PH opthamologist needed please
Discussion
Once again I have a problem with my eye :rolleyes: [small]See what I did there :)[/small]
I get a hepatic infection in my eye from time to time. Fortunately there's no scarring on the lens. I have also got a vitreous detachment. I have just about adjusted to the detachment and don't often notice it now.
Just lately though I have noticed what can best be described as something akin to a small piece of glass with water running down it floating about in my peripheral vision. It only lasts about ten minutes, and it seems to be bought on when my BP is up such as after swimming.
Should I go to the GP about it or get straight in touch with the opthamology department at my local hospital?
It's bloody annoying when it happens :irked:
I get a hepatic infection in my eye from time to time. Fortunately there's no scarring on the lens. I have also got a vitreous detachment. I have just about adjusted to the detachment and don't often notice it now.
Just lately though I have noticed what can best be described as something akin to a small piece of glass with water running down it floating about in my peripheral vision. It only lasts about ten minutes, and it seems to be bought on when my BP is up such as after swimming.
Should I go to the GP about it or get straight in touch with the opthamology department at my local hospital?
It's bloody annoying when it happens :irked:
BliarOut said:
Once again I have a problem with my eye See what I did there
I get a hepatic infection in my eye from time to time. Fortunately there's no scarring on the lens. I have also got a vitreous detachment. I have just about adjusted to the detachment and don't often notice it now.
Just lately though I have noticed what can best be described as something akin to a small piece of glass with water running down it floating about in my peripheral vision. It only lasts about ten minutes, and it seems to be bought on when my BP is up such as after swimming.
Should I go to the GP about it or get straight in touch with the opthamology department at my local hospital?
It's bloody annoying when it happens
How long does it last? Is it associated with any headache? does it get any bigger over the time it is there? How long has it been going on for?
Differentials are 1) hypertension related 2) migraine 3) vitreoretinal traction.......
968 said:
Once again I have a problem with my eye
I get a hepatic infection in my eye from time to time. Fortunately there's no scarring on the lens. I have also got a vitreous detachment. I have just about adjusted to the detachment and don't often notice it now.
Just lately though I have noticed what can best be described as something akin to a small piece of glass with water running down it floating about in my peripheral vision. It only lasts about ten minutes, and it seems to be bought on when my BP is up such as after swimming.
Should I go to the GP about it or get straight in touch with the opthamology department at my local hospital?
It's bloody annoying when it happens
How long does it last? Is it associated with any headache? does it get any bigger over the time it is there? How long has it been going on for?
Differentials are 1) hypertension related 2) migraine 3) vitreoretinal traction.......
It usually lasts for about ten minutes. My vision goes slightly vague, very very similar to a migraine (I used to get them, but haven't had one for about fifteen years, so I know how that feels) and then it goes away. No headache whatsoever. It's been going on for about a month now and probably happens on a daily basis.
It is usually seems to be the majority of the lower quarter of the visual field of my right eye.
I was checked for retinal detachment when I first had the vitreous detachment, but that was about a year ago.
I don't want to go and sit for hours wasting the hospitals time if it's normal with the vitreous detachment, but I also don't want to chance it if it could need treatment.
BliarOut said:
It usually lasts for about ten minutes. My vision goes slightly vague, very very similar to a migraine (I used to get them, but haven't had one for about fifteen years, so I know how that feels) and then it goes away. No headache whatsoever. It's been going on for about a month now and probably happens on a daily basis.
It is usually seems to be the majority of the lower quarter of the visual field of my right eye.
I was checked for retinal detachment when I first had the vitreous detachment, but that was about a year ago.
I don't want to go and sit for hours wasting the hospitals time if it's normal with the vitreous detachment, but I also don't want to chance it if it could need treatment.
Given it's transient nature, it does sound a bit like atypical migraine. If, however, it gets any worse, or the visual disturbance remains persistant, then you must take yourself to your local eye dept, within 24 hours. If you are in SW London, I can organise to see you, and have a look.
968 said:
It usually lasts for about ten minutes. My vision goes slightly vague, very very similar to a migraine (I used to get them, but haven't had one for about fifteen years, so I know how that feels) and then it goes away. No headache whatsoever. It's been going on for about a month now and probably happens on a daily basis.
It is usually seems to be the majority of the lower quarter of the visual field of my right eye.
I was checked for retinal detachment when I first had the vitreous detachment, but that was about a year ago.
I don't want to go and sit for hours wasting the hospitals time if it's normal with the vitreous detachment, but I also don't want to chance it if it could need treatment.
Given it's transient nature, it does sound a bit like atypical migraine. If, however, it gets any worse, or the visual disturbance remains persistant, then you must take yourself to your local eye dept, within 24 hours. If you are in SW London, I can organise to see you, and have a look.
Thanks very much 968, I'm up in Peterborough so I don't think we'll get to meet just yet.
It's a bit tricky not to develop a bad case of hypocondria when your eyesight goes funny..... I would have posted earlier, but I had another one and I couldn't see the damn screen
Just a thought, and it's only one more question, honest.... Could the lenses on my specs be contributing? I have some super thin lenses that I believe use prisms to remain so thin. I have never been 100% happy with them, as they make me feel slightly disorientated and I think it's worse since the vitreous detachment. That's it, honest
Oh and mybrainhurts, as for needing a plumber, you're thinking of vitreous enamel.... I suggest paying less attention to the bowl
BliarOut said:
Just a thought, and it's only one more question, honest.... Could the lenses on my specs be contributing? I have some super thin lenses that I believe use prisms to remain so thin. I have never been 100% happy with them, as they make me feel slightly disorientated and I think it's worse since the vitreous detachment. That's it, honest
I don't think it's your lenses, normally prismatic effects cause double vision, rather than transient episodes of distortion. No, I think this is migrainous in origin, such a strange and complex pattern of distortion could only be caused by a few things.
mybrainhurts said:
Oh and mybrainhurts, as for needing a plumber, you're thinking of vitreous enamel.... I suggest paying less attention to the bowl
Sorry...thought your urinal had fallen off the wall.
Hope things improve....
I'll be sure to use rawlbolts the next time it happens
968 said:
Just a thought, and it's only one more question, honest.... Could the lenses on my specs be contributing? I have some super thin lenses that I believe use prisms to remain so thin. I have never been 100% happy with them, as they make me feel slightly disorientated and I think it's worse since the vitreous detachment. That's it, honest
I don't think it's your lenses, normally prismatic effects cause double vision, rather than transient episodes of distortion. No, I think this is migrainous in origin, such a strange and complex pattern of distortion could only be caused by a few things.
Thanks 968, that's put my mind at rest. TIme for ome Googling on migraine's... My poor old eye is a bit beaten up, the last thing I want is a detached retina. I still need to get a few years of service out of it yet
nubbin said:
I'm assuming by hepatic you mean herpetic? If so, you will need some anti-viral medication - your GP can sort that out. He should be able to do something about the possibe migraine also. But only 968 or one of his esteemed colleagues can sort out the vitreous detachment.
Schh, don't tell the whole of PH that my eye has the clap
It's fine at the mo, it only flares up when I'm run down and I can usually tell the day before it happens now. Typical, the rest of the world gets cold sores on their lips, I get the buggers in my eye 
BliarOut said:
I'm assuming by hepatic you mean herpetic? If so, you will need some anti-viral medication - your GP can sort that out. He should be able to do something about the possibe migraine also. But only 968 or one of his esteemed colleagues can sort out the vitreous detachment.
Not wishing to start an argument here with nubbin, but recurrent herpetic keratitis are NOT best treated by antivirals alone. The best treatment, believe it or not, is steroids, with antiviral cover, as the recurrent infections are in fact, inflammatory responses to dead virion particles, and not active virus infection, so the steroids do the trick. Which is why these patients MUST see an ophthalmologist, or else the recurrent, and untreated herpetic inflammatory episodes lead to progressive corneal opacification.
BliarOut said:
Just lately though I have noticed what can best be described as something akin to a small piece of glass with water running down it floating about in my peripheral vision. It only lasts about ten minutes, and it seems to be bought on when my BP is up such as after swimming.
I can relate to this a sort of peripheral shimmering effect, you know when it is coming on and a short period of relaxation, meditation, thinking calm thoughts like a moonlit sail down the river and all is well again?
I get that once in a while. Medic looked at that as part of ongoing "trying to fix a broken FiF" investigation* and concluded it was migraine related. Even though I don't suffer from classic migraine.
So Bliarout you are not alone, but glad I don't suffer every day. More like every 6 months if that.
FiF
*latest status report, next stage is "we are gonna cut you open, have a bit of a poke around inside, take some biopsies (sp?), sew you up again and then have a bit of a think down the path lab" Hmmm nice, looking forward to that...... not.
Glad it's not just me FiF Well I'm not glad it's you, but you know what I mean.
[quote=Google]
Ocular migraine syndrome may mimic a classic migraine in that a visual disturbance also is noted. The patient may report visual blur, heat wave appearance, lines or dots in the vision or other scintillating blind spots.
These may last for 10 to 30 minutes and then the vision clears. There is no headache associated with ocular migraine. It is believed that ocular migraine is caused by some vascular phenomenon associated with the blood supply to the eye. The "spasm" gradually clears and vision is restored.
[quote]
That sums it up nicely.... It definitely sounds like some sort of visual migraine, but without the pain thank goodness. When I had them years ago they used to wipe the day out, now it's just some visual freakery.
Thanks very much for pointing me in the right direction 968
Guess I'll just have to sit back and enjoy the light show
I'll probably make a lazy appointment to see the GP at some time, just in case there's an underlying cause
Well I'm not glad it's you, but you know what I mean. [quote=Google]
Ocular migraine syndrome may mimic a classic migraine in that a visual disturbance also is noted. The patient may report visual blur, heat wave appearance, lines or dots in the vision or other scintillating blind spots.
These may last for 10 to 30 minutes and then the vision clears. There is no headache associated with ocular migraine. It is believed that ocular migraine is caused by some vascular phenomenon associated with the blood supply to the eye. The "spasm" gradually clears and vision is restored.
[quote]
That sums it up nicely.... It definitely sounds like some sort of visual migraine, but without the pain thank goodness. When I had them years ago they used to wipe the day out, now it's just some visual freakery.
Thanks very much for pointing me in the right direction 968
Guess I'll just have to sit back and enjoy the light show
I'll probably make a lazy appointment to see the GP at some time, just in case there's an underlying cause
BliarOut said:
Glad it's not just me FiF
I'll probably make a lazy appointment to see the GP at some time, just in case there's an underlying cause
Not a bad idea, but most often there isn't a cause for these things, they just happen. It's thought it's caused be transient spasms in the blood vessels supplying the bit of brain that deals with vision, so GPs often give blood pressure medication that opens vessels..... might be worth a check up, but don't panic.
968 said:
Not a bad idea, but most often there isn't a cause for these things, they just happen. It's thought it's caused be transient spasms in the blood vessels supplying the bit of brain that deals with vision,
Interesting because I have had a brief episode of hypoxic hypoxia, hence banned from flying.* Quite possibly related to the main problem which is low blood oxygen levels, re gas exchange.
* But I'm still allowed to take all four off over hump back bridges.
Flat in Fifth said:
Not a bad idea, but most often there isn't a cause for these things, they just happen. It's thought it's caused be transient spasms in the blood vessels supplying the bit of brain that deals with vision,
Interesting because I have had a brief episode of hypoxic hypoxia, hence banned from flying.* Quite possibly related to the main problem which is low blood oxygen levels, re gas exchange.
* But I'm still allowed to take all four off over hump back bridges.
This is way outside my area, but I have read in the past about links between hypotension, hypoxia and migraine. I do know that there are links between sleep apnoea and glaucoma, which is also related to migraine. It's thought that the transient episodes of hypoxia during sleep apnoea, coupled with hypotension, reduce blood flow to the optic nerve, hence progressive axon damage..... hope that wasn't too complex...
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