I'm still not convinced :(

[miniholly]

Hi,
I'm still very worried I have a retinal hole or detachment :(
My optician didn't dilate my eyes the other week when I went to go and get it checked out but she said she didn't need to as my eyes were so big, she did take a retinal photograph but would that show up any holes or detachments? :(
Shes referred me to see an eye doctor soon as I went back on Tuesday as I was nervous still and she said she wasn't concerned at all and referred me to just put my mind at ease, but what if its too late by then! I'm so scared I literally cannot sleep at night sometimes as I'm scared I'll wake up blind. I did ring up NHS direct about my concerns and she said I'd have more symptoms than just floaters.
Can someone help me please? :( I'm very very very scared.

[Dazza]

I had the same worry about 3 years ago, I suddenly had more floaters than usual and a dull pain behind my right eye and slightly blurred vision. I was terrified.... I had my eyes tested and all was normal. It was put down to stress / tiredness.

I still have floaters, but hardly notice them and I certainly don't freak out about them anymore. The optician is right, if there were a problem, you'd have more symptoms.

[miniholly]

Thank you for responding, would a retina photograph have shown any problems?
My optician doesn't seem concerned which means I guess I shouldn't be either but I've got it into my head I'll be one of the rare people who gets a wrong diagnosis!

[m4tt18]

The floaters u speak of the little black moving objects... I used to get them more towards the begining of the way I feel, with me I had eye test an all was ok but still kept getting them... Altho thing is with me if I see one I keep seeing them until I take my focus off the floaters then they go, as I seem to dwell on a pain an it just keeps occuring

[Dazza]

Yes, you have to believe the optician on this one... they would have seen anything strange on the retina. So try to take your mind off it. Easier said than done, i know.

[m4tt18]

So try to take your mind off it. Easier said than done, i know.

My fort exactly, but can be very challenging indeed

[countrygirl]

I am someone who is partially sighted and was born with severe congeital short sightedness and I have had retinal problems as well due to above so due to experience know what I am talking about, hoping that does not sound too big headed

A retinal photograph will show up ANY problems with your retina end of story. You do not need to have your eyes dilated for this proceedure as the camera light is so powerful and fast it takes a photo before your eye has time to close up.

Any retinal problems give definite symptoms not floaters, I have had posterior vitrious detachment and two retinal holes/bleeds the first gave lightening flashes on edge of vision every time I moved my eye and the retinal bleeds gave me a constant hole in vision that changed colour as I blinked.

A sudden mass of floaters that prevent you seeing can be from a burst blood vessel in the eye but you would know it was something serious and likewise any true retinal problem makes itself very obvious and is there all the time.

Your optician has seen all there is too see - that photo even shows if there is any pressure in your brain as well! All is well. We all have floaters and odd things due to changes in pressure in eyeball they are normal and as long as an optician has seen you you can stop worrying.

[miniholly]

Thank you for replying m4tt18 and countrygirl.
m4tt18 - my floaters are more of the transparent type and the occasional black dot and coloured dot, very annoying but luckily very easy to ignore when I'm in the right frame of mind lol.
countrygirl - Thanks I had mixed answers to whether or not I needed my eyes dilated or not, was just very scared as I had new floaters appearing in dim light was very scary as I was (still am a bit) 99% certain I was going blind, but learning to ignore them now, pretty sure is just my anxiety making me focus on them though, going to the eye doctor once I've recieved my letter in the post though with my appointment to put this behind me once and for all!

[countrygirl]

Please do not take this the wrong way but from someone who has serious and potentially blinding eye problems your symptoms really really are not something you need to worry about, opticians are better than Drs at eye health as they are specialists and they pick up on alot of health problems unrelated to eyes as well.

sounds like you are going to see an opthalmic surgeon????

[miniholly]

No offense taken at all
I just get very paranoid about my eyes as I know how precious they are especially when I had a scare with my eyes in January when I had loads of scratches on my cornea since then I got very paranoid about my eyes so I think I'm just hypersensitive to my eyes, but even so the symptoms with my scratched cornea were very obvious something was wrong and I didn't even post on here about it as I went straight to A&E as I knew for a fact it wasn't anxiety related no doubts about it.
But I think I am seeing a opthalmic surgeon not too sure but just hope a letter arrives in the post with my appointment some time soon