New cobweb-like floaters, some lightning flashes, worried about retinal tear?

[annieohio]

Hi - Last week I started seeing lightning like flashes in the upper portion of my left eye peripheral vision - mostly when I moved quickly.  Went to my optometrist who did a dilated exam, checked peripheral vision, pressure, etc. Said it was probably vitreous detachment and said to watch for new floaters, flashes, curtains, etc,. but said my retina looked healthy and pretty good.  Of course now that its the weekend, I've developed a new, big cobweb-like floater in my peripheral vision, and a little string-like one floating across.  No curtain across my vision, no extra flashes.  Everything I read says that I should seek immediate care if there's a sudden increase in floaters.  What does this mean?  Should I go to the emergency room?  Should I wait until tomorrow morniing and call an opthalamologist??  Of course, everything I read sends me into a panic - but its so unclear about what action I should take?  I live in a small town, so its really unlikely that the emergency room doc is going to be skilled in opthalamology!  Help!  

[Forum-OD-MP]

an ER visit is probably not warranted IMO.

if you just had a dilated exam and everything was totally fine, then the probability of detachment is highly, highly unlikely IMO.  you should definitely be seen again, preferably by the same optometrist.  but you could also go to an ophthalmologist if you wanted to.  none of this is absolutely emergent IMO unless you have VISION LOSS.

[aimee37]

I HAVE MACULAR DEGENERATION IN BOTH EYES,CATARACTS IN BOTH, FLOATERS AND FLASHES OF LIGHTS IN BOTH.I HAVE MANY COB-WEB LIKE FLOATERS IN BOTH OF MY EYES THAT HAVE INCREASED IN THE PAST YEAR. THEY WONT OPERATE ON THE CATERACTS FOR FEAR OF RITINA DETACHMENT. SO THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME.MY VISION IS POOR 20/80 IN ONE EYE AND 20/100 IN THE OTHER. I AM LOSING MY VISION. JUST BECAUSE I AM LOSING MY VISION DONT GIVE UP HOPE ON YOUR SELF BECAUSE EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. I AM ALSO 20/400. THINGS ARE SO BLURRED AND FUZZY SOMETIMES I JUST CRY.ALL I CAN SAY IS TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME. I WOULD BE BROKE IF I RAN EVERY TIME I SEEN FLASHES OF LIGHT. THAT HAPPENS TO ME ALL DAY LONG. THE FLOATERS GET IN THE WAY OF READING. SO I DONT ANY MORE I CANNT SEE LARGE PRINT ANY MORE. I AM STARTING TO TAKE BRAILLE CLASSES. SO WHEN THE TIME COMES I AM READY.WELL MAY GOD AND HIS SON JESUS BE WITH YOU ALL WAYS AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU. I HOPE THIS MESSAGE DIDNT SCARE YOU IN ANYWAY. BUT IT IS THE TRUTH. TAKE CARE DEBORAH

[aimee37]

Hi - Just wanted to update you - I didn't go to the ER cuz I figured it wouldn't do too much good, and I had pretty much convinced myself that it was nothing new.  But I did call this morning and make an appt. with an opthalmologist at the Wilmer Institute (right around the corner here).  Well, turns out it was a retinal tear.  He repaired it with cryoplexy - said it was right at the periphery and hard to reach with laser.  I have to go back in two weeks.  The new cobwebby floaters turned out to be from bleeding.   So for the record - even though it may seem silly - its probably best to check these things out!  He said that when I came in my chances for retinal detachment were about 60/40 percent.  When I left they'd dropped to less than 5 percent.  Good odds and well worth the sore eye from the cryoplexy.