Aa
Is this "flash" in PVD?
I am a 28 yr old male with high myopia (-9.25 D in both eyes). I have floaters in both eyes but my ophthalmologist says there's no retinal problems. However, sometimes I see a tiny dark spot or a tiny, very bright spot occuring in the visual field, which usually persists for a second or so, and disappear. The occurrence seems completely sporadic, but the "dark spots" occur much more frequently than "bright spots". Is this a symptom of PVD?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Dear Cranium,
The large dark spots in your vision may be a result of a posterior vitreous detachment. That coupled with a new onset of a flashing light suggests that you should see an eyeMD now, and not wait two months for your regular eye examination.
Dr. Feldman
Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., M.S.
ClearView Eye and Laser Medical Center
San Diego, California
The large dark spots in your vision may be a result of a posterior vitreous detachment. That coupled with a new onset of a flashing light suggests that you should see an eyeMD now, and not wait two months for your regular eye examination.
Dr. Feldman
Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., M.S.
ClearView Eye and Laser Medical Center
San Diego, California
In addition: I regularly see an ophthalmologist once a year and my next appointment is in two months. Is it necessary to see him asap now?
It would probably be wise to get in early just to be safe. It is hard to tell from your description what is going on. From how it is worded though, it sounds like you have had this issue for a while, in which case a retina problem would seem unlikely. If it is a new development, then it might be more serious.
Some other things to consider. Have your floaters increased? Do you see this light with head/eye movement only? Do you see it in the dark and/or light? Is it just in one eye or both? These may seem like odd questions, but they can be really helpful in a forum like this.
Some other things to consider. Have your floaters increased? Do you see this light with head/eye movement only? Do you see it in the dark and/or light? Is it just in one eye or both? These may seem like odd questions, but they can be really helpful in a forum like this.
I don't think there's an increase in floater number. The light (really a very small spot persisting less than a second) doesn't seem to be correlated to head/eye movement. I think it only occurred in light (i.e., I saw it in normally illuminated room when reading or watch the computer screen). It's perhaps in both eyes, but the location is random, and occurrence infrequent.
Thank you for your advice. Please let me add two more things: 1. the dark spots I saw are also very small. They are really "dots" that would suddenly occur, and disappear in a second or so. 2. I think I saw such things not just recently, but at least for over a year, and last time I saw the ophthalmologist I asked about seeing such "dots" and he said it was perhaps just due to floaters. I'm not sure whether my perception of the dots and the light spots really means that they occur more often in the past half a year or so, or just because I'm more aware of them.
I would see a retinologist. I agree with all posted, but with your myopia, it would be wise to talk to a retina expert. Find one at WWW.aao.org. At castleconnelly.com, you can find the best for 9.95. Tell us where you are and we can probably recommend some.
You are reading content posted in the Eye Care Forum
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
Eye whitening, iris color change, and eyeball "bling." Eye expert Dr. John Hagan warns of the dangers from these unnecessary surgeries.
Eye expert John Hagan, MD, FACS, FAAO discusses factors to consider and discuss with your eye care team before embarking on cataract surgery.
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
Protect against the leading cause of blindness in older adults
Got dry eyes? Eye drops aren't the only option! Ophthalmologist John C. Hagan III, MD explains other possible treatments.
