Am I Seeing Photopsia? Are These Symptoms Normal? Posted: 02-20-06 01:01am
Hi,
i am 30 years old and had a successful
scleral buckle 5 years ago to treat a
retinal detachment in my left eye. I am
also extremely nearsighted in both eyes
(-9.5d). I have regularly seen retinal
specialists for annual follow-ups, and
things have checked out okay.
Since the operation five years ago, I have
begun noticing a phenomenon in my left eye
that has grown more noticeable with time.
Whenever my eye moves, a dark silvery
region appears for a fraction of a second
in the left part of my field of view in my
left eye. It has a vaguely "crescent"
shape that is located off to the side and
somewhat down. Over the past couple
years, this crescent-shaped region has
grown larger and has gotten closer to the
center of my field of view. However, I
don't see anything when my eyes are
still.
Is this what is called "photopsia" on many
web sites? All the web sites describe
photopsia as "flashing lights," but I
would not describe what I see as
"flashes." the regions that appear and
disappear instantaneously for me when my
eye moves are darker and silvery or
grayish.
I'm e-mailing because today I also started
noticing a tiny dark zig-zag that appears
momentarily. This zig-zag is located
where my optic nerve is (at the blind
spot) but goes away immediately. The
crescent has also become more defined and
shinier.
Can someone comment on these symptoms?
Are they a likely sign of more retinal
tears or detachment? I do not see
increased floaters. I'm also wondering
if other people experience symptoms like
these.
