eyes - "sparkling" on bright backgrounds

hi,

I have a little eye problem, I noticed it first some weeks ago. I became somewhat light sensitive, in fact I suddenly had to decrease the brightness of my lcd monitor to half. When watching at too bright things I get a headache and pain from the head, back of head, temples and ears in about seconds.

My main problem and concern is, when i go outside in sunny or cloudy bright daylight and i look up in the sky mostly on clouds, there is a "sparkling" and movement its hard to describe. It is not eye floaters i got some semi transparent small threads coming occasionally from bottom to top and raining down again but it is DEFINITELY not the floaters. I read up on a thing called visual snow but it doesn't appear to be that because I only get that symptom from bright mostly white things.Am I imagining things? I'm nearsighted with low-medium strength glasses and I accidentialy broke them a few days ago. They're being repaired now and running around with bad vision seems to make it even worse. (both the awareness of floaters and the sparkling)

I'm in front of lcd screens most of the time each day because of my work and then at home. And my appartment is somewhat dark all the time. Symptom is most prominent when going from inside to outside or looking at a bright thing suddenly.

Haven't been to any doctor yet. Can anybody help? Something serious?

thank you

[moon442]

sorry I forgot to mention, I also have some anxiety and panic related problems if it has anything to do with that and I generally don't feel too well since a while.

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

When a normal eye looks into a blue sky and the persona is observent you can see tiny points of light moving in all directions. This is an entopic phenomena known as the "flying corpuscle" and in fact is the blood cells in the circulation net around the macula. Read the section on entopic phenomena on wikipedia its quite good.

If you normally use your glasses for the computer and they are broke and you are not using them now that could account for the increased light sensitivity. If you do not normally use them the this does not explain the increased sensitivity and I would suggest a visit to an Eye MD ophthalmologist if it persists.

JCH MD

[moon442]

thank you for your answer sir.

I think I may just over analyzing my vision in the last time because I started to slightly obsess about the floaters. Even tho I had them all the time even as a child, because I can remember telling my parents there is a grey snake flying in the sky and they laughed. I didn't know what it was back then nor I cared in fact I didn't know what it is till a few months ago, I guess I should have never read it up...my strong medical related anxiety makes things 10times worse as they really are. Anyway I will do an eye exam.

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

I started seeing floaters about age 9 and told my mother I was seeing "transparent angels".

Anxiety makes everything worse.

JCH MD

[achillea]

When I was a kid and bored to death by over-long church services, I used amuse myself by 'bouncing' what I assume were my floaters here and there around the altar: Blip--onto the left-hand vase of flowers; blip--over to the other bunch of flowers; BIG blip--up onto the crucifix, and so on.

I'm probably doomed.

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

I've reviewed carefully the 10 Commandments and there is nothing about bouncing around  vitreous apacities in church. I think you can un-doom yourself about that behavior.

JCH MD

[princessdottie91]

I had cataract surgery on my right eye two weeks ago.  Have had inflammation, scratchy pain, stinging and sometimes achy feelings ever since the surgery.  Have many friends who have had cataract surgery and no one I know experienced anything like this.  My surgeon has me on  Pred Forte and an antibiotic ointment.  I am very depressed and worried about this.  Surgeon doesn't seem to be worried.  How abnormal is this type of surgical reaction, and should it begin to heal?

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

Two weeks after surgery most eyes are quiet, white, comfortable and the vision is steadily improving.

If you have discussed this with your surgeon and do not feel you have an understanding why your's is of the regular healing pace ask for a second opinion. Either have your surgeon refer you to the best and most valued opinion he can use or you can find your own consultant.

JCH MD

[moon442]

I just noticed a funny thing about the floaters. When i wear sunglasses (cheap ones for 10$ with no strength) the floaters are MUCH more visible and appear to be a little bigger to the point I even notice them sometimes on dark and featureful background. Am I imagining this or is there some relation ? I will switch my glasses to contacts soon and I wonder how it will affect the appearance of floaters.

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

No depending on a number of things glasses, contacts, sunglasses and dilation of pupil, removal of cataracts can make floaters or visible or less visible.
JCH MD

[Nancy T]

When I was a kid, I'd stare up at the blue sky and watch the moving "parameciums," as I called 'em. (We learned about those in science class.)

With old age, nothing is so innocently fun. My little black floater doesn't bother me, but that front-and-center transparent critter with three long legs at wacky angles distorts the words I'm reading. [big frowny face]

Nancy T.