesn't occur in just one eye, since it isn't a vision episode, it occurs in the brain.
What you describe sounds like an "ischemic transient attack" or "mini-stroke."
This causes the partial or complete loss of sight in one eye caused by the interuption of the blood flow to the brain. It is actually a small stroke - and a strong warning. They, too, often last for only a few minutes. I was getting them in 2009 and had 20 or 30 before finally having the surgery -a carotid endarterectomy to open the blood vessel.
I'm not saying your doc was wrong - just that medical events that seem similar
can often be totally different.
on numerous occasions. That's when you see the "cracked glass" image, usually
not losing the entire vision. However, an optical migraine doesn't occur in just one eye, since it isn't a vision episode, it occurs in the brain.
What you describe sounds like an "ischemic transient attack" or "mini-stroke."
This causes the partial or complete loss of sight in one eye caused by the interuption of the blood flow to the brain. It is actually a small stroke - and a strong warning. They, too, often last for only a few minutes. I was getting them in 2009 and had 20 or 30 before finally having the surgery -a carotid endarterectomy to open the blood vessel.
I'm not saying your doc was wrong - just that medical events that seem similar
can often be totally different.
Smoking grass is good, but not for floaters.
I had floaters since college days. Too many concussions, scar tissue and floaters developed in my eyes. i still see stars on my peripheral vision
Over the years, "my brain" has rewired like i like to say where I just see right through them.
easiest way to describe it is if someone doesn't wear their glasses for a few days, you will actually start to see better then when you took them off. Your brain rewires everything so the picture is somewhat clear. It ain't perfect but your brain does it best to make it work.
I really, really, really, wouldn't do anything to rid the floaters. Too many chances for a bad surgery and your up shit's crick.
Get more than a few opinions from the best eye surgeons out there. Even fly to see someone if you think he/she is the best. its your eyes!!!
I had floaters since college days. Too many concussions, scar tissue and floaters developed in my eyes. i still see stars on my peripheral vision
Over the years, "my brain" has rewired like i like to say where I just see right through them.
easiest way to describe it is if someone doesn't wear their glasses for a few days, you will actually start to see better then when you took them off. Your brain rewires everything so the picture is somewhat clear. It ain't perfect but your brain does it best to make it work.
I really, really, really, wouldn't do anything to rid the floaters. Too many chances for a bad surgery and your up shit's crick.
Get more than a few opinions from the best eye surgeons out there. Even fly to see someone if you think he/she is the best. its your eyes!!!
I had a caratoid ultrasound scan but there were no problems noted. The Primay Care physician kept a close watch on that concern but there was never even a minor problem detected on either the scan or an MRI that was done not to long after. BP and total, LDL, HDL and Tri-G have always been very w,ell where the Doc wants to see them. He did not have any concerns about it. The coagulation test for blood clotting was also in the normal but towards the lower? (Longer clotting time) range.
When the event occurred, there was no speech, balance, mental confusion, mobility or sensory feeling issues noted. I did the closed eye touch your nose with your finger with both hands and no neurological problems were detected.
When the event occurred, there was no speech, balance, mental confusion, mobility or sensory feeling issues noted. I did the closed eye touch your nose with your finger with both hands and no neurological problems were detected.
The post telling you to get to the best retina surgeon you can find is a good one. I have one and he has operated on both eyes to remove really bad floaters. The vitreous is not replaced and it works wonders. I was able go back to shooting after a couple of days!! As you continue to age, pieces of he retina will continue to break off and you will always have a small floater or two around, but in my case they are small enough to put up with. And, after a day or two you don't see that one again. I've also had cataracts removed from both eyes. They were done with two different techniques. The first (old) way allowed the sac that holds the lens to begin to turn opaque after about six months and my vision suffered. That procedure entered the eye from the top. The second cataract operation entered from the side. The retina specialist used a laser to cut a hole through the cloudy sac and my vision is now (age 74) the best it has ever been. The last operation was probably 10 or so years ago.
Johnpe
Johnpe
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Don't know if this the answer, but when I get desperate, I'm going this route.^^
I've heard the other procedure (vitreous replacement)is sorta risky, but seems like the last time this topic came up, someone in Pennsylvania had a fairly good recommendation. Maybe they'll chime in.
Good luck.
Bob Falfa
I've heard the other procedure (vitreous replacement)is sorta risky, but seems like the last time this topic came up, someone in Pennsylvania had a fairly good recommendation. Maybe they'll chime in.
Good luck.
Bob Falfa
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10,622 Posts
FYI
Treatment for Eye Floaters
By Corinna Underwood, eHow Contributor
Print this article
Eye floaters are the tiny spots, flecks and hair-like filaments that you can see floating in your field of vision. Though you may find them irritating, they are harmless and nothing to worry about. They occur when the very small fragments of the eye's vitreous become detached within the interior of the eye. You will find that they are more noticeable when you stare at bright, clear surfaces such as a blank white computer screen or a clear sky. There are available treatments for floaters.
Other People Are Reading
How to Get Rid of Eye Floaters How to Dissolve Eye Floaters
Preventing Floaters
You can reduce your risk of developing floaters by ensuring that your diet is rich in vitamin C. This vitamin helps to increase the strength of the capillaries that transport blood to the retina. Vitamin C also helps to protect the eyes against damage from UV light. Lutein is another valuable supplement for eye help as it protects the eyes from damage by free radicals and also helps prevent macular degeneration.
Laser Removal of Floaters
Despite the fact that they are annoying, most floaters will fade over time. If you are interested in surgery, laser treatment is available, although most doctors will only recommend it when floaters are causing serious impairment to your vision. This procedure, known as vitreoretinal eye surgery uses sophisticated laser treatment. The procedure is performed under general anesthetic, but local anesthetic can be used for people who are unable to have general anesthetic. The eye surgeon makes three minute incisions in the eye so that the instruments may be inserted. He then removes the gel-like substance within the eye and replaces it with liquid saline.
When to Seek Medical Advice
If you suddenly experience a number of floaters for the first time and they are accompanied by flashes of light or unusual disturbances in your normal vision, this made indicate that you have a detached retina. A tear or detachment in your retina requires immediate medical attention or it may cause possible permanent loss of vision.
Read more: Treatment for Eye Floaters | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5476238_treatment-eye-floaters.html#ixzz2SfrvYm91
Treatment for Eye Floaters
By Corinna Underwood, eHow Contributor
Print this article
Eye floaters are the tiny spots, flecks and hair-like filaments that you can see floating in your field of vision. Though you may find them irritating, they are harmless and nothing to worry about. They occur when the very small fragments of the eye's vitreous become detached within the interior of the eye. You will find that they are more noticeable when you stare at bright, clear surfaces such as a blank white computer screen or a clear sky. There are available treatments for floaters.
Other People Are Reading
How to Get Rid of Eye Floaters How to Dissolve Eye Floaters
Preventing Floaters
You can reduce your risk of developing floaters by ensuring that your diet is rich in vitamin C. This vitamin helps to increase the strength of the capillaries that transport blood to the retina. Vitamin C also helps to protect the eyes against damage from UV light. Lutein is another valuable supplement for eye help as it protects the eyes from damage by free radicals and also helps prevent macular degeneration.
Laser Removal of Floaters
Despite the fact that they are annoying, most floaters will fade over time. If you are interested in surgery, laser treatment is available, although most doctors will only recommend it when floaters are causing serious impairment to your vision. This procedure, known as vitreoretinal eye surgery uses sophisticated laser treatment. The procedure is performed under general anesthetic, but local anesthetic can be used for people who are unable to have general anesthetic. The eye surgeon makes three minute incisions in the eye so that the instruments may be inserted. He then removes the gel-like substance within the eye and replaces it with liquid saline.
When to Seek Medical Advice
If you suddenly experience a number of floaters for the first time and they are accompanied by flashes of light or unusual disturbances in your normal vision, this made indicate that you have a detached retina. A tear or detachment in your retina requires immediate medical attention or it may cause possible permanent loss of vision.
Read more: Treatment for Eye Floaters | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5476238_treatment-eye-floaters.html#ixzz2SfrvYm91
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