Two years ago I got tripped by my dog and fell on my face on the tile kitchen floor. It tore the retina in one eye and the bleeding caused floaters. The doctor tacked the retina back in place with laser surgery (no big deal, right then in the office). The doctor said normally those floaters would be gone within a few months, but I still have them. He said they can be removed surgically, and I said I can live with them and he said that was a wise choice.
Yesterday in my other eye, I noticed a new streak of grey floating around. I'd seen some flashes of light the night before. I just called the doctor, and he said the flashes mean the retina is being tickled and that as the vitreous humor is moving away from the retina, it could cause a tear. He said I should be seen this week. Also, if a black curtain covers part of the vision, to be seen immediately. So, if you ever see flashes of light, call the doctor right away (unless you know they're caused by a migraine). I read this on the web: What Causes Eye Floaters and Spots? For most people, floaters occur as they grow older. The vitreous humor thickens and clumps as we age, and floaters result from the clumped vitreous gel. Sometimes pregnant women see spots caused by little bits of protein trapped within the eye. Eye injury or breakdown of the vitreous humor may also cause spots and floaters. When people reach middle age, the vitreous gel may start to thicken or shrink, forming clumps or strands inside the eye. The vitreous gel pulls away from the back wall of the eye, causing a posterior vitreous detachment. It is a common cause of floaters, and it is more common for people who: are nearsighted;have undergone cataract operations;have had YAG laser surgery of the eye;have had inflammation inside the eye. Treatment for Spots and Floaters Most spots and eye floaters are merely annoying but harmless when they temporarily enter the field of vision, and many fade over time. People sometimes are interested in surgery to remove floaters, but doctors are willing to perform such surgery only in rare instances. If you suddenly see new floaters, or eye floaters accompanied by flashes of light or peripheral vision loss, it could indicate serious conditions such as diabetic retinopathy; vascular abnormalities such as retinal hemorrhages or carotid artery disease, or the beginning of a retinal detachment. The retina can tear if the shrinking vitreous gel pulls away from the wall of the eye. This sometimes causes a small amount of bleeding in the eye that may appear as new floaters. You should see your eye doctor immediately. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -- The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver. Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com Address Off-Topic messages to: silver-off-topic-l...@eskimo.com The Silver List and Off Topic List archives are currently down... List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
