Something wrong with my eye

[RedDiamond]

Earlier today at I work I noticed a small light flash in the bottom of my left eye. I was not too bothered as I thought it could be the start of a migraine aura which I seem to have more of over the past 5 years. It did not develop into a migraine at all. Instead it has progressed to lots of brown worm like lines appearing in my eye. It has me quite worried.

Even with my eye closed, if I move my eye I can still see these lines.

Now, has anyone had this and did it pass? Should I be concerned?

@WinterMarchesOn - if Op is in England, those symptoms do not warrant an NHS eye test.

Many practices will have offered the same advice, and telling them to not return to somewhere that gave them the correct clinical advice is ridiculous.

OP I had PVD about 13 years ago, did not get a second one and no retinal detachment either - also extreme short sight
it was very scary but soon resolved and no issues since

I'd be interested to find out whether this is a myth or not, and if it's not, what the statistics are like for when the second eye happens. I had a PVD in one eye quite early, but there was no truama or any reason for it, other than quite short sighted. It led to a tear, which was fixed. They warned me to watch out for the same thing in the other eye, but ten years later, it still hasn't happened - and that eye is just as short-sighted. I keep waiting, as I don't want it to happen when I'm on holiday or something if it's going to tear again, so it would be nice to know when it has happened. But so far nothing. I have an eye exam each year, but apparently, it happens really suddenly, so it's not like they can tell you that it's going to happen soon or anything, until it actually does.

Ooo I don't know, it was just what the eye doctor told me. Perhaps you've just been lucky so far or your other eye is more robust or something. I didn't even know it was something that happened to people before I started with it. Opticians should warn short sighties I think as it's very alarming.

Yes that's what they told me as well, that it would be likely to happen in the next year or two, but so far it's totally intact. I'm now at the age where it's a bit more usual for it to happen, so I am still expecting it at some point. I don't think I really knew about it in any great detail before it happened; not that it was especially prevalent in short sight, anyway - I just knew it happened to older people. I knew mainly about retinal detachement, so I was kind of worried about my symptoms and knew not to take the reassurances that it was fine seriously when I was pretty sure it wasn't, so keep insisting until it was checked again. I don't think I knew much about PVD causing tears or detachments, though.

My PVDs happened within 6 months of each other. The first one happened because I fell into a hole in my garden that my toddler had dug whilst mowing the lawn (!) it jogged my eye rather harshly and all the symptoms began (I’m -9.50 both eyes). And then about 6 months later the second eye randomly started showing symptoms. Took about a year for them to both completely pull away. During that time I constantly had flashing, circles of light round the edge of my eye (Weiss / reiss ring I think it’s called) and just generally feeling I couldn’t see properly.

I’m in Scotland and my optician told me they keep daily emergency slots for this exact purpose. When I rang my own place on the Saturday morning they couldn't actually get me in but they rang round other branches to make sure someone would see me same day. I get the back of the eye photos done as part of my standard annual check (local optician with about six branches in the area) but not in my six monthly contact lens check.

I was told I would be charged. In any case, her opticians didn’t want to see her and referred her to A&E. As I said, there is no point going to an opticians with a condition they can’t treat. It’s a complete waste of time. However, should an optician pick something up in a routine test, then that’s another matter and they would still refer. So just go to emergency eye clinic.

There may be different guidelines for different areas as well. My opticians will give out a number for the eye equivalent of 111 to any patient who is having symptoms but cannot be fitted in that day for any reason (opticians not always working). The number will triage the patient over the phone and then advise on the next steps which could be GP, eye hospital, appointment at an opticians that are part of the scheme which keeps appointments free each day for emergencies, no treatment needed etc. The OP opticians probably did the correct thing under their guidelines and referred to A and E.

I must just be really lucky with my experience of my local optician then. He would, and has, squeezed my family member in for a same day check, then personally called and sent directly to eye A&E, avoiding our horrific A&E dept. Perhaps he does go over and above what’s required but he is certainly very helpful and showed a lot of helpfulness & kindness. That’s the sort of service worthy of my loyalty.

Mine is exactly the same. We live 24 miles away from the nearest hospital so to have him triage and say whether I need to go or not is wonderful as he’s literally 10 mins down the road. (And he hasn’t charged me as he’s fitted me in as an NHS emergency appointment).

I does vary, I can’t imagine not squeezing someone in, who needs to be seen.
we would make a charge, unless they’re a regular patient though.

Oh and it does work differently in Scotland and Wales, opticians are paid for emergency appointments / and routine ones by the NhS.