fancyferengi replied to your post “my eyes are fucked up right now and i’m having a hard time reading. i...”
if you have excedrin on hand, take it and then go sit in the dark with a cold caffienated soda. thats what always happens to me before a migraine.
i’ve never had a migraine before and i didn’t have one the last time this happened. this is what i’m reading about whati tmight be and it’s scary
SYMPTOM: Tiny dark shadows floating across the eyes.
CAUSE: Floaters are a normal part of everyone's vision and usually nothing to worry about, says Dr Blakeney.
'What you're actually seeing are shadows cast by rogue strands of collagen. These form part of the vitreous jelly which maintain the eye's shape, but they can pull free from the edge of the jelly and float harmlessly across the field of vision.
'It's still not known why this happens, though the problem is more common with age, as the jelly liquefies over time.' While the vast majority of us have just one or two floaters at any one time, others can have hundreds permanently drifting past.
TREATMENT: Floaters are harmless, but if they start to have a real impact on sight, they can be rectified with a vitrectomy. Normally performed under a general anaesthetic, this replaces the vitrous jelly with saline solution. Healthy jelly then grows back.
WHEN TO WORRY: If the occasional floater turns into a sudden 'cobweb' of squiggles, especially with associated flashes, or one single, large floater that won't disappear.
'This is a sign of vitreous detachment, where the vitreous jelly pulls away from the retina,' says Dr Blakeney. 'As the gel pulls away it can tear or detach the retina - the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye - cutting off its blood supply so it can no longer send images to the brain.'
Vitreous jelly can get behind the retina and, like wallpaper, the retina can peel off. If the rip is at the top, with gravity, the retina can be pulled off in less than 24 hours; with a rip at the bottom, that process can take weeks.
'The main symptom of detachment is a large blank area in your vision that won't go away, which may be associated with flashing lights or a general fuzziness.
'If this happens, go to A&E straight away as it can lead to permanent blindness - but if caught early enough, a torn or detached retina can be put back into place.'
Retinal detachment is more common in short-sighted people, as the retina is stretched anyway, or after an eye operation or head trauma, such as a road accident.