Floaters in your vision? UPDATED

[sjh722]

Has anyone had this? I have been noticing it sporadically for a few weeks. (No loss of side vision or flashes of light.) My right eye is also slightly...tender? It's hard to describe. Not necessarily painful, but I can feel it. 

At first I chalked it up to needing new contacts, but I changed them and it's persisted. Dr. Google told me that floaters can be totally normal, but it said the age for that was 50+. (I am 31.)

I'm calling the eye dr to make an appointment, but really hoping they don't say that it's totally normal and I just have to deal. 

UPDATE: I am fine. He said making the appointment was "absolutely the appropriate course of action and you should always call if you notice sudden changes with vision", especially given my higher prescription (which was worse than I thought, my glasses are -8). 

It's very common to have floaters. Mine are harmless.

Also, he said he has a patient whose prescription is a -26 who did have a detached retina they could not repair. Can you imagine??? Poor guy. 

Thanks for all the concern for my eyes.

[Deleted]

Someone on ML (I believe) had floaters and it was due to a detached retina. I wouldn't mess around.

[sometimesrunner]

Jul 30, 2014 11:09:06 GMT -5 @mrsspunky said:

Someone on ML (I believe) had floaters and it was due to a detached retina. I wouldn't mess around.

The exact same situation happened to my boss. He called a client who was an ophthalmologist and was told to head to the clinic RIGHT AWAY. He needed immediate surgery and then had to lay in bed for 45-60 days afterwards. OP - call your doctor STAT.

[protozoa]

Interesting... I have had pretty bad floaters for years.

[rbp]

I'm 31 and have had floaters as long as I can remember. I think they're common with severe myopia (my contact lens prescription is -9). My optometrist always asks if I've had any flashes or floaters, and I tell her that I have floaters like always, and she's never been concerned. The one time I was concerned about retinal detachment was when I saw a curtain of light. I made an urgent appointment with my optometrist, but it turned out to be a migraine (first and only). 

Are they making it difficult to see? I have always had them so I guess I've learned to ignore. But yeah, if this is a sudden change then get to your doctor ASAP. 

[LoveTrains]

CAll the opthalmologist and do NOT eff around with your vision. 

[Deleted]

I have a few and am around your age. I am extremely near sighted. I only notice them when I'm really tired or super stressed. I also have a thinning retina in the eye with the floaters. I get my eyes dilated on a regular basis and am well versed in the detached retina warning signs. So, I agree with the the pps, give you eye dr a call. If it is a detached retina issue, they can likely fix it, but you do need to act quickly.

[panicked]

You really only need to be concerned about a detached retina if you have a massive amount of floaters appear over a short period of time. You want to be more concerned with flashes or dark spots in your vision. I have always had a lot of floaters. I'm Celiac and always have a ton more floaters if I accidentally ingest gluten. Weird.

[sjh722]

I called. I have no loss of side vision, no flashes of light, and they were not worried about a detached retina. They made an appointment for tomorrow.

[msmerymac]

I'm 32 and I've also had them for years, but I'm "severely myopic." The ophthalmologist always checks my retinas and I'm fine. But to be sure, you should probably have them checked out if its getting worse.

[Deleted]

I have them frequently and they are no big deal for me. Since they are new for you, best to get it checked out.

[dirtyred]

I've had floaters since I was about 13.  It's 99.99% that you're fine.

[sjh722]

Apparently I am also "severely myopic". My contacts prescription is -7.00. Interesting.

[ewall]

Jul 30, 2014 11:39:06 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

Apparently I am also "severely myopic". My contacts prescription is -7.00. Interesting.

I have a similar prescription which my doctor says it puts a person at greater risk of retina detachment. He said to call about any floaters. The one time I was concerned, they scheduled me same day. Just be prepared to have your eyes dilated!

[mmp]

I have horrible floaters, even have loss of peripheral vision in one eye. I get bleeding retinas. Gross.
If I weren't squeamish I'd have the surgery to suck the floaters out. Mine are pretty bad in one eye.

Get it checked, but I bet it's fine.

[aurora]

Jul 30, 2014 11:27:05 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

I called. I have no loss of side vision, no flashes of light, and they were not worried about a detached retina. They made an appointment for tomorrow.

I think it's one of the things that most likely isn't a big deal but could possibly be, so I'm glad you're going in for an appointment.  Please update us if you feel comfortable; I'm curious and I'm guessing others are as well.

[AmyRI]

I'd consider calling your OB - it might be pg related. When my blood pressure went up during my last pregnancy and I got sent for monitoring, they kept asking if I had floaters or any other vision troubles as a sign of PIH or pre-e.

[kathybela]

Jul 30, 2014 11:13:16 GMT -5 protozoa said:

Interesting... I have had pretty bad floaters for years.

I have as well but in my case they are caused by a thickening of the carotid artery. I now have to take cholesterol meds even though it's not high - getting old SUCKS!

[madringal]

Jul 30, 2014 13:19:57 GMT -5 AmyRI said:

I'd consider calling your OB - it might be pg related. When my blood pressure went up during my last pregnancy and I got sent for monitoring, they kept asking if I had floaters or any other vision troubles as a sign of PIH or pre-e.

Yes, please call your OB. My sister is an eye doctor, and I called her when I was pg because I had a "floater episode".  She had me call my OB ASAP because it was was a sign of high blood pressure.

[jennistarr1]

always check it out, but usually normal (in my case, normal)

[wanderlustmom]

Jul 30, 2014 11:09:06 GMT -5 @mrsspunky said:

Someone on ML (I believe) had floaters and it was due to a detached retina. I wouldn't mess around.

Yes mine was starting to detach and I needed immediate eye surgery, go in and make sure you see an ophthalmologist not an optometrist.

Probably nothing but make sure

[sjh722]

madringal and AmyRI, it started a few weeks ago, before I even got a BFP (I am only 5 weeks). Also, I had a sinus infection a couple of weeks ago and when they took my BP then, it was 116/70ish. Do you think it could be pregnancy related this early?

[CloudBee]

I've always had them. But if they appeared out of nowhere, I would absolutely see my eye doctor ASAP.

[AmyRI]

I wouldn't think it would be pregnancy related this early, and especially not since it started before your BFP. I would still consider have your BP checked just in case, and have the symptom (even if unrelated) documented in your OB file so if it's still going on later in your pregnancy, it's not counted as a sign of something serious then. Waiting it out would likely be fine, though, since it was happening when you got a normal BP reading.

[madringal]

Jul 30, 2014 13:55:48 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

madringal and AmyRI, it started a few weeks ago, before I even got a BFP (I am only 5 weeks). Also, I had a sinus infection a couple of weeks ago and when they took my BP then, it was 116/70ish. Do you think it could be pregnancy related this early?

Ok, probably not if you are that early in your pregnancy.  Sorry to be an alarmist!  Just be sure to mention you are pg at your appt tomorrow.

Good luck, I'm sure it is nothing - but always best to get it checked out!

[Deleted]

Definitely disclose you are pregnant when you go to the doctor tomorrow. I was told numerous times that my eyes shouldn't be dilated when pregnant. This may have been dependent on how pregnant I was at my last exam (20-something weeks), but I am not sure if it is a convention for all pregnant women.

[BioNerd]

Jul 30, 2014 11:13:16 GMT -5 protozoa said:

Interesting... I have had pretty bad floaters for years.

Me too. I wonder if it's because I wore my contacts all the time when I was younger?

Flammable- I still wear them a lot of nights. 

[thatgirl2478]

I've had floaters for a long time. Sometimes they are more obvious than other times. I'm very near sighted (-6 ish at the last appointment) and my eye dr said he wasn't concerned. I even paid extra for the expanded eye health check and they didn't find anything unusual.

[mmp]

Jul 30, 2014 17:15:28 GMT -5 BioNerd said:

Jul 30, 2014 11:13:16 GMT -5 protozoa said:

Interesting... I have had pretty bad floaters for years.

Me too. I wonder if it's because I wore my contacts all the time when I was younger?

Flammable- I still wear them a lot of nights. 

My doctor explained that severe myopia is caused by the misshapen eye, which then causes the retina to be stretched thinner than most people. We have a higher risk for retinal detachment. I also have something called lattice degeneration.....the retina peels away. 
I envy people with normal eyes. 

OP. Good luck tomorrow! Hope it's nothing.

[shaynaatl]

I've had minor floaters for years- I get them when I'm looking at bright objects typically. My mom and aunts have it too. My cousin is an opthamologist and she said go in if they get really bad and you have trouble seeing.