Any experiences with Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD)? [2014]

[MuranoJo]

Just had a big scare this weekend with sudden onset of an arc of light that would flash when I moved my eyes left to right, accompanied by a couple of new floaters. I had always heard this may be a sign of a retinal tear so I rushed in to get it checked.

Turns out it was Posterior Vitreous Detachment, where the vitreous pulls away from the retina. They told me it is quite common, affecting up to 75% of the 'older' population, and sometimes people as young as in their 40's. No tears as of now, so no need for laser or freezing surgery, whew.

I was also told it's more common in people who are nearsighted and/or female.

If it's really this common, I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this and had issues down the road with any words of wisdom to share.

 

[AwayWeGo]

I Resemble That Remark.

I was also told it's more common in people who are nearsighted and/or female.

If it's really this common, I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this and had issues down the road with any words of wisdom to share.

I'm non-female, but nearsighted. Also cross-eyed. (Nobody's perfect.)

I experienced those phantom light flashes -- thought it was a strobe light till I caught on that I was still seeing it when my eyes were shut (when I turned my head abruptly).

Fearing retinal detachment (& never having heard of posterior vitreous detachment), I left a semi-panicked message on the eye doctor's after-hours phone line.

That was Sunday before Labor Day 4-5 years ago. When the doctor called back Tuesday morning, he apologized for the delay & explained that he had been out of town. But he said to come on in right away, so I did.

The doctor determined that my retinas were fine & that I had posterior vitreous detachment, which he described & explained. He said the condition is harmless & that it usually improves over time. But he had me come back after 6 months, just to be safe.

At the 6-month mark, either the condition had improved or I got semi-accustomed to it. At the 1-year mark, it had noticeably improved. Even more after 2 years.

I now go in for eye exams annually -- no longer just for PVD, but mainly for regular, routine sr. citz. eyeball check-up. I may still have PVD, but I no longer notice it at all. I do have (slight) cataracts, however -- too slight to do anything about, the doctor says, but just enough for me to know it's there & fret about how bad it's going to get & how long that will take & what I'll have to do about it when it gets to that stage.

So it goes.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[MuranoJo]

Alan,

Your posts are always so warm and funny. Thanks so much for the reassurance.

 

[artringwald]

According to my doctor, yes it is common. MY PVD got accelerated when I got hit in the head with a racquetball. The retina is fine but the vitreous is detached. Unfortunately, the vitreous also tore. I have a large fuzzy spot that comes in and out of my vision and I'm always thinking my glasses are dirty. He said it could take a year or two to dissipate. Oh well, at least the retina is fine.

 

[Makai Guy]

Nearsighted, astigmatic male with 6.6 decades under my belt.

First noticed mine when driving home from a night time event. Thought the white flashing arcs in my left eye periphery were headlight reflections from my shiny silver glasses frames and thought it odd I'd never noticed it before. When the white flashing arcs continued after we got home and there were no longer headlights shining at the back of my I head I knew it was something in the eye. My opthalmologist got me right in the next day and confirmed vitreous detachment.

My layman's understanding, which certainly could be total balderdash, is that with a quick eye movement the detachment works its way a little further away from the center of the retina, producing a slight tug on the retina at that point that we see as an immediate flash. Eventually the detachment progresses far enough toward the periphery that we no longer see the flashes.

Had the same thing in my right eye a couple of years later. Just one more of those aging effects nobody thinks to warn you about.

Vitreous detachment is often accompanied by an increase in the number of dark floaters in the eye. Mine have persisted long after the detachment arcing flashes have become a thing of the past. Sometimes I have trouble following the flight of a golf ball because my attention follows a floater instead of the ball. Or when reading sometimes I'll notice a floater moving in my peripheral vision and think we've got a mouse. Other than that, my vision has been unaffected.

 

[Icc5]

Me too

Mine started about four years ago. My eye Dr. sent me to a specialist that ran tests and mapped my eye. I saw him three months later, then six months, then a year later. He said I don't need to see him again unless I see lots of light flashes, or floaters and then to get in right away. I do see my eye Dr. once a year and have all my life.
Bart

 

[Carol C]

I was misdiagnosed for what was probably a vitreous detachment. Took a plane to FL 3 wks later and my rt eye retina detached. I couldn't get it fixed in time to get all my vision back as there had been 7 retinal tears & I was also out of town & didn't know how serious it was. When a retina detaches you should have it reattached within 48 hrs. Now I've got a leftover macular hole & am legally blind in that eye, though peripheral vision comes in through the side.

Years later...actually quite recently... my other eye suffered a retinal detachment while traveling alone in Europe, by train and plane and carrying a too-heavy wheeled-carryon. How's that for scary? Sure ruined my 6 wk European trip, lost lots of timeshare exchange fees too. And I didn't get to go to the 100th Tour de France as planned. So, since I was in Croatia when I realized it had to be a retinal detachment in my other, non-blind eye, I hustled a flight to Frankfurt and back to ATL for treatment, and got it done within 48 hrs. It seems more than coincidence that my retinas detached two times after long airline flights. Of course I also was always carrying heavy luggage and putting it into overhead storage myself, putting strain on my eyes. Long story I know, but it's nothing to mess with...and technology is pretty good so go get those eyes checked whenever you see heavy floaters or flashes. Btw women over 50 who are extremely myopic are most at risk, and the only factor I do NOT have is I am not Asian. (Asians as an ethnic group are the most at risk for retinal detachment.) Oh, so are athletes...but I'm certainly not one of those!

 

[SherryS]

I experienced this after being rear-ended while stopped at a stop light. The vicious jolt didn't give me whip -lash, but did cause this problem in my right eye. I, too, was worried because my mother had suffered from wet macular degeneration, and I feared that was my problem. Almost 2 years later, I still have that "floater", but find that it is less noticeable except in bright sunlight.

 

[sun&fun]

I first experience PVD about 10 years ago and was advised, like others have posted, that it was not serious but to be aware if symptoms got worse of if entire field of vision was impaired. So far, so good. My biggest problem was developing cataracts but after surgery for lens implants, I'm seeing better, unaided by glasses or contacts, than I did 50 years ago!

 

[MuranoJo]

With the comments about lifting heavy luggage and sudden jolts, I wonder if my new weight-lifting program may have spurred this on. I've been at it for about 2 mos. and gradually adding more weight. And I didn't think to ask the doctor if I could continue that as well as aerobics.

Scary thought about flying potentially being a causative factor.

Just as a side note, my nearsightedness is fairly slight--in fact, I only wear glasses to drive. And I don't believe anyone in my family has gone through this, nor any close friends. Yet they say ~75% of those 65 or older will get this (so it's early for me). Oh well, as someone said, just another wonderful surprise for getting older.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, everyone. It's comforting to know most of you have had improvements over time.

 

[Laurie]

Yes! and I fit the profile, almost (not over 65 tho). Both eyes. The first was during a cross-country flight. It scared me, but it wasn't the retina and all's OK. I still have an annoying floater from that one a few years later which I probably have to live with for the rest of my life. The second one, I figured I knew what was happening, but had it checked out right away and sure enough, that was the diagnosis. The flashes of light disappeared.

I go get my eyes checked every year now by an opthamologist for this reason, just to make sure, and know to go in right away if I notice any changes.

 

[tlwmkw]

I experienced this too. The ophthalmologist had me come in on a weekend to the empty office to check to be sure it wasn't a retinal detachment. Am in my 40's and was told that is young age for it. Apparently if you are near sighted then you have a deeper eyeball (front to back) and that pre-disposes you to this happening. I was told that if you have PVD then there is an increased risk of retinal detachment shortly after the PVD and that is why they want to check the eyes frequently afterwards.

On another note during all this I noticed that the dilating drops always take much longer to reverse for me than my significant other. Turns out that if you have light colored eyes (which I do) then the drops last much longer than for darker eyes (which my spouse has).

tlwmkw

 

[MuranoJo]

Thanks for the additional input.

Have been away for several days (to a fun bluegrass festival in WA ), and really didn't experience any additional issues during that. Just the pesky floater.

Interesting that we have yet another TUGger who experienced this after flying.

tlwmkw, I also noticed this time around that it took quite a while for the dilation to resume to normalcy (than I remember), but I also have light eyes.

 

[clifffaith]

Went to update my PVD story from June and found that it was in the middle of a none eye realated post, so decided to update here. 62 year old near sighted female. Woke up in late June of this year and thought I had symptoms of retinal detachment in my right eye so opthamologist got me right in. I'd never heard of a PVD. Checked me in two weeks then six weeks and pronounced me as having no problems with it. Left eye detached 3 weeks ago on a Friday night. Had a little foreshadowing on Thursday night when the floaters I still experience in my right eye seemed to be way too far left. Had same feeling at same time Friday 11pm, then a few minutes later I swear I could actually see the final detachment like a roller shade curling up. Called early Monday and by 11am was told, yep, other side PVD had occurred. I only get peripheral light flashes first thing in the morning when shutters are still closed, and I expect that to go away in a few months like it did for my right eye. I go back in early Jan. for another checkup and expect not to have any issues (fingers crossed). I don't have any family who has ever heard of a PVD -- I find it odd I had both eyes go in six months.

 

[Jan M.]

I had one in 2010 at the age of 59 shortly after my husband left Pennsylvania for a new job in Florida. When I went to bed one night I closed my eyes and saw the flashes of light. I was more than a little freaked out as I knew the danger of not getting a retinal detachment taken care of asap. I'd never heard of PVD and was really relieved when the eye doctor told me that was what I had. The eye doctor did warn me to pay attention because I wasn't entirely out of the woods yet. I only had a couple of floaters that I really didn't notice unless I tried to see them and they went away quickly. I had no problems and have never had another one. I've been flying 6-8 times a year and even flew two weeks after the PVD to spend a few days with my husband for Christmas.

My husband was told probably 15 years ago that he has a pucker in his macular and the connective tissues are like lattice work. He sees a specialist every couple years. The specialist he saw this year said there was no need for him to come back unless his regular eye doctor saw something change since nothing had changed with his eyes from when this was discovered. The very first specialist he saw in the beginning told him he should take vitamin E, lutein and fish or flaxseed oil.

 

[DrQ]

This not PVD, but vision related.

Since my forties, I would have episodes when I was driving when my whole visual field would turn 90 degrees for a split second. It is scary as hell when you are driving in traffic at 70 mph! It would only happen once during each event, but it lead to almost 10 years of anxiety disorder because I would never know when it would happen.

It wasn't until one time it was preceded with blue flashed and streaks that I figured out that it was a migraine aura. I have never had pain. but I have had other "normal" auras. My GP was skeptical about having migraines at my age (?) but put me on a prophylactic dose of medicine for migraines and I have not had an episode since.

 

[Panina]

Went to update my PVD story from June and found that it was in the middle of a none eye realated post, so decided to update here. 62 year old near sighted female. Woke up in late June of this year and thought I had symptoms of retinal detachment in my right eye so opthamologist got me right in. I'd never heard of a PVD. Checked me in two weeks then six weeks and pronounced me as having no problems with it. Left eye detached 3 weeks ago on a Friday night. Had a little foreshadowing on Thursday night when the floaters I still experience in my right eye seemed to be way too far left. Had same feeling at same time Friday 11pm, then a few minutes later I swear I could actually see the final detachment like a roller shade curling up. Called early Monday and by 11am was told, yep, other side PVD had occurred. I only get peripheral light flashes first thing in the morning when shutters are still closed, and I expect that to go away in a few months like it did for my right eye. I go back in early Jan. for another checkup and expect not to have any issues (fingers crossed). I don't have any family who has ever heard of a PVD -- I find it odd I had both eyes go in six months.

Both my eyes happened within a year and a half.

The first one started with a large dot in my vision and then disappeared within seconds.The next day lots of dark spider veins all over my eye. Vitreous detachment with a twist which they found out a few visits later as I kept getting bleeder that blocked my vision by seeing only white when the blood settled. When the viteous detached I had a vein that was attached to the retina which isn’t suppose to happen, so as the viteous floats it pulls on the vein that is attached to the retina. Finally after about a year 1/2 this tug of war caused hole in my retina. I found out on a regular checkup, had no idea something changed. Had laser surgery on the spot to seal. The vein is still attached to both the veteous and retina but it is much more lax so the large bleeders are gone, at least for now. I have many floaters but my brain has taken over and ignores them most times.

My second eye was a normal detachment, lots of flashes with a few minutes with a flood of spider like bleeding. Normal detachment, few issues, noticed a few more floaters a couple of times which also never went away.

With detachments I was told it can take up to 2 years for it to fully detach and I should immediately get checked if I noticed lots of flashing or more floater as retina detachments can occur when the vetrous detaches.

 

[klpca]

Funny when an old thread pops up and even though it wasn't personally relevant at the time, it is now of interest. I had PVD in my right eye this summer. Of course we all know how it went down, fear (mine happened while driving to work), getting right in to see the opthamologist to be told, "no big deal", and slowly getting better. But I still have a gigantic floater right in the middle of my eye that drives me nuts. Oh well.

And @DrQ I had migraine auras in the past but I never had one accompanied by the actual migraine pain, and I never had auras when the debilitating migraines happened. Bodies are weird. Mine looked like my vision was suddenly split, similar to how a mirror looks when it has a crack. I also had a sparkly one - that was cool, but it was a one-off. Luckily, it appears that I have aged out of migraines. The one and only bonus to getting older, I think.

 

[clifffaith]

Funny when an old thread pops up and even though it wasn't personally relevant at the time, it is now of interest. I had PVD in my right eye this summer. Of course we all know how it went down, fear (mine happened while driving to work), getting right in to see the opthamologist to be told, "no big deal", and slowly getting better. But I still have a gigantic floater right in the middle of my eye that drives me nuts. Oh well.

And @DrQ I had migraine auras in the past but I never had one accompanied by the actual migraine pain, and I never had auras when the debilitating migraines happened. Bodies are weird. Mine looked like my vision was suddenly split, similar to how a mirror looks when it has a crack. I also had a sparkly one - that was cool, but it was a one-off. Luckily, it appears that I have aged out of migraines. The one and only bonus to getting older, I think.

I had migraines starting at about age 12. Gone now, knock wood; menopause seems to have been the turning point for me. I had debilitating headaches for years before I had my first aura, and that particular headache about knocked me flat. I think between age 27 and 37 I'd have at least 1 aura headache a year, always much worse than the weekly "regular" migraines. Aura would be on one side, and severe pain would start about 20 minutes later on the opposite side. Several years ago I had a period of auras with no headaches on and off for six months. That was very freaky. My auras were a black zig zag sort of visual impairment where I'd be blind in the zig zag, but could move my head around to see. Seems to have just been some odd ball visual thing that just went away on its own.

 

[DrQ]

My auras were a black zig zag sort of visual impairment where I'd be blind in the zig zag, but could move my head around to see.

That's what I term a "normal" aura. Starts as a spot and then grows and then becomes a ring which gradually expands beyond the field of vision.

I would get double vision in one eye. The first time it happened, I thought I was having a stroke and I went to a Doc-In-A-Box (mistake) and was told that I CAN'T have double vision in one eye.

The other aura type was after images which would trail moving objects. Kind of like motion lines on a drawing.

 

[Patri]

I had PVD in one eye about a year ago. Waited a few days before I went in to the ophthalmologist. He scolded me for waiting, but everything turned out ok. He said it could happen in the other eye too, and now I will call right away. I had never heard of this before either, and now understand it is a sign of aging......

 

[Panina]

I had PVD in one eye about a year ago. Waited a few days before I went in to the ophthalmologist. He scolded me for waiting, but everything turned out ok. He said it could happen in the other eye too, and now I will call right away. I had never heard of this before either, and now understand it is a sign of aging......

I didn’t know about it either until it happened to me. You would think eye doctors would educate us about this as it is very scary as it happened and it must be checked by a doctor to make sure your retina didn’t tear.

From what I was told the older you get the more likely it will happen usually affecting people over age 50, and is very common after age 80. People who are nearsighted are also at increased risk.