Saturday, November 10, 2018

Floating And Flashing

Over the past few months I've had floaters moving through my field of vision. I didn't think too much about them, since at my last visit the optomotrist gave my eyes a clean bill of health. However, this morning I got concerned when I had large flashes of light that obscured my vision and lasted for about 15 minutes. (Mainly because last month my neighbor told me about his experience with a detached retina that had started with light flashes.)

I anxiously watched the clock until it was time for the optometrist's office to open. When I described my symptoms they told me to come in immediately. I did.

The doctor dilated and examined my eyes, then said he didn't see any problems. He said he thought the issue might have been an ocular migraine, but said I was smart to have it checked out. Since it was a sunny day, on the way out of the office I got some plastic dilation shades to slip behind my glasses. I ran my errands looking like this:


Five years ago today: In Breaking News...

14 comments:

  1. Kathy I hope he is right, still be aware of your symptoms as he could be wrong.
    When my son was in about gr 8, the optometrist didn't see anything wrong. He was lucky there was another Dr there when we went back another day and she spotted the problem. He did have a torn retina and we were fortunate to get it sealed with laser.

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    1. Scary story about your son. I DEFINITELY will keep on top of this!

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  2. I have ocular migraines fairly regularly now, and have managed to work out how to stop them at the flashing kaleidoscope light stage - for me it was always the flashing lights first and then 50 minutes later the worst migraine would begin.

    If I take 2 paracetamol (acetaminophen) and 1 ibuprofen (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)) with coffee or tea and dark chocolate at the moment the kaleidoscope appears, the headache does not arrive anymore. I have to go and lie down with a flannel over my eyes until the kaleidoscope goes away, but that is nothing compared to having to suffer through the headache that would always arrive. :)

    Some people never get the headache, just the lights. If that is the case for you then you are very lucky because for me that headache would always be terrible. :(

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    1. Thanks for the advise. In the afternoon I developed a nagging headache that lasted for the rest of the day. I also felt under the weather. Don't know if either are related to my morning symptoms but if it happens again I will know to track it.

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  3. My word, you look like the Duchess of Cornwall!

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  4. That is scary. I would not have known why that might happen either and be scared. I hope everything will be ok.

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    1. If not for that chance conversation with my neighbor I would have had a whole different attitude about the whole thing.

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  5. Oh My goodness - that is scary. Good for you to get it checked out. I also agree with Joanne on the D O C comment front ...

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    1. Maybe the chance to look like a royal is the best thing to come out of the whole experience :-)

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  6. Yikes, that's scary! Glad you are okay, but don't hesitate to go back if you suspect something's weird again. Our vision is so precious!

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    1. I agree that you don't want to mess around with your eyes.

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