Any opticians around? Floaters not from PVD?

[BrunchMonster]

I seem to be developing more blurry/cobwebby sort of floaters in one eye. I already had a PVD with a retinal tear that was surgically repaired - this was years ago. So the current floaters aren't likely to be from that - but when I google, that is all that comes up. Anyone know if there are other reasons that floaters likely develop? Just age?

Go to optician or eye hospital straight away

Yes agree with the first comment; you need to go to A and E and check you’re not having a retinal detachment or tear (again). But yes they can get worse with age.

Yes, floaters can get worse with age (especially noticeable in midlife) and sometimes they can be like a web or stringy.

Since you have a previous history of retinal tearing it is worth getting someone to check it is just standard floaters, which you have hopefully done by now as I see the thread is a few days old.

Thanks. I've seen the optician but nothing is obviously wrong. They aren't the sort of floaters I had before that were obvious and dramatic - these just seem to be a few patches of blurriness that are just damn annoying.

I guess it's probably just age.

I'm still waiting for the PVD in the other eye but it's taking its time, which I understand is a bit unusual - everything I've read says they are commonly within a year or two of the first one. But although that eye has floaters too, they are just the standard ones.

They are intrusive when you first get them, but very soon your brain learns to recognise them and discount them, and then they gradually break down anyway.

Some people have stickier retinas, which can then cause a shower of floaters when they finally tug away (you were unlucky with a tear in the first eye). Hopefully the second eye will come away without incident in its own time.

Glad you got checked out - it is both reassuring and depressing how many of these little niggles are "just natural ageing"!

I've had lots of floaters ever since I was a child, and I'm not sure I'm really used to them but I can on the whole ignore them. I do find that the more there are, the more they start to get in the way, though, as the blurry ones sometimes float in front of the screen on things I really want to see. Obviously worse looking at screens, blank skies, or whatever, but even in normal life I'm always aware of them - the world is just behind a bit of out of focus mist!

The better eye is the one that doesn't have the PVD yet so I'm really hoping that I don't get a lot more floaters when it happens. It has some already, but they tend to be relatively small. I am at greater risk as I am fairly high myopic, but both eyes are, so it still seems a bit odd that one happened quite early, and I wonder now whether there was any trauma or anything else to cause it, but I don't remember anything. Perhaps the fact that it will be ten or more years on will make the other one come away more gently, as maybe it's a more gradual process and it'll be readier?! (no idea if that's a thing!).

I didn't really consider the possibility of retinal issues in the eye that previously had a tear, as I aassume the chances were really very minimal of that happening now, but it's a good point and I should remember that PVD isn't the only cause and maybe I could still get tears or holes.

Well we all could, but once the PVD is completed your chances are good.

Yes, definitely needs checking again, you could have easily developed another hole or tear in the retina. They're more likely after a PVD, but can also occur spontaneously, especially in myopes.

Even years after the PVD is completed? I thought my chances were really reduced by now (in that eye, which is where the floaters are). They're also blurry floaters rather than black ones like they were when I had the tear, so I guess just vitreous clumps or whatever it is. Anyway, optician hasn't seen anything concerning in that eye, so I'm not really worried about them, just find it annoying when they get in the way of vision.

Out of curiosity, I wonder how many retinal tears/detachments the average optician sees each week? I assume every other patient probably complains about floaters to some extent, and a proportion of those will have/be having a PVD, and a smaller number of those might end up with retinal tear or detachment - but one a day/one a week/one a month? I guess it depends loads on the practice demographics, how old the patients are, how medical a place it is, etc., but just curious about whether it's an everyday (literally) occurance or not that common.

Retinal tears or detachments can definitely happen after a previous tear or detachment. There are no guarantees unfortunately and if you are also short sighted or have lattice retinal degeneration (which 6% of the population do without knowing as it usually only found during eye exams) then you’re more prone to it. I have lattice degeneration and white without pressure retinal issues and have been warned I am at very high risk of it. That’s why it’s so important for everyone to get checked if they have a sudden change in their vision with / without flashes and / or floaters. I am in a retinal tear and detachment group and sadly a lot of people have had several surgeries to try and save their vision after a retinal detachment surgery has been unsuccessful or they’ve had another unrelated detachment.

Cataracts?

gosh I hope not yet, although some of the descriptions of clouding that I read online do make me wonder. My mum had them. But I think those would have been spotted at my eye test.

High myopia do get cataracts earlier but they don’t cause floaters (I’m not sure where you’ve got that from!!)

I had an accident a few months ago, my glasses bashed into my right eye. then flashes of light, blurred vision that day, then floaters the next day. Went to see an eye Dr, was diagnosed with vitreous detachment.
The floaters have improved, but are still there. And I now have a cloud in ny vision, momentarily, quite regularly. Am hoping it is not further damage.

Sympathies to you all x

I work in an opticians .

we would always gladly at least complete a triage if someone has concerns - particularly any sudden changes to vision

Not an optician. NC because this is outing.

Very experienced in eye issues.

Im an eye cancer survivor so problems with one of my eyes galore.

Had a retina detachment last year. Big signs were cobweb type floaters, flashes, and an element of clouding / shadow appearing at top of eye. Letters became very blurred. It was a gradual detachment. I couldn’t read at all by the few days leading up to hospital. Optician spotted the fluid and sent me to rapid care for eyes.

Second point - cataract might not be fully wrong. Cataract itself won’t cause floaters BUT - 6 months after my retina op, a floater reappeared and I panicked based on before. Turned out the membrane around my cataract had split open and that’s what I could see. Laser surgery to fix.

There must be rapid eye care somewhere near you OP, get checked. Better safe than sorry….

Thanks, I've been checked by now - this thread was originally from a week ago.

I'm just curious about possible causes and things - interested in what causes floaters otherwise, and also just interested to know for future reference what other things might make retinal tears etc happen again even in the eye that's already had the PVD. It's hard to find that sort of information online, because as soon as you search floaters or tears, it's all about PVD.

And curious about the prevalence of it all from an optician's perspective - how many a day/week/month are likely to have retinal tears or detachments, whether it's an everyday thing or less common. And how odd is it to have it only in one eye!

If you are still having ongoing issues you should get checked again. I had a very troublesome PVD that didn’t stop flashing for 6 months plus and during that time I had 3 separate opticians appointments to check for tears etc. (Turns out I have a skin tag on my retina that was / is making the pvd more problematic)!

Thanks for replying, will make an appointment.

Hi OP, in terms of frequency I'd say on average I see 3-4 PVDs a month and 1-2 retinal tears / detachments per year.

The floaters you're seeing are most likely collagen fibres. The vitreous (the jelly inside your eye) can break down and liquefy over time and you get microscopic collagen fibres and old cells clumping together to form floaters

Retinal tears can happen after a PVD most commonly due to trauma - a knock to the head or face, whiplash. Contact sports, trampolining, bungee jumping etc.

They can also happen in the later stages of diabetic eye disease

Unfortunately they can still also happen spontaneously so if you have any new symptoms or concerns it's important to get checked urgently

Thanks! that's actually less common than I thought it would be.

I was on the younger end of normal to have one, early 40s, and I think as a result it was considered an unlikely possibility in my case. Do you know if there is any evidence that if the PVD doesn't happen until older, it is better/less traumatic to the retina?

Does the vitreous continue to liquefy further or degrade even after it's separated? That would explain the additional floaters.

I have lots of floaters and no retinal detachment. I have uveitis at the back of my eye and inflammation in the blood vessels in my eyes caused by an unknown at the moment autoimmune condition. Both can be sight threatening. They're pretty rare I think but definitely worth getting it checked out