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Floaters after eye dilation
The day after getting an eye dilation exam, I noticed a large cobweb floater in one of my eyes. I didn't connect the two at first until I realized it happened consistently. I now have large cobweb floaters in both of my eyes that keep getting bigger with each exam ... it's been about 8 years since my first dilation exam and they are not getting any better. Has anyone heard of this before? My eye doctors recommend that I keep getting the exams but I'm worried.
Yes. I have this cobweb shadow floater next day after dilation. Also many tiny ones. Seems to have gotten smaller after a few weeks. Hope goes away soon.
7 Comments
Same thing happened to me in April. It got a little better. But still there. Did your go away
To fellow posters:
I had a routine eye exam yesterday afternoon. Eyes were still dilated when I went to bed. This morning at work I started having vertical light flashes on the left side of my eye. Bad enough that I mentioned it to my coworkers. Late afternoon appeared what I have heard described as spider web floaters which I have never had before.
I am 59 and have experienced some floaters in the last few years. Even when getting "new" floaters I never experienced the light flashes and never had this much of my vision effected. Honestly, if this had happened any other time I would have called my eye doc. I would have worried that it was possibly extreme enough to warrant an eye exam to make sure it wasn't the beginning of a retinal tear.
As it is, the floaters are not quite as bad as they were a few hours earlier, and the light flashes have subsided a bit. The visual effects came on quick and seriously affected the vision in my left eye. It reminded me of what it looks like when a few drops of ink are dripped into a glass of water...really different from my previous one or two floaters at a time.
If the symptoms do not abate overnight I will probably be calling the eye doc in the morning. I was glad to find this thread and found some of the comments helpful. This has never happened to me before and I definitely noted the fact that it was within 24 hours of a complete eye exam.
One thing I do know is that light can cause the onset of a visual aura...a type of migraine that can occur with or without a subsequent headache. I have had the visual aura before, once after viewing a 3D movie (Wonder Woman in case you're curious!). But never did I have new floaters after the aura...this one was different. Also, the visual auras I've had before completely subsided in less than an hour. I'm going on 7 hours now.
I have personal experience with a medical injury that didn't exist 10 years ago and now is recognized by the medical establishment. It was years of sharing my experience with others on blogs such as this that led us to find new sources of medical information and, finally, a recognition of our shared injury by medical journals. New information and techniques often result in changes in thinking and establishment of new guidelines. So don't ever be discouraged from sharing your story as it may help others find the answers they need.
I had a routine eye exam yesterday afternoon. Eyes were still dilated when I went to bed. This morning at work I started having vertical light flashes on the left side of my eye. Bad enough that I mentioned it to my coworkers. Late afternoon appeared what I have heard described as spider web floaters which I have never had before.
I am 59 and have experienced some floaters in the last few years. Even when getting "new" floaters I never experienced the light flashes and never had this much of my vision effected. Honestly, if this had happened any other time I would have called my eye doc. I would have worried that it was possibly extreme enough to warrant an eye exam to make sure it wasn't the beginning of a retinal tear.
As it is, the floaters are not quite as bad as they were a few hours earlier, and the light flashes have subsided a bit. The visual effects came on quick and seriously affected the vision in my left eye. It reminded me of what it looks like when a few drops of ink are dripped into a glass of water...really different from my previous one or two floaters at a time.
If the symptoms do not abate overnight I will probably be calling the eye doc in the morning. I was glad to find this thread and found some of the comments helpful. This has never happened to me before and I definitely noted the fact that it was within 24 hours of a complete eye exam.
One thing I do know is that light can cause the onset of a visual aura...a type of migraine that can occur with or without a subsequent headache. I have had the visual aura before, once after viewing a 3D movie (Wonder Woman in case you're curious!). But never did I have new floaters after the aura...this one was different. Also, the visual auras I've had before completely subsided in less than an hour. I'm going on 7 hours now.
I have personal experience with a medical injury that didn't exist 10 years ago and now is recognized by the medical establishment. It was years of sharing my experience with others on blogs such as this that led us to find new sources of medical information and, finally, a recognition of our shared injury by medical journals. New information and techniques often result in changes in thinking and establishment of new guidelines. So don't ever be discouraged from sharing your story as it may help others find the answers they need.
An update for my fellow sufferers: I had my left eye examined in January (please note that there was no dilation for this exam). The examination involved dye in my veins, a lot of bright lights, flash photography, and being told to look up, down, left, right, etc. Before, the examination, I had a small worm-like floater which was not in my direct field of vision so it wasn't particularly bothersome. I walked out of that exam room with a new, very long, stringy floater. Since my first post on 04/22/16 indicating that I got floaters in both eyes after an eye exam, I've seen many eye care specialists and have learned much-- two have actually verified that floaters can be caused by eye examinations in people with susceptible eyes. I just want to reinforce the fact that his IS happening to some of us. It's not my intention to bad-mouth this doctor who keeps telling us it's not possible but I'm reluctant to post much on this site as I find no help or support with equal signs, asinine analogies, and suggestions to "look it up for yourself." I'm open, however to corresponding with any of my fellow sufferers in private messaging (as I've done with some of you already). I've actually had my floaters treated with varying results and would be willing to share my experiences. Incidentally, the general consensus among the doctors with whom I've consulted is that there's still much to be learned about the eye and ophthalmology. Thank you.
1 Comments
I'm also noticed floaters right after the dilated my eyes please don't dilate your eyes I'm only 20 I will never go back to a eye doctor never
4 Comments
They are just money hungry and want you to keep going back
Cynic
This is like a Frankenthread...the thread that never dies.
Actually the eye doctors I have seen over the past several decades(optometrist, retinal ophthalmologist, cataract surgeon) were/are anything but money hungry. Their expertise has been easily worth 2-3 times the amount charged to me as the patient.
Actually the eye doctors I have seen over the past several decades(optometrist, retinal ophthalmologist, cataract surgeon) were/are anything but money hungry. Their expertise has been easily worth 2-3 times the amount charged to me as the patient.
Thanks. Agree totally
I suffer from eye floaters that I got the day after my eyes were dilated for the first time ever. I had perfect vision and no floaters prior the exam. After exam I had eye pain and headaches for weeks. Was told by other eye doctor that I had allergic reaction to drops. It was just a routine exam. And that exam ruined my life. Doctor did not even bother to tell me what he was doing and didn't explain anything about dilating my eyes.
1 Comments
Doctor, I also got my first floater the day following pupil dilation. I am 33.
1 Comments
There is a definite link between having your eyes dilated and seeing floaters. I too began seeing floaters about a week after the dilation chemical was put into my eye.
I believe the chemicals took a week to seep into the vitreous humour. One thing I have noticed in the last 3 months is that the floaters have been dissipating and I believe this is due to the chemical dissipating through and out of the eye. I am now left with a few floaters that may also disappear in another 3 months.
These eye doctors either don't what to look into this or just don't want to see the truth.
I believe the chemicals took a week to seep into the vitreous humour. One thing I have noticed in the last 3 months is that the floaters have been dissipating and I believe this is due to the chemical dissipating through and out of the eye. I am now left with a few floaters that may also disappear in another 3 months.
These eye doctors either don't what to look into this or just don't want to see the truth.
9 Comments
I am convinced it's the bright light and the lenses they use to "better look into your eye". I believe if by whatever chance they use the lense wrong the already strong light gets concentrated and damages the eye which causes these floaters in the end. After my last examination I had floaters too, but the doctor didn't use the drops before and just looked into my eye without dilation. The pain I had from this light and the loss of vision for at least 15s was not "normal". That night I had 1 big black floater in my right eye, which never had any floaters before. Maybe normal examination and dilation won't cause floaters, but how about wrong used tools and not so experienced doctors? Does anyone have technical data about the used lamp and lenses? Can the light be concentrated with those lenses to a degree where it could damage the eye?
There are a number of studies on the toxicity of light in the eye (photo toxicity), especially the lights used to examine the eye. People that are at greatest risk for photo toxicity are sun-gazers and people having retinal surgery under general anesthesia. During comprehensive exams, anything that could cause photo toxicity would be much to bright to bear.
The vitreous is a gelatinous material on the inside of the eye and there is no evidence that phenylepherine, tropicamide, proparacaine, benoxinate, or cyclopentolate cause a breakdown of this fluid or any lights that are used during a normal eye exam causing this either.
The gel inside the eye has collagen fibers which help the gel hold its shape. As time goes on the gel breaks down and liquid pockets form (vitreous syneresis). The collagen fibers move more freely as there is no longer a semi solid material between them and sometimes clump together. This is how bigger and more freely moving floaters are formed and what you are actually seeing is the shadow of the collagen on the retina.
These shadows are present and have always been present, but become noticeable when the shadows move. And this is because our visual system does ignores things that do not move.
If you do not believe me, another common phenomenon discovered during an eye exam is something called the purkinje tree. These branches of a tree are actually the visualization of the blood vessels that overlie the retina. They are always present, but when light is shined in the eye from various angles, it causes the shadows to move and you perceive the branches.
As someone pointed out earlier uveitis is something that can cause floaters, but they are very easy to distinguish from those caused by the natural breakdown of this fluid. There are other things that can cause floaters like blood cells or pigment cells in the vitreous, or something like an old vitreous hemorrhage or persistent fetal vasculature (although often surprisingly asymptomatic). These are ALL very easy to distinguish from normal floaters.
New floaters are probably discovered after an eye exam, not because they have not been there, but because the dilation has called your attention to it. Floaters are most easily identified outside an eyecare setting when looking at something of uniform color and that is bright, like a blue sky. Post dilation more light is getting to the retina and draws your attention to it and once you notice the floaters, they become harder to ignore. They eventually go away because of neuro adaptation as the doctor says.
During my training I had my eyes dilated several times a week, and I (and my colleagues) do not have lasting consequences of dilation.
The vitreous is a gelatinous material on the inside of the eye and there is no evidence that phenylepherine, tropicamide, proparacaine, benoxinate, or cyclopentolate cause a breakdown of this fluid or any lights that are used during a normal eye exam causing this either.
The gel inside the eye has collagen fibers which help the gel hold its shape. As time goes on the gel breaks down and liquid pockets form (vitreous syneresis). The collagen fibers move more freely as there is no longer a semi solid material between them and sometimes clump together. This is how bigger and more freely moving floaters are formed and what you are actually seeing is the shadow of the collagen on the retina.
These shadows are present and have always been present, but become noticeable when the shadows move. And this is because our visual system does ignores things that do not move.
If you do not believe me, another common phenomenon discovered during an eye exam is something called the purkinje tree. These branches of a tree are actually the visualization of the blood vessels that overlie the retina. They are always present, but when light is shined in the eye from various angles, it causes the shadows to move and you perceive the branches.
As someone pointed out earlier uveitis is something that can cause floaters, but they are very easy to distinguish from those caused by the natural breakdown of this fluid. There are other things that can cause floaters like blood cells or pigment cells in the vitreous, or something like an old vitreous hemorrhage or persistent fetal vasculature (although often surprisingly asymptomatic). These are ALL very easy to distinguish from normal floaters.
New floaters are probably discovered after an eye exam, not because they have not been there, but because the dilation has called your attention to it. Floaters are most easily identified outside an eyecare setting when looking at something of uniform color and that is bright, like a blue sky. Post dilation more light is getting to the retina and draws your attention to it and once you notice the floaters, they become harder to ignore. They eventually go away because of neuro adaptation as the doctor says.
During my training I had my eyes dilated several times a week, and I (and my colleagues) do not have lasting consequences of dilation.
I try not to make a habit of spewing anecdotal evidence, or my own theories but I think this may explain what people are experiencing.
Do not fool yourselves either. Doctors do not always brush off your complaints as unfounded--that's why when you say you have floaters they dilate your eyes looking for a vision threatening retinal detachment.
They are experts in figuring out the subtleties of biological processes, but there has to be some kind of data to collect, something demonstrable that can be reproduced in order to acquire the funding for studies. But after looking in people's eyes with no perceivable difference, pre and post dilation hours, days and weeks later there is no such justification. And with millions of dilations happening across the country and more around the world every day with no such evidence found, it is safe to say it is near impossible that there is a link between floaters and dilation.
Do not fool yourselves either. Doctors do not always brush off your complaints as unfounded--that's why when you say you have floaters they dilate your eyes looking for a vision threatening retinal detachment.
They are experts in figuring out the subtleties of biological processes, but there has to be some kind of data to collect, something demonstrable that can be reproduced in order to acquire the funding for studies. But after looking in people's eyes with no perceivable difference, pre and post dilation hours, days and weeks later there is no such justification. And with millions of dilations happening across the country and more around the world every day with no such evidence found, it is safe to say it is near impossible that there is a link between floaters and dilation.
Trust me if a doctor could slap their name on a study that would shake the bedrock of the eye exam, they would be jumping on the chance. It just is not there, sorry.
Hey James how are things now?
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