Floaters getting a lot worse

Dr Hagan,

I know I've posted about my floaters already lately, but I'm starting to be concerned.  I just had my eyes checked last week and the optometrist said there was no signs of retinal detachment or PVD and that he saw some small floaters.

I've been making an effort to ignore them, and so far this week I have had some success.  However, my vision is becoming cloudy as well as floater filled.  I have a new large floater in my right eye, and any fast eye movement causes numerous floaters to litterally slide up against the rouneded sides of my eyes and twirl around in my vision like a well shook snowglobe.  Using the computer last night, I was writing down notes from an email and the up down eye movement stirred up so many floaters off the bottom of my eye it was a blurry smoke screen that I had to wait to settle before I could see well enough to continue.  The floaters are becoming less defined and hazy.    My eyes constantly feel itch and dirty (which may be a mental thing).

I'm starting to be concerned that if these floaters continue to progress like this, I will not be able to drive, read or work (still not the case, but concerning anyway).  It's as if they are blooming algea.  I can't believe this is the typical floater experience, especially not at my age (30).  Do I need to see a more specialized doctor?  And even then, being floaters will their response be anything more than to live with them.  Or, is there something that looks like floaters to the patient but is in fact another condition altogether?

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

As I have said before an optometrist is NOT a MD, not a surgeon, not an ophthalmologist and has much less training and experience. I suggest your see an Eye MD, if possible a retinal specialist. Go to www.aao.org to find an Eye MD near you.

yes you do need more specialized care.

JCH MD