Any eye/vision experts?

[AGreatUsername]

My DH has had eye problems for about 8 months now. They started suddenly after he helped take down a lathe and plaster ceiling so we initially thought the issues were caused by small bits of debris getting in his eyes.

The issues have just got worse however, he now has so many floaters and black dots he describes his vision as like looking through a kaleidoscope sometimes, some days are better than others. He also struggles to focus on things, especially in the morning.

He’s been to the optician 3 times. He’s had all the tests and eye scans they offer and all have come back fine. His vision in each eye is good. They have said there is the starts of cataracts in both eyes but nowhere near as severe as needed for surgical referral. On his first visit they could see shallow scratches on the surface of his eye from the ceiling debris but these had gone by his last visit.

What can we do now? It’s becoming a huge problem for him but we have no answers. How can we get referred to the eye hospital or something? Any ideas?!

Are the scans they do good enough to see scarring from the debris? I wonder if that could cause it. Have you asked to be referred to ophthalmology?

No they haven’t referred him anywhere! They have just kind of shrugged their shoulders. It’s a local independent optician who is normally much better than the big names but I’m thinking maybe he should try another optician at this point.

how old is he?

I have in the last month or so, got a literally 'shit load' of floaters in my right eye - and apparently when you get to 50 ish, the eye jelly starts to shrink away causing 'floaters' -- could it be those?

The brain does block them out after a while but they are there if you 'look'

Info - www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eye-floaters/symptoms-causes/syc-20372346

sorry I've just re read and he does have floaters - unfortunately that is just the way it is, and your brain will block them.

He is 41. The optician did say floaters occur with age but they’re just getting worse all the time for him and his brain is not looking past them at all. Some are solid black circles and there is a grey patch too along with the usual little squiggly floaters. Must be so annoying for him.

Is it both eyes or just one?

If they just 'shrugged their shoulders' it's clearly nothing sight threatening especially as he has been 3 times now! Floaters are a very common occurrence especially as you get older as pp has stated. If there was something to be referred for they can refer but if vision is fine and retinal scans normal they can't refer.

I have what looks like a zillion bubbles in mine, (I in no way could count them but there is an awful lot) so when I look up to the sky, its completed covered in grey dots, so I can't quickly see a bird flying as there's too much to wade through - they move when I focus so adds to the equation. I also have what I call a spider that lives in my top right of my vision and he'll pop along to the party too. But in general day to day stuff I don't see them unless I deliberately look - but if I'm tired or a bit run down they are there.

Your DH could be deliberately spotting them 24/7 as there are so many and he is worried about them and then not allowing the brain to filter them out?

It is depressing though, I can't think about it in detail, as its shite that my one eye will never see genuinely without the dots again.

Has he had an Optomap scan? Not all opticians have them so it's worth ringing around.
The Optomap ultra-wide digital retinal imaging system captures more than 80% of your retina in one panoramic image. Traditional viewing methods typically reveal only 10 – 15% of your retina at one time. The special light used in an Optomap allows the optometrist to see far into the periphery of your eye to areas that are normally very difficult to view. It can even do this without the need for dilating eye drops in most cases.
An Optomap is made up of three different scans using special wavelengths of light designed to identify abnormality in the different layers of your retina. It is not just a wide photograph. They can detect retinal detachment, retinal holes and age related macular degeneration amongst other health issues.

Not in any way a vision expert but has he seen a GP? I managed to scratch my eyeball quite severely a few years ago. Saw the GP who referred me to the eye infirmary at the hospital. They phoned the same day and saw me that afternoon. Turned out I had an infected absess.

OK... you need this checked out.
When he went to the Opticians did they put a yellow liquid in his eye or eyes so that the pupils were dilated and then use the testing machine to see behind the eye?
If not, he needs to go somewhere else.

I woke up one day with what I can only describe as a cobweb in my vision of one eye. It was a retinal tear and had to be repaired with laser surgery. If left it could've become a detached retina.

I still have floaters but nothing like that.

Go somewhere else.

Go to the GP and ask to be referred....

Has he had the retinal scan in the optician? Are straight lines like a window frame wavy?

Has you DH got very good eye sight? DS was referred by Optom as he was getting bothered by seeing floaters. At the eye hospital he was throughly checked over, the consultant said there was nothing of concern, she did say his vision was excellent, and she often sees pilots etc and people from other professions that require good vision complaining of seeing floaters, and to try to ignore them. Apparently people with better vision notice them more.

If floaters are really bad they can be surgically removed. The patient in the next bay to me was waiting to go down to surgery to get it done after me.
I was in for cataract surgery.
I only spoke to him through curtain to pas the time, he asked me what I was in for, he said his floaters were really bad and his optician had referred him.

The yellow dye only checks for surface scratches on the cornea it does not dilate your pupil, there are other drops to dilate which did your DHs optician do? And get an OCT scan and a fundus photo? If the floaters come on suddenly and like a cobweb it is cause for concern but if it has been months and no other vision problem like losing vision it would be just floaters or PVD (posterior vitreous detachment ). If he's really concerned he can go to the GP and get a referral to opthalmology but they're pretty busy these days!

He's possibly had a PVD which is is a normal thing which happens to the eye after a certain age - it causes floaters and mild visual disturbances.
I have no way of knowing if that's what's happened to your husband. Did the opticians say what they thought had caused it?
If it is that, there is nothing they can do about it. Zapping floaters, just creates more floaters - but smaller. He just needs to learn to live with it - it's one of those things that happens to a lot of people.
I've found sometimes mindfullness, anti-depressants or yoga can help.
I have about a hundred floaters myself.

I have severe floaters and eye issues - I’m very short sighted (-10 both eyes) and have retinal issues (lattice degeneration). If his eyes weren’t dilated properly and they didn’t check the retinas
properly he needs this doing asap. Any optician can do this. It may be a posterior vitreous detachment- I’ve had this happen in both eyes now. I’m 41. The symptoms for this are very similar to a retinal detachment so it’s very important to get checked. (As retinal detachment needs urgent surgery). I’ve had flashing lights and floaters and it’s come back as being part of the pvd.

Personally I would never have surgery to remove the floaters - mine are truly awful, like looking through a snow globe, but a vitrectomy carries a risk of retinal detachment and there is no way I would do anything to increase the risk of that. Very dangerous.

The eye clinic has the machines to be a lot more thorough than an optician. I get checked with three machines have pupils anaesthetic and dilation. He should be referred