Are you seeing the same retinal symptom that I am?
December 29, 2009 11:28 AM Subscribe
Querying MetaFilterers with retinal problems... I am experiencing a new symptom/effect of Pathological Myopia/Macular Degeneration. Are any of you seeing what I am seeing? Description follows.
Similar to vitreous floaters and the distortions a Macular Degeneration sufferer would observe when looking at an Amsler Grid, I have lately noticed a new visual symptom. In the direct center of my left eye's field of vision (fovea) a spontaneous, dynamic visual effect will appear.
Imagine you have a small, round wound on your skin and you treat it with hydrogen peroxide. The result is tiny bubbles as the peroxide reacts to the wound. Now imagine this effect is transparent and in the center of your field of vision.
Like Macular Degeneration symptoms, I have to blink to see it when it is happening, and the effect lasts twenty minutes or so then diminishes.
I feel that due to it's dynamic nature this effect is similar to scintillating scotoma observed during an ocular migrane, however the effect is only in one eye.
I am assuming that maybe the rods and cones in this area of my eye are either failing, misreading information, over metabolizing, or overstimulated somehow. My eye doctor dismisses it as being part of the vitreous floaters, but I can tell it is definitely a retinal effect recurring in the same area.
Have any of you out there with retinal problems observed anything like this?
Similar to vitreous floaters and the distortions a Macular Degeneration sufferer would observe when looking at an Amsler Grid, I have lately noticed a new visual symptom. In the direct center of my left eye's field of vision (fovea) a spontaneous, dynamic visual effect will appear.
Imagine you have a small, round wound on your skin and you treat it with hydrogen peroxide. The result is tiny bubbles as the peroxide reacts to the wound. Now imagine this effect is transparent and in the center of your field of vision.
Like Macular Degeneration symptoms, I have to blink to see it when it is happening, and the effect lasts twenty minutes or so then diminishes.
I feel that due to it's dynamic nature this effect is similar to scintillating scotoma observed during an ocular migrane, however the effect is only in one eye.
I am assuming that maybe the rods and cones in this area of my eye are either failing, misreading information, over metabolizing, or overstimulated somehow. My eye doctor dismisses it as being part of the vitreous floaters, but I can tell it is definitely a retinal effect recurring in the same area.
Have any of you out there with retinal problems observed anything like this?
It's possible to have a bubble in your retina due to a leaking blood vessel. This happened to my mother a few years ago, and what you're describing sounds kind of similar. If that's what it is, it's treatable. Go to an optometrist for a good diagnosis.
posted by nangar at 11:53 AM on December 29, 2009
posted by nangar at 11:53 AM on December 29, 2009
I have also had a retinal detachment, but never the symptoms you have described.
I am piping in because I, too, think you should go to a doctor, but not an optometrist (they are for fitting glasses and contacts). Rather, you want to go to an ophthalmologist. Call the office, and they'll tell you if the symptoms warrant an emergency visit.
You do not want to mess around with your vision - please call immediately!
posted by j at 12:05 PM on December 29, 2009
I am piping in because I, too, think you should go to a doctor, but not an optometrist (they are for fitting glasses and contacts). Rather, you want to go to an ophthalmologist. Call the office, and they'll tell you if the symptoms warrant an emergency visit.
You do not want to mess around with your vision - please call immediately!
posted by j at 12:05 PM on December 29, 2009
I would get a second or third opinion. I do not suffer from Pathological Myopia/Macular Degeneration, but my Mom does, and the one thing I have learned as her condition has worsened, is that knowledge varies widely and what one doctor dismisses, another recognizes as an important symptom. She's never had what you are describing (though her retinas are intact), but I would pursue this until you receive a satisfactory answer since I realize what a large impact things that most would consider to be "small" actually make.
Also, when I Googled just to confirm my Mom's condition is actually Pathological Myopia/Macular Degeneration (it is), the early symptoms of retinal detachment I came across, sound somewhat similar to what you are describing. I'm not trying to scare you, and I am by no means a doctor, but it definitely sounds like something is going on and your doctor was a bit too quick to dismiss what you were describing. The sooner this is solved & the more serious this is taken, the better. Good luck!
posted by katemcd at 2:37 PM on December 29, 2009
Also, when I Googled just to confirm my Mom's condition is actually Pathological Myopia/Macular Degeneration (it is), the early symptoms of retinal detachment I came across, sound somewhat similar to what you are describing. I'm not trying to scare you, and I am by no means a doctor, but it definitely sounds like something is going on and your doctor was a bit too quick to dismiss what you were describing. The sooner this is solved & the more serious this is taken, the better. Good luck!
posted by katemcd at 2:37 PM on December 29, 2009
I experience ocular migraines (with no pain), and what you described sounds exactly like how my episodes begin.
This was saved from an earlier thread about ocular migraines, and it's the best depiction I've seen of what I experience. My episodes start out as a tiny area in the center of my vision that is out of whack -- I usually first notice it when I'm reading or trying to look closely at something. It slowly opens out into a horseshoe-shaped shimmering object. Sometimes it's a left-facing horseshoe and sometimes it faces right, but after 20 to 30 minutes, it finally passes out of my range of vision. Occasionally I experience slight nausea during or after the episode, but usually not.
Otherwise, I'm TOTALLY normal! :-)
posted by northernlightgardener at 4:50 PM on December 29, 2009
This was saved from an earlier thread about ocular migraines, and it's the best depiction I've seen of what I experience. My episodes start out as a tiny area in the center of my vision that is out of whack -- I usually first notice it when I'm reading or trying to look closely at something. It slowly opens out into a horseshoe-shaped shimmering object. Sometimes it's a left-facing horseshoe and sometimes it faces right, but after 20 to 30 minutes, it finally passes out of my range of vision. Occasionally I experience slight nausea during or after the episode, but usually not.
Otherwise, I'm TOTALLY normal! :-)
posted by northernlightgardener at 4:50 PM on December 29, 2009
I had (have?) macular degeneration and had both eyes repaired, one for the degeneration and the other for a full retinal detachment. This occured when I was in my 20s, close to 15 years ago. I have what looks like tiny dust specks in my field of vision, especially if I'm looking at the sky. I mentioned this to my opthomologist, who didn't have a lot of concern about it. It's annoying but not something I notice 24x7. Doesn't sound exactly like your bubbles as it doesn't go away exactly, but thought I would throw it in just in case.
posted by lucydriving at 7:29 PM on December 29, 2009
posted by lucydriving at 7:29 PM on December 29, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
I wouldn't rule out ocular migraines, though-- I've got those too, and I only get scintillating scotoma in one eye during an attack. My retinal guys-- all six jillion of them, I go to a teaching practice-- are split on whether or not the other effects I see are migraine-related or just plain old hallucinations from having a lot of eye surgeries, though.
You might consider consulting a migraine specialist as well as your regular retinal dude, and maybe finding out if one of your regular guy's colleagues would like to take a look at it too. The eye hospital I go to has migraine docs operating out of one of the departments; you may or may not find that true in your own case with your local eye hospital.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:45 AM on December 29, 2009