Any Eye Doctor on TE?

Lord Nemesis

Lord Nemesis

Overlord
Skilled
If there is any eye specialist on TE, please respond. I am having some eye problems which I need advice with so I can proceed further.

About a month back, I got Episcleritis in my left eye for which I was treated by a Eye specialist locally and it went way. Later I my eyes began to get reddish (although no discomfort), especially in the evenings. I went to the specialist last weekend and it was diagnosed as an allergy for which the doctor prescribed some eye drops and Refresh Tears which bought the allergy under control. The doctor also recommended me to get a Retina Fudus exam done when I have some time.

The same day, I got a new pair of glasses (I am myopic with strength 4 in both eyes) since my old pair were somewhat scratched. After I started using these glasses this Monday, I suddenly realized that there were more floaters in the eye than I had observed some time back. Most of the floaters were like thin almost invisible threads, which I cannot see unless I specifically focus for them. But a couple of them are visible occasionally when I am staring the computer screen. Also I cannot observe them when I close either eye and even when I am not wearing glasses except for the very rare one. I am also not sure whether These have formed suddenly or have been gradually increased over a period of time. I first observed floaters when I was a kid and have been seeing them when ever I try to focus for them. I just observed that there were more of them after I got the new glasses.

Anyway I did not take any chances and went to the doctor to get the retinal fundus exam done. I also told the doctor about the floaters.

The doctor first examined my vision which is perfect with my glasses. She doctor then proceeded with the Fundus exam. The doctor examined by right eye right and concluded that its perfectly alright, However in the left eye, she observed pigmentation on the bottom part (specifically at 6 'o clock position as per their terminology). The doc discussed it with another fellow doctor, but I think they did not know what to make out of it, they convinced me that everything is alright, but asked me to report immediately if I see any further increase of floaters. She also adviced me that I should get a retina exam done periodically.

As one can imagine, I am very concerned about this pigmentation at 6 'o clock position in one eye. I need to know what this might be and whether it would be good to get my eyes checked by another more experienced doctor.

The Fundus exam was also a pain with my allergy. The after effects of the eye drops they put in my eye did not leave until 6 hours and even after 7 hours I still have a bit of photo sensitivity in the eyes.
 
Hi Lord Nemesis

I am no Eye Doctor but i do have some experience in the field of clinical retina(i have done 2 years comprehensive fellowship in clinical optometry from L.V.Prasad.Eye.Institue,Hyderabad).

First,The pigmentation that the doctor worried about at 6'o clock could be a natural retinal hyper pigmentation that usually occurs in almost all forms of Myopia due to stretching of retina as the myopic eye grows.

Secondly, the floaters which you seems to seeing more prominently off late could be due to the better glasses giving you a better picture of outside world(previous one was scratched as per your history)

About the allergy part i guess it must be natural one too(may be a seasonal allergy)since using artificial tears seems to work, you should continue that for some more time(there is no harm in using refresh tears when your eye feels tired or reddened-usually due to the environment/work)

As any Myope, you should have your retinas checked at least once in every 6 months.

If you still worry about the retina there is always second opinion, so if you have time visit another retinal ophthal(not the genreal ophthal)near you for fundus exam.

Hope everything gets okay for you

All the best:D
 
Thanks mate, About the pigmentation, I came to the same conclusion after this evenings research (or rather google search :p). your reply further confirms the same. I guess the doctors were confused by the floaters bit which is usually associated with retinal detachment. Anyway, I can put my mind at rest.

Reps for you... :D

Edit: I can't find the rep button in the new theme. Will rep as soon as its made available.
 
I saw an increase in floaters for a while. This was due to primarily exhaustion and a lower amount of sleep.

Once that is regulated, the floaters too seem to go away, although I agree, can be highly irritating.
 
OT: I was always bad with colours and then I took this Colourblindness test online which I proudly failed. should I visit an eye doc?

i mean im bad with colours but i can see all of em.
 
the floaters which you see are called "viterous floaters", they are usually seen when you vision is corrected fully and you see at bright light, they move in the direction of movements of your eyeballs.

they happen due to mild change of quality of innner eye fluid called viterous, and afaik they are totally harmless.

about the pigmentation its most likely physiological. but still to be on safer side you should visit one doctor with whom there is facility of photographing the retina. and get it done regulary for 18 months every six months.

if it stays same nothing to worry and enjoy your sightings :D.

not an ophthalmologist but an otolaryngologist by profession so little help can provide.
 
floaters are perfectly normal. they become more prominent with increasing age. myopes (minus lens wearers) have more floaters due to longer axial length (length of the eye ball) making the vitreous (gel in the eye) thinner. don't worry about floaters and learn to ignore them. the more you try to follow them the more aware you become, and things get more irritating. only thing u need to worry about are sudden onset of flashes or black spots, which are associated with high myopia. -4 is not considered high, its moderate.

am teaching optometry :) power -5 and i have floaters
 
Oh noes, i googled for floaters and now i can see them too :O. Damn

Trust me i see them only after i came to know how they look like :S. Shit!!! What do i do :S

Guess will have to ignore them :lol:
 
@lord nemessis

in myopic there are many floaters. i am myopic, i am a doctor and i have many floaters cant actually count them.

you can take anti-oxidants with beta carotene (a multi vitamin preparation) for about 3 months which can help a little.

and rest assured floaters are not harmfull. and the more you look at it the more it will force itself on you.
 
Saiyan said:
Trust me i see them only after i came to know how they look like :S. Shit!!!
Click to expand...

Heh he. :lol:

It is only when I get laid up in the bed due to a bad fever or the likes and not get a sleep for a long time, that I notice the so-called floaters and concentrate on them. You cannot make it stand still at a place and keeps oscillating in a random motion. :p

Used to wonder if it was a disease back then and used to console myself, it's not a big deal after all. Heck I can see a lot of floaters around.
 
I used to think it's only me who can observe these. Hah, it even used to play following them :S:p

Saiyan said:
Oh noes, i googled for floaters and now i can see them too :O. Damn

Trust me i see them only after i came to know how they look like :S. Shit!!! What do i do :S

Guess will have to ignore them :lol:
Click to expand...

OMG ZOMBIES!!!!
icon10.gif
 
Although no Dr. myself, I have been an optician and in the Optical industry in General for 25 years. I can assure you that floaters are normal and tend to be more present as one ages( just like everything else :p ) If you start seeing flashes of light as well, this could be a sign of something more serious and I would then take yourself to an Ophthalmologist as opposed to an Optometrist.

Did the Dr dilate your eyes to check the health of your eyes too? Usually any general problems can be detected with this method of checking.
 
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