Was sitting with my wife, watching a movie last week when a fireworks display began going off in the periphery of my left eye. It was like somebody was using a welder just out of view to my left. I also noticed a dull ache in that eye starting at about that point. I'd been wrestling with a rather heavy household appliance earlier that day and had just started to relax with a adult beverage when this all happened, so I was pretty disoriented by it all. After the movie ended, I went to bed and wrote it off to overdoing it a bit. The next day it wasn't as bad, with only an occasional flash every once in a while. I spoke with my neighbor who'd had a similar event a few years ago, and I mentioned it in an email to Ted here. I also did some research online and came up with this: posterior vitreous detachment (look that one up, eh?). Evidently it's not uncommon for folks in their 50s and 60s to begin noticing such a thing. I'd largely written it off until Ted contacted me to warn me of some of the potential consequences of ignoring it, suggesting that I go see somebody forthwith, before any permanent damage was potentially done to the optic nerve in that eye. After I'd heard from Ted, my neighbor also read me the riot act about it, as he'd nearly lost all of his vision in his right eye to it as well. I couldn't do much about it on a Sunday, but on Monday I went to see an Ophthalmologist first thing. Unlike Ted (or my neighbor) I didn't have to hot-foot it over to a surgical theater immediately thereafter, because the scan of my eye showed no bleeding or tearing going on (like it very much was in their situations). The downside, however, of the "delamination" of things in the back of my now 64-year old eyes has evidently resulted in some debris floating around in the far-left periphery of that eye, & occasionally now getting into my field of view. I do have a follow-up scheduled for a month later to see how things are going but.....damn, not a good thing for an outdoorsy fellow. I'm not hypertense and I don't have diabetes, so my risks of further complications seems minimal (according to my doc) but there also seems to be little else to do about it. Would it be fair for me to use this as an excuse for missing that next clay bird or even as real one? This is my shooting eye after all.

Could be a lot of things. I had something like this that was diagnosed as optic nerve migrain. Happened occassionally and for short periods of time. However, the ophthalmologist cautioned that longer episodes could be a sign of a stroke.

Floaters can become a very major problem. Friend just had the liquid in his eye sucked out to get rid of floaters. It will gradually refill with liquid. He only has the one good eye so he was forced to deal with it. That’s been almost three months and last I spoke to him he was doing well. Eyes are not things which respond to rubbing dirt on them and then ignoring. If it is off get it evaluated quickly. Not a lot of blood supply to most of the eye so it does not heal well. Fix little problems while they are little. Glad your outcome has been positive and hope it stays that way.

I’ve been dealing with floaters for awhile.After initially struggling with them, I rarely notice them while shooting shotgun anymore. I do notice them intermittently shooting rifle matches. I was able to reclaim my MC ranking at the Nats this year and have been shooting well. One of my docs indicated that the brain will eventually ignore the floaters and I believe they can also be absorbed after time. Now……whether you can attribute floaters to missed targets…… maybe…….but for myself it’s more likely I screwed up somewhere else. 😀

Do yourself a favor and don’t watch the floater removal procedure shown on YouTube.

I have had floaters for a while, my doctor is not concerned, but they are bothersome as I often "swat" at mosquitos that are not there.
Mike

Getting old ain’t for sissies....

Hey, good luck. Sounds like a bit less drama than I had, but, eyes are pretty important to the game. That eye doc has more power than you might grasp-my younger brother, diabetic amputee, high blood pressure, 4 shots of insulin a day, has been put on notice by his ophthalmologist that the day is coming when the doc will ask him, politely, for his drivers license, and get him a cab ride home.

Sobering.

Best,
Ted

I've had lazer work on my left eye, had cataracts in both and the latest about 9 years ago a detached retina in the left eye. The partial detached retina is like a blind or curtain that is closed halfway, once it closes there is no more vision in that eye ever. As to floaters, have them all the time but most times the brain lets them pass on.

Get that eye taken care of now.

Been there and done that!!!

Lloyd,
I've had those "lightning flashes" occur out of nowhere in the periphery of both eyes. Both times my optometrist sent me next day to have a retina specialist do a laser tack in a grid pattern over the affected area. Uncomfortable but bearable. Highly recommend you be proactive with this, don't f*ck around and wait for it to get worse.
JR

I've had the "flashes", early cataracts, floaters, and for a couple years now I have had recurring "visual migraines". I had an appointment with my opthalmologist recently and he gave me a thumbs up. My vision, at age 70, is 20/25 and he says my cataracts are nowhere near enough to warrant removal. The visual migraines cause me no pain at all, and usually are gone within 20 minutes of beginning. They DO affect my central vision, however, while it is happening. But, Doc says nothing to worry about. I haven't experienced one while shooting yet, but if and when that occurs I'll just have to handle it the best I can until it passes.

As to being able to use any of this as an excuse for missing I'd have to be less than honest if I claimed that/them as an excuse. I shot a 93 (sporting) last time, with my BSS, so maybe I've got a few more good rounds left in me.

For the symptoms you've described, an ophthalmologist is one of the few doctors that would have met you Sunday night in his office. Your symptoms could have been indicative of a detached retina, and that needs to be addressed immediately to re-establish the blood supply to the retina. Because when it's dead, it's dead. I have had 3 detached retinas: 1st in 2000(right eye, I have 20-20 vision now), and 2019 left eye, detached again in January 2020. Now OK (I have other issues in that eye, retinal vein occlusion) but I can at least see out of it, and my master eye is my right eye. I had none of the risk factors, which are diabetes or being extremely near sighted. Just lucky I guess. Don't mess around with your eyes hoping it will go away. Sometimes they are just floaters, but my symptoms for my first detachment were just that, floaters. Never had the "torn curtain" affect. Sorry for the sermon.

Bruce

Gentlemen, thank you! It's been quite the education, I'll tell you. If I had experienced any of the "dark curtain" effects that I'd been warned about I'd have hit an ER somewhere to deal with it immediately. I will ask about the retina tack at my next visit in 2 weeks but so-far I've been lead to believe that this shouldn't get any worse. I was also counseled about cataracts that are developing but don't need addressed just yet (yea). The joys of aging indeed! I was pretty down about it after my eye doctor visit but I've had some time to ponder it and I've decided to feel fortunate about it instead. Clearly, it could be much worse. Also, I specifically asked about recoil and other more-physical activities and was told that they were nothing to worry about at this point so...I guess I won't.

Cataracts are no big deal. You get to pick your perfect vision: near or far. I picked far since I was already needing reading glasses and I hunt. Easy-peasy. Nothing to fear.

The only thing I can that's positive about my eye issues is that floaters help keep me alert on the deer stand, especially when there is snow on the ground.

I’ve had cataracts removed from both eyes and now have 20/20 vision, first time since 4th grade. I have bothersome floaters in both eyes and am going to have a vitrectomy in my dominant right eye on 2/22. Fingers toes and paws are crossed.

Let us hear from you, mucha. Will pray for great success.
JR

Y mucho buena suerte con sus ojos, Sr. El Zorro

Don't know why our medical people don't tell us this is coming. Happened to me when we were in England on our 25th anniversary trip a couple of days after 9-11. I've gotten pretty good at ignoring the floaters.

This happened to me also last year. It's called a Posterior Vitral Detachment. The doctor told me it's quite common in people aged 60+, especially if you are nearsighted. He said the flashing lights and floaters would go away after a few months, but I still have them.

Posterior Vitral Detachment

It does seem shocking that I'd never heard about this problem before (until folks I know well have recently been troubled by it). You'd think that because it seems fairly common that more planning and perhaps some preparation would be in order by the optometric crowd for their more-seasoned clients?

The floaters can settle to the bottom of your eye eventually, according to my doctor, but can be "put back to moving" it seems. I think what has happened to me, concerning floaters, is that I've just gotten accustomed to them and don't pay them any attention unless the subject comes up for discussion.

Thanks for nuthin', Lloyd!