3 ms·

Three years ago at age 25 I booked an eye exam due after getting some new floaters. After imaging my eye doc came in and asked if I was comfortable driving whil

Three years ago at age 25 I booked an eye exam due after getting some new floaters. After imaging my eye doc came in and asked if I was comfortable driving while dilated, because he would be dilating and numbing my eyes before sending me off to the retina specialist for an urgent exam. The ophthalmologist immediately diagnosed me with lattice degeneration and saw a horseshoe tear. That same afternoon he sat me in a chair and used a laser to create a barrier of scar tissue around the tear to prevent it from progressing. Three years later I have had two rounds of prophylactic treatment of those weak spots in each eye. I most likely will never experience a retinal detachment, but annual dilated eye exams are in my future. I don't even have very bad myopia (-2.75/-3.25), but I kick myself for not spending as much time outside during my childhood as some of my friends did.

green-salt 3y ago
I had the exact same situation happen, except my optometrist was visibly concerned. I usually explain it as spot welding my retina in place there. That was the weirdest sensation/discomfort ever. Last month or so I got a scan done and was able to see a really high res image of it.
- arrowleaf 3y ago
  Glad you got yours taken care of! They were definitely concerned about the tear, they're apparently common but when asymptomatic they're hardly noted (or even noticed if in the peripheral retinal areas). The laser is definitely uncomfortable, hard to say if it's even pain when your ocular globe is injected with so much anesthetic. Brain freeze, but extremely acute and right behind your eyeball might be accurate. During one of the prophylactic treatments he did some 'spot welds' near my optic nerve. I couldn't tell if I was even looking at his ear like he told me to, every burst of green triggered my reflexes. It was impossible to keep my other eye open. At least the discomfort is so temporary, I forget about it until someone asks if it was painful.
toss1 3y ago
Do you (/anyone?) know of any treatment that gets rid of floaters? I've seen a reference to some laser treatment, but not enough to seem trustworthy. If you don't mind me asking, did the laser-to-the-retina treatment generate any new floaters?
- arrowleaf 3y ago
  The treatment itself didn't generate any new floaters, but in the past year I did start experiencing a set of new floaters which correlates with the new atrophic hole my doc found. It's taken a few months but I can finally just ignore them or not even see them if I'm inside.

green-salt 3y ago

I had the exact same situation happen, except my optometrist was visibly concerned. I usually explain it as spot welding my retina in place there. That was the weirdest sensation/discomfort ever. Last month or so I got a scan done and was able to see a really high res image of it.

arrowleaf 3y ago
Glad you got yours taken care of! They were definitely concerned about the tear, they're apparently common but when asymptomatic they're hardly noted (or even noticed if in the peripheral retinal areas). The laser is definitely uncomfortable, hard to say if it's even pain when your ocular globe is injected with so much anesthetic. Brain freeze, but extremely acute and right behind your eyeball might be accurate. During one of the prophylactic treatments he did some 'spot welds' near my optic nerve. I couldn't tell if I was even looking at his ear like he told me to, every burst of green triggered my reflexes. It was impossible to keep my other eye open. At least the discomfort is so temporary, I forget about it until someone asks if it was painful.

toss1 3y ago

Do you (/anyone?) know of any treatment that gets rid of floaters? I've seen a reference to some laser treatment, but not enough to seem trustworthy. If you don't mind me asking, did the laser-to-the-retina treatment generate any new floaters?

arrowleaf 3y ago
The treatment itself didn't generate any new floaters, but in the past year I did start experiencing a set of new floaters which correlates with the new atrophic hole my doc found. It's taken a few months but I can finally just ignore them or not even see them if I'm inside.