Entopic Phenomenon?

[JoeCT]

Hi,
I was having problems with my eyes for several weeks (eyes were red, vision somewhat blurry/glare at times, etc.)  I went to the ophthamologist who did some tests and diagnosed me with dry eye.  (My Schirmer test results were 1 in my right eye and 2 in my left eye. He said everything else looked normal, although I didn't have a dilated exam.)  He gave me some over-the-counter eye drops (Soothe) to be used 4x daily. While my eyes still do look somewhat red (up close) I think the eye drops are helping a little bit.  My question, though, deals with something else that I have been noticing that I'm not sure if it is related to the dry eye problem.  I notice when I'm outside during the day or looking at a bright light, I can see different shaped "figures" floating around if I look very closely. I have looked up floaters online, which seem to be described as dark shaped specs that fly around, but these are almost transparent squiggly shaped figures and are not visible in normally lit conditions.  Additionally, if I look very, very closely at a bright light, it's almost as if I can see a film over my eyes with tiny bubbles, which disperse and then reassemble after I blink.  I never noticed this before, but it's possible that given the amount of reading I have been doing on eye problems I am noticing something that has always been there.  Any ideas as to what this can be?  I am going back to the eye doctor for a follow-up appointment, so I will certainly bring this up with him at that point, as well.

Thanks,
Joe

P.S. I am 27 years old with no prior history of any major eye (or vision) problems--with the exception of a terrible, recurring episode of viral conjunctivitis (which was possibly ocular herpes) that I had about 7 years ago.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Excellent.  JCH III MD

[JoeCT]

I had a dilated exam today as a follow-up to my previous appointment, and the eye doctor said that he didn't see any problems concerning any of the floaters I reported seeing. Just thought I would let you know!

Joe

[JoeCT]

Hi,
I'm glad to hear that I'm not crazy!  If you happen to find out anything additional about this in your own research I would definitely be interested in hearing about it.

Thanks again,
Joe

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Hello Joe,  one or two floaters is not a problem. Let me tell you something interesting. I performed an experiment on myself using your look through my eyelashes with my eyes almost shut and I see the same tubules, filaments, squigly things that you see. They go away when I open my eye. I can't explain the optics involved but since I know from a recent examination of my eyes by an ophthalmologist (yes ophthalmologists see other ophthalmologists for regular exams) that my eyes are healthy it isn't any disease.  It probably relates to creating a "pinhole" effect and optical abberations from the lashes.

Perhaps a reader or one of the other opthalmologists can explain it. I once had an instrument that let patients see floaters in their own eye, perhaps this is the same mechanism. I'll research the issue and if I find something I'll let you know. In the meantime it would seem not to worry.

JCH MD Eye Physician and Surgeon

[JoeCT]

Hi,
Thanks for your response.  If some of what I am seeing is floaters, is this a cause for concern since I haven't noticed them previously?  I would say that I have one or two in each eye.  By the way, this might sound strange, but I can only see most of this if I am looking "through" my eyelashes, which are kind of on the longer side. If my eyes are wide open I can't see any of the things I described.

Thanks,
Joe

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Hello Joe CT  Floaters like people come in all sizes and shapes. Some of the things that you describe are vitreous opacities or floaters. Some may be entopic phenomena especially small whitish spots that are best seen against a blue background like the sky or a computer screen. These are the blood cells circulating in the capillaries of your retina. Blurry images that clear with blinking may be due to dry eyes and dry areas on your cornea.


JCH MD Eye MD Ophthalmologist