halos

I am 36 years old and have worn glasses/contacts for 30 years. Just recently I have noticed halos around lights.  Tonight as I sat looking at my christmas tree the halos were so bright I could not stand to look at the tree, as I started to close and rub one eye I than noticed that it is just my left eye that has this.  I got on line to look up something about it and I read it could be cataracts!! Can I have the start of one??  My mother had a detatched retina, but she saw flashes of light... I do not see anything like that. But I do have a lot of floaters... I have always had them, but they have gotten worse in the last year.  Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Ikaika23]

I'm not a doctor but I do see halos around all lights and rainbows around the moon. I'm diagnosed with closed angle glaucoma and are on quite a few eye drops around the clock to control the pressure in my eyes, mainly the right eye. I'm told the left eye could develop the same problem and therefore has to be treated right along.

I suggest you see an eye specialist and get a thorough examination done ASAP. I have floaters also and they are from the retina, the sheet of blood that covers the back of the eye comes loose sometimes and causes these floaters as this blood has nowhere to go to get out of the eye, my floaters started 4 years ago and still today I have a few remaining. I also have cataracts in both eyes although they are still very small.

When I first got the floaters I had my eyes checked weekly to make sure the retina didn't detach as that meant immediate surgery.

You are still so young - do yourself a favor and get your eyes checked - then you wont have to wonder what comes next.

[John C Hagan]

TO  ba6218 there are many causes besides cataracts: uncorrected refractive error, corneal irregular astimatism, corneal problems like dry spots or dystraphy, and rarely retina problems.

TO Ikaika23  If you have angle closure glaucoma you should have had laser iridotomies in both eyes. If you haven't you need to get a second opinion quickly. Angle closure glaucoma is always treated first with laser making a small hole in iris. That often cures the glaucoma.

JCH III MD