60% of the over 60’s get this as they age.
“A few weeks ago I woke up and knew something was wrong with my vision.
“Last year I underwent surgery for fast growing cataracts and opted to have prescription lenses inserted in my eye so I wouldn’t need to wear contacts and glasses anymore. I was already wearing mono vision lenses (one stronger for distance and one weaker for reading) so went with this option.
“That morning I woke up and my distance eye didn’t feel right – I couldn’t see as much and I had excessive floaters in my eye. I waited a few hours to see if it would sort itself out as I knew that the brain is quite capable of filtering floaters out of your vision given time. By late afternoon I have not only irritating floaters but flashes as well.
“I have been a patient with Sarah and Ed at Earlam and Christopher long enough to know that this could be serious and that your eyesight is so precious, you should not take any chances with it.
“I hotfooted up to A&E for an assessment of the situation. The Consultant Ophthalmologist on duty said he felt it was a PVD (Posterior Vitreous Detachment). It’s a condition that occurs when the vitreous gel that fills the eye cavity and helps maintain the eye’s shape starts to shrink or thicken, detaching from the retina. This process is often part of the natural aging of the eye and subsequently, Sarah told me that the staggering statistic of 60% of the over 60’s get this as they age.
“I was invited back to the hospital for a complete examination a day later, where they looked for retinal tears and general eye health and they felt the original diagnosis was correct.
“When I told Sarah what had happened over the weekend, she asked me to come in straight away to have an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) and optomap peripheral scanning. I have had them before so they had previous scans they could compare against so see what had happened and if there was any damage. I was lucky, Ed did the scan and showed me the very slight change in my eye and confirmed that there were no retinal tears – just a vitreous (jelly) detachment which would eventually become less obvious over the coming months. Being able to see the scan was a great.
“I suggested to Sarah that I write a blog about this as when it happens it is quite scary; I was completely oblivious to the fact that it is so common and it’s good to share experiences if they could help others be more aware.”
Pam
Common Symptoms of Posterior Vitreous Detachment
- Floaters: These are small, dark shapes that float across your vision. They can appear as dots, lines, cobwebs, or blobs. Floaters are a result of tiny pieces of the vitreous gel or cells that cast shadows on the retina.
- Flashes of Light: Some people see flashes of light in one or both eyes, which occur because of the vitreous gel pulling on the retina.
- A Ring of Floaters or Hairs: Just to the side of the central vision, some people notice a circular ring of floaters or what appears like hairs, which is the outer edge of the vitreous gel as it detaches and collapses into the centre of the globe.
Age it usually affects
Posterior Vitreous Detachment most commonly occurs in people over the age of 60. However, it can happen at an earlier age, especially in individuals who are nearsighted, have undergone cataract surgery, or have had an inflammation inside the eye. It is a very common condition and part of the natural ageing process of the eye for many people.
While PVD itself usually does not threaten vision directly, it can sometimes lead to complications such as retinal tears or detachment. These are serious and require immediate medical attention. The symptoms of PVD and these more serious conditions can be similar, so it’s important for anyone experiencing these symptoms to have a thorough eye examination as soon as they can. And, if you have been fortunate enough to have had an OCT scan in the past, it’s a great benchmark to measure changes again.