My mom was an ophthalmologist (specializing in cataract surgery and glaucoma) and listening to these episodes reminds me of her teaching me about eye anatomy and physiology from an early age-wish I still had some of her hand drawn diagrams of the eye! She passed away almost 6 years ago, so it’s a good feeling to listen to someone talk eyeball knowledge.
I can appreciate a bit of that too as dear mother was an RN , graduated in ‘52? When I got to school, I knew way more about general hygiene than most to all of the other kids. Still appreciate everything she taught me. My condolences to you, the people that work in the healthcare field and are good at it, are a true treasure ❤
I was just at the ophthalmologist today for my little light show. Retina fine. I asked him if he'd heard of Dr Glaucomflecken and he laughed, saying "we ALL know about him"
I went in for routine eye exam (VERY near sighted) only to have my opthalmologist excuse himself after my exam, telling me to stay where I was, then 10 minutes later come back and tell me I had an appointment with a retinal surgeon later that day. I had surgery the next day for a partial retinal detachment. He was able to save 50% vision in my right eye, so with left eye compensating, pretty normal vision for past 20ish years. I had no symptoms. Good timing for an eye exam, I still think.
I had a detached retina at the age of 28. It was enough to get me to do a complete career change. I’m now in an SMP to try and get into medical school and hopefully one day become a vitreo-retinal surgeon ☺️
I have had floaters for the most of my 52 years and you are the first ophthalmologist who has told me how common floaters are. You are also the only one of these ophthalmologists to whom I have not paid money. I feel like I need to send you a bit of money for this ‘visit’! Thank you so much!!
My husband's aunt was born deaf and she was living a productive, happy life. Then she got this rare disease where the retina cannot be reattached and she eventually went blind in the affected eye. It all started with a diagnosis of glaucoma Then she developed the same disease in the other eye. It was absolutely tragic when she went blind in her other good eye. She had well controlled cancer but decided to forego the chemo she was getting. She didn’t want to be alive and incapable of interacting with the world. She died peacefully in hospice a few weeks later. I think it was called proliferative vitrious retinopathy (?j (PVR) or something. We went through so many surgeries, everybody had lost count. Having a doctor who cared really made her final days so much better. What you do is a life and death job more than 'just’ complete blindness
I went to ophthalmologist when I was having flashes in my right eye and she told me not to worry about it. Then one day I had a very bright flash and then I had a big floater after that-then no more flashes but now I have a big floater in the field of vision in my right eye
Funny story, I’m on Plaquenil for RA. Previous ophthalmologist dropped my insurance so had to find a new one. Chose a retinal specialist, not because a general ophthalmologist couldn’t monitor for retinal toxicity, but because I’m a -11 and I wanted to know who to call when, not if, my retinas eventually detach 😂 First visit doc walks in, turns out it’s my favorite ophtho resident that I worked with in the ER several years before!
It's good to have a plan if you're high nearsighted. I knew exactly what to do when my retina detached (was formerly -8 and -10, but after getting intraocular lenses for cataracts, I don't need glasses any more).
I was -11 right before I got cataracts. I was blessed to have a brilliant opthalmologist with an M.D., Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. I told him that he is the God who gave me perfect vision. I thank him warmly every time I see him. Now I have glaucoma and I see his partner, but will always have a soft spot in my heart for Dr. Prestera.
Yeah I went to one for that too, but she caught toxicity in me just 3 years in in time to reverse it. Turns out it interacts with the genetic condition I have and it's not good for me to take it, though it could just be that it messed up my B12 so bad that that's what was causing it we aren't sure. Regardless I still go to see her because I'm super nearsighted and it's just a good safety thing. On the bright side once my eyes recovered and my vision fully returned (it was weird it was just like I was sensitive to dark and when I would look at things I would not see them even though I was looking at them I'd walk away come back and then I would see them because my brain was filling in empty spots!) Anyhow I have some of the best looking eyes she's ever seen for my age outside of the nearsightedness. Still got the early stages of cataracts though.
I had significant eye floaters for over 50 years. Sometimes bad, sometimes not so bad. 2 years ago, I started a Keto/Carnivore very low carb diet. I just noticed that I don't have floaters anymore. Wow!!!
Had my retina detach in 2013. I was lucky in that I live in New England so I went to Mass Ey and Ear. They diagnosed it at 930am and was in surgery by 6pm. Fully restored my vision (such as it is). Mass Eye and Ear is probably the best in the country.
Same! My left eye always had lots of floaters, but I started getting flashes and then a curtain in fall of 2021. The staff at MEEI were *wonderful*, and the vision in my left eye is actually *clearer* now since they sucked out all those old floaters along with the vitreous humor!
Its been years since I studied visual neuroscience, yet the moment you said retina coupled with the "I don't know how to explain this" look, I was transported back to centre-surround receptive fields, V1 ocular dominance column orientation selectivity and visual streams. I expect compensation for this trauma.
I'm a medical coder doing professional fee coding for ER docs and APPs, and these episodes are pure learning gold for me! I'm recommending them to my colleagues. No CEU's, but that's ok. 😂
Topic for future Knock, Knock Eye: How to pick an ophthalmologist. What do we look for if we have more than one choice of ophtho who takes our insurance?
Doc, I am a CRNA and I absolutely love your content. You’re and inspiring person….not a douche (a plus)….its refreshing in our culture to have you here on this platform!
I had a partial retinal detachment back around 2010, it was one of the scariest experiences of my life. Thankfully it was reattached and my vision was completely restored, but that moment right before going under, where I could no longer see out of my eye like I no longer had an eyeball... that puts a lot of things into perspective.
As someone who had 4 retinal detachments, 2 per eye and countless other conditions (cataract, glaucoma etc...). I can share some of my experiences. I'm nearsighted since birth, I believe due to some complications, and this, we believe, was the major factor in developing a RD at the age of 8 and 12. First one started with purple flashes. It was continous stream of small coin shaped, purple colored flashes. I don't remember much from my first experience but they took me to doctor when I mentioned I can't see partially. Second one started with distortions in my vision. It was as if there was a blob of liquid with different density in my eye that distorted the vision around it. I did not have flashes as the first one. It developed over the next days and become bigger. What made us go to doctor was extreme photophobia and big grey curtain when transitioning from light to darker environment. That was actually serious and this grey area is the detached part of retina. It means you're going blind and need to have surgery asap. No matter who you are, I suggest: 1) Check your eyes every week! Close one of your eyes at a time and stare at a white wall. Look for any changes and developments. 2) Any continous flashes, distortions, black / grey curtains in your eye prompt an emergency visit! 3) Do not wait. Time is of the essence. The more you wait, less vision you can recover. It is not life threatening but being late 2 days might be the difference between 50/100 or 70/100 visual acuity. 4) Visit an opthalmologist once a year.
So my grandmother had a spontaneous retina detachment in her 80s. And I have been diagnosed with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It is quite possible that she had it too, and, of course, they weren’t really diagnosing it back then. I also know that Ehlers-Danlos community is very vocal and active and probably many of us are fans of your, and I need extra care when I get my eyes checked. I think it would be awesome if you did an episode talking about the things that we need to tell our eye doctors about our condition. Most eye docs mumble under their breath when I tell them as if to try to remember something they learned way back when I know occupies the recesses of their mind.
I second this! HSD (probably hEDS) gal over here 😊🦓🦓 I'm lucky that I don't have too many problems with my eyes, but I would like to learn more about EDS and eyes!
I'm only 35 and I have lots of floaters in my vision, plus I occasionally see stars and black spots, but I visited my eye doctor last month and he said everything looks fine. These floaters sure are annoying, wish there was something I could do to make them go away. Or at least reduce them : \
I’m terrified of retinal detachment. A heart surgeon where I used to work had a retinal detachment in a remote area on vacation and he no longer can perform surgery which was devastating to him. It runs in my husband’s family on both sides (yikes) and I worry a lot about him because he’s a musician and is extremely nearsighted. Your video about nearsightedness, when you got to minus 10 it was close to where he’s at and he felt so seen, if you will. I’m watching this to help become more educated about that topic in case. Thanks for doing this!
This episode was very comforting to me as a non-medical, non-ophthalmology person. I have had issues with my vitreous body recently and back in 1980 had issues with blind spots and the risk of sudden vision lost. I was not aware that anything could be done for retinal tears and detachment. I am much more at ease knowing there are treatments that have been developed, understanding that no treatment is 100%, just that a tear is not necessarily the end of sight! Thank you Dr. G (or Dr. Flanary!)
Could we get a video on idiopathic floaters? Maybe speculate on drug, stress, dietary, genetic causes and chemical exposure? Floaters are lumped in with retinal tears for good reason, but i suffer from floaters with no signs of retinal detachment. As a PharmD student (April 2024! SO CLOSE) I'd love to know about their potential causes and remedies.
I love that you are doing a podcast about ophthalmology! I have 2 children with retinal dystrophy so it has become something I have had to learn quickly. They also both had spasmus nutans as children and explaining nystagmus to people and how it affects vision was very difficult. I think nystagmus would be a good topic. Also pediatric ophthalmology would be good to talk about what to look for and when a child should get an eye exam not just at the pediatricians office. Just a few ideas in case you needed more. 😅
I am also curious about nystagmus. I had this as a child. I still remember sitting and watching the tiles on the floor rock back and forth. I outgrew it after having surgery for strabismus. I have a lot of questions. What causes it? How is it treated? How does one get rid of it?
What a great explanation! Thank you. I was born near-sighted. I didn't get my first pair of glasses until high school. Now an old lady, I recently had cataract surgery on both eyes and treated myself to trifocal implants. Best gift I ever gave myself. I shall enjoy retirement when I get there. 63 with 20/20 vision finally.🙂👍
Awe, good for you - I'm sure you appreciate & enjoy your new 20/20 vision every day!!! (I've worn glasses since I was 10 & am now 59, so I can imagine how happy you are!)
@@playhooky just the beginnings of them. No where near close enough to have surgery. But I know it will be in my future for sure. I will be pushing for it!
I experienced this a few weeks ago. Just having a nice Sunday brunch with my family and all of a sudden a burst of floaters and flashes of light. Then every time I moved my eye a flash moved across my vision. My husband insisted I go to emergency. Interesting. I have never seen a doctor so fast in emergency before, and it wasn't exactly a slow day from what I could tell. Anyway, after I was checked out he referred me to an ophthalmologist's office and I got in the next day. So far so good, no retinal detachment. Weird to learn so much about eyes in such a short time - and then I came across this.... thanks for the information!
Several yeas ago I started seeing flashing lights around the periphery of my vision when I moved my head abruptly. I thought “now, that is interesting.” But did not know this was as bad thing…. It stopped on it’s own several weeks later. When I mentioned it to my opthomologist at my next annual exam he looked shocked and said “If that ever happens again you come right in without an appointment and see me immediately.” I have exams twice a year now and have had no sign of tears or detachment. So, I guess I dodged a bullet.
Could you describe that in more detail? I get occasional pulsing on the lateral margins of my vision, I guess it looks like fuzzy yellow & black bands moving vertically, the brightest parts about as bright as the brighter areas in the rest of my visual field. It's in the gray area where I'm not quite sure what I saw or that I saw anything-it's never an obvious "I definitely saw a flash of light" kind of thing. When I started noticing it, I googled and saw a bunch of articles about retinal tears and retinal detachment, but never found anyone who describes *what that actually looks like.* "Flashes of light" isn't how I would describe what's going on in my vision, but that description is incredibly vague, so who knows?
(There are some images putatively showing what these visual flashes look like-none of them show anything at all like what I've been experiencing, but I also have no idea how much variation there is, if those images are created from accurate descriptions or are just what happens if you hand the phrase 'flashes of light' to an artist and let them interpret as they will, etc.)
@@aspidoscelis I'm not sure if you're describing exactly the same thing, but when I saw vertical black and whitish lines in my peripheral vision, I was told it was most likely an optical migraine. It came and went for several hours one day, and sporatically a bit the next day, and then disappeared. It was just a little spot in my right peripheral vision that wasn't super bright, but was distracting and a bit worrisome, since it was my first (and so far only) optical migraine.
I was a RN on the eye team that scrubbed and worked with Retina Group of Washington for years. We talked about you and the new skits in the OR often! Love these little eye series videos ❤❤
That explains why I have so many floaters in my eyes. I've had so many head injuries as a kid to the point where I received stitches twice a year for 10 years starting at age 1! All that slamming of the head caused those retina tears. Now I understand why my optometrist asked me when I started seeing them. I told her all my life and she didn't believe me!
try 45yr was driving, noticed her vision suddenly got blocked at the corner of her eye, and drove into the rear of a parked car. When to the hospital and somehow managed to page in an ophthalmologist to come in after office hours to have a surgery on her eye to re-attached her retina. 😂 It's been a running joke in my family of my aunt who crashed into a parked car. Fast forward a few years later. I get light flashes bad enough that it's difficult to sleep. 😂 I go to see an eye specialist. Lo and behold, I have to go back whenever my light flashes changes or if my vision gets block.
You say it’s weird to be interested in eye stuff, but my optometrist was the first person to really get me interested in healthcare. I found out years later that he’d schedule me for a double appointment because I asked so many questions. He was incredibly patient man. Indeed, when it was time for me to change careers some years ago, I seriously considered optometry. So keep it up! You never know who you’re going to inspire by sharing what you know and making it seem cool. (As an aside, I am pretty sure you were thinking of the Texas Cyclone at Astroworld. Though, the Ultra Twister was a pretty rough ride, too!)
I'm a neurosurgery PA but I LOVE these videos even though they might not quite relate to the specialty I am in, I love learning about different areas of medicine and you share you rknowledge in ways that are very easily consumable but also educational
Had cataract surgery and got replacement lenses permanently, love my eye doctor! 20/20 vision ever since for the first time, wore glasses and lenses my whole life. love your specialty!
A lot more people know about visual snow because of Bryan Kohberger. Supposedly some of his psychological stuff is because of his isolation due to video snow. 🙄
I'm excited about it too. I've had it my whole life, but only recently learned what it's called and that others experience it too. Of course, when I was a kid, doctors dismissed me when I tried to describe it, calling it floaters. They dismissed my migraines too. (It was the 80's. Very few people listened to kids then.) I'm so happy knowledge beyond basic anatomy and physiology is widely available now. It's so fun to learn.
My mum had to wait 15 days for her retina reattachment surgery. She was almost completely blind in her eye, on the day she presented. With only very minute vision in a portion of periphery. The opthomologist said that the tears and scar tissue around it, was already old. The almost total blindness was due to escalated severity of an already existent problem. They told her she was likely going to have no improvement from her current vision. Described her retina as detached and "scrunched up". However surgery was required to stop the "death" of the tissue from loss of circulation, and the problems that would bring. They also said the best results would be if it could be performed within 5 days. She was booked 15days from presentation. It was so nerve wracking. The toll on her mental health waiting, was really really hard to manage; as she adjusted to the reality of only having one "good eye". ... I don't know if anyone reading that, expected a good outcome, or something closer to a cathartic vent about our healthcare system. But guess who can see shapes, colours and vague details? We are both awed, by the surgeons who can just... fix an eye. Like. What the fuck?? How do. You. Just. All we can say is, magic. It is magic what these people can do. They said they kind of, took things out, fixed it, put it back together again... A new, very lopsided prescription later, and she's back to work!
Excellent explanation! I’m nearsighted, but now that I’m old, need readers too. I had cataract surgery 2 years ago..left eye, easy. Right eye .. anesthesia RN chose a smaller dose than what the left eye had. So! I WATCHED the entire surgery, tried so hard to get free from the chair & doc but only got yelled at to stop trying to shut my eye & stop wiggling my legs! Now..I’m having laser surgery on the right eye because I can barely see! I realize this is “common” but the paranoia & panic I now have over anything coming within an inch of my eye is astounding! Yes, I wear glasses & use RX readers since both eyes are very different. I’m not a happy camper with the only local eye surgery center 😢
I am "severely" myopic (-7.5 in one eye and -10 in the other) with moderate astigmatism and a connective tissue disorder, so I always get the warning about retinal detachment with my yearly exam, but knowing that it's not a "pants" situation is actually comforting. Thank you for that. I know I'm at an increased risk, but not what the actual numbers are, as in is my chance 1 in 100, 1 in 20, 1 in 5? I know to call the retina office if it happens, but I don't know how nervous I should actually be.
What *is* it with connective tissue disorders and astigmatism? So many of us seem to have both! (My ctd is hEDS.) I'm only at -3.25 nearsightedness in the left eye. I used to be a bit far-sighted in the right, but getting old has changed that so now I'm getting a wee bit of nearsightedness there too (a whole -0.5, oooooooo, LOL). I'm 51 & have just gotten my first pair of progressives (skipped bifocals entirely).
Dr. Glaucomflecken I live near Lubbock and to find out you went to Tech is fucking awesome! You are an amazing person and your videos are funny and informative. I grew up in the hospital scene as a patient and am gonna be in and out my whole life because of Spina Bifida and a whole host of other medical issues, so to find someone like you means a lot.
My dad detached his retina walking into an open door end-on. He had it reattached at the krembil eye center at Western general in Toronto. They used an at the time experimental treatment where they injected a gas bubble into his eyeball to keep the retina in place and he had to lie face down for six weeks.
Try eating pineapple for a month and see if that works. I’ve had floaters all my life and they never bothered me until 18 months ago when I had a Level 3 TBI…. Massive floaters appeared shortly after the accident that were driving me nuts - then I read about pineapple having an enzyme that contributes to eye-health AND dissolves floaters. After starting on a daily pineapple eating regime for about a month, they dramatically reduced in size. I love pineapple, live in Jamaica where it is REALLY delicious - what’s not to love??
YES DO THAT The first ones in my right eye looked like soot and it was a 75% (?) retinal detachment. The other was in left eye, and it looked like a dusty ribbon scotch taped to the bottom 9f my vision and it was a vitreous tear. Actually, I see that your comment is from 2 weeks ago---how did you appointment go? (if you're cool with telling stuff to nosy internet randos like me)
Question: What's the purpose of the heart? Answer: To pump blood to the eyes. Question: What's the purpose of the legs? Answer: To take the eyes where they want to go.
Finally figured it out, you're an ophthalmologist! I kinda figured given Jonathan and all the satirical shade you throw at ophthalmologists in your skits (it seems more so than the other specialties, which is the sign of you both being in that specialty and having the ability to make fun of yourself, so yeah, kinda suspected you were an ophthalmologist but now I've finally got it confirmed!)
This happened to me a few years ago in one eye then a year later the other. My eye doctor explained what it was and was not worried. Being diabetic, I get my eyes checked every year so I am comforted knowing my eyes are okay. I am nearsighted, so this was interesting to learn!
I developed a cornel ulcer a few years ago. Doc glauc isn't kidding - that was one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever experienced and ive had some painful stuff happen to me lol. Lotta pain, burning, light sensitivity, and a perpetual sensation of something being stuck in my eye. Theres nothing quite like the near _instantaneous_ and total relief once the numbing drop hits that eye either.
I feel you! I’ve had like 2 or 3 of those in the past and once they gave me the eyedrops I always felt so much better. Corneal ulcers are super annoying but thankfully if you catch them in time they go away with antibiotic eyedrops.
Me being near-sighted (-3.75), a person who LOVES rollercoasters, and spends a lot of her time using a power wheelchair (a lot of jostling) while watching this: oh no…I am in danger 😂
I must really be married to a retina specialist because I was like “You didn’t cover Mac on or off attachments!” That makes a big difference when the patient is going in for surgery. Also, it’s amazing how many things intersect with eyes. A patient of my husband’s came in with blood shot eyes and he asked if she’s constipated. “How did you know?” Anyway, cool stuff!
Would like you to touch on visual snow. Even though it is supposedly rare, I think from what I read on the forums it might be more common than one thinks. I have been diagnosed with it and I think many people might have it - but think what they are seeing and experiencing is normal. Weirdly, yesterday morning I woke up (dim room) to seeing dots in a regularly spaced grid-like fashion. Most of the time it is translucent and web like things that block out parts of letters when I am working on spreadsheets, typing etc. Also have pretty bad after-images and sensitivity to llight. I know it is usually connected to the vagus nerve - and I have other things going wrong with me connected to that as well.
The first time I had floaters I stressed as I thought it was critical, so I was at my optometrist the next day and they explained if I see lots of floaters then let them know. And I was surprised to see that they can see floaters when looking at my eye, to look at the retina.
Thanks for this! Coincidentally I had my first visit with a neuro-ophtho this week (I'm a candidate for reconstructive strabismus surgery! 🙌) and because my prescription is -8 or something we talked briefly about symptoms, but not that retinal tear/detachment is actually fixable so PHEW lol. He also mentioned that I have old scarring on my retina already because of retinopathy of prematurity - at the risk of freaking out expectant parents in your audience, can you go more into depth about what that is and what it means for eye health as an adult? My doctor just told me I'm lucky I'm not blind.
I had an eye exam as a kid because of all the floaters I saw and it turned out it was migraines. Both my parents had them and, when I turned 13, I started to get the more typical kind with pain and nausea.
I had ocular migraines when I was a kid too! Mine were Alice in wonderland syndrome and I also started getting painful ones as I hut puberty. Now I see stars right beforehand. I'd love to know if there's any understanding of how migraines cause weird vision stuff.
@@jenavasexton1645 migraines are SO weird. I once woke up with a migraine and the world was tilted. If I closed my bad migraine eye, it righted itself. If I closed my good eye, it tilted twice as much. Apparently my brain was getting conflicting signals and decided to split the difference.
Yep, before and during a migraine I usually get tons of floaters. I’ve never known why other than that it’s just part of migraine aura. Sometimes there’s so many floaters that it blocks my vision and I even see them with my eyes closed. I remember having migraines as a child and my own kid started having them at around 10 or 11 years old too. I’ve had ocular migraines with no pain a couple times and it was weird. The first time I just assumed it was a new type of aura and that I’d be getting the pain any minute. With the most recent one, I’d already read up on ocular migraines, so I knew what it was. The most recent one was odd. I was on my phone and suddenly when I would move my phone, the light from it would leave copies of itself in a trail. When I sat up, my lamp left the same kind of trail as I moved. It made me nauseated and I could feel pressure in the back of my head on one side, but not pain. I was lucky that it was night and I could just turn off the lamp and my phone and be in darkness. I almost prefer regular migraines to ocular ones just because I’m familiar with regular ones and how they affect me. Ocular migraines are so weird, but the lack of pain is a great bonus.
@@Annie_Annie__ that's a trip! My son started getting migraines early. I think 7? He vomits continously until it's over but je doesn't have ocular symptoms other than light sensitivity. The last one he had he reported pressure amd described the locations as "between his spine and his skull" which worried me. It's good to hear the pressure is a normal migraine symptom for some people.
I had a retinal detachment and both eyes had numerous tears that required repair. Unfortunately I now also get ocular migraines which present just like the retinal detachment I experienced (flashers +++), so I end up getting it checked only to find out it’s a migraine without any pain.
Had progressing myopia since early childhood, -8 now, recently turned 19, a week after my birthday noticed some changes in vision, then two days after i felt pain in the eyes, had non-stopping headaches, my light sensitivity increased, it was nearly impossible to see in the dark, my right eye was seeing colors a bit yellower than my left one, booked the nearest ophthalmologist appointment the next week, went in, turned out i had snail track and lattice degenerations all around the periphery of the retina (basically, the retina stretching and becoming extremely thin because of my nearsightedness), i was very shocked and scared because my previous ophthalmologists didn't say anything about possible retina problems, although now i know i was at a very high risk, but i scheduled an appointment for laser coagulation surgery to prevent tears and detachments in the future, and right now i am resting after my second round of surgery and waiting for, hopefully, my final third round in 10 days!
I was super near sited and developed two retinal tears in my right eye, then 1 year later I developed a large retinal tear in my left eye. Had them welded down (😂) and I'm good to go now. 😊
Great channel, love your straightforward explanations so that us layman can understand what is happening. Know you are appreciated and please keep sharing your knowledge. Thank you! 😊🙏🏽
This was great! Former ed trauma nurse here I’m unable to work where I loved learning new things every day I’m so bored in psych Thank you for the education and humor
Oh wow; that's sounds horrible to endure 9 days like that - I'm afraid I would have been so miserable I would have gone crazy. You have my admiration of the inner strength that you must possess.!
I had a lot of trouble with 'floaters' in my '40s, but they started to fade as I got closer to my '50s. I no longer have any, thank goodness. They were bothersome.
Dr G, although I lost my vision in my right eye this summer suddenly in a nocturnal accident, at least I can console myself somebody somewhere put his pants on in homage to my open globe. I love your content. And you are still on a salient topic for me, since I am vexed in my remaining eye with floaters for years. There is one big one that loves to settle right in front of the fovea which annoys me. So I shake my head and it goes bye-bye for a while.
An optometrist once traumtized me as a kid when they said that my retinas would fall out if I didn't fix my nearsightedness. Time to watch to see if this is true!
I've had many eye issues (pinhole tear in retina that was repaired with laser), lots and lots of floaters after PVD, and glaucoma. I truly enjoy all of your videos and podcasts. Thanks to you and your talented wife for the information and fun!
Heres one for you and Mrs. Glaucomflecken! My kid was born at 25 weeks 5 days, severe pre-e brought on by having COVID at 18 weeks. She's a normal 2.5 year old, but she was treated for Retinopathy of Prematurity, stage 2. I never really understood what was going on. She didn't have to have the injections, but the docs did bring them up so I could be prepared just in case.
Had bunch of floaters in one eye in my early 40s. Was worried but just took more supplements for the eye plus lots of other regular supplements. No light flashes. Took about year but they all vanished and have never returned. Wear glasses since grade eight for nearsightedness. Now bifocal at age 50 for close vision.
😄 👌 Dear Dr. Glaucomflecken, people are not necessarily interested in eye stuff when they watch your content. Don't get me wrong - I love your videos! I think they are actually very interesting and I had no fascination for ophthalmology before whatsoever, I always felt my blood preassure falling rapidly thinking about eye injuries or seeing something like this in a movie, always needed to turn away. I'm a German psychotherapist (the psychologist version, no MD, I quit medschool after 1 year, wasn't my cup of tea). But maybe many people are just interested in you and your way of explaining things and talking about things. And maybe they would be interested even if you talked about springtails or moss or proctolology. You do a great job!🥳
My nearsightedness can be described as “my toes disappear when I take my glasses off” and I’m only 5’1” tall. 😉 (I don’t have my info card handy, but in the -5.25 range) I experienced a bit of a “flash” last summer, combined with mild discomfort and what I described as seeing a “sheer silk scarf blowing in the wind” if I turned my head. The first ophthalmologist office I called did not have an appointment opening that day, or maybe the Dr was gone for the day…. But the person who answered the phone did an excellent job of not frightening me, while simultaneously urging me to try other offices in town to hopefully be seen. And that if I couldn’t find an appointment, to call her back. Especially if symptoms worsened. I was able to get in at another clinic. I was fascinated that she could see the floater that I had assumed was some sort of optical illusion. She never mentioned any cautionary comments about roller coasters though 😢
I am a physician, I am nearsighted, older and have significant floaters after a head injury a few years ago. It turns out there are almost no "general" ophthalmologists where I am any more (mine retired two years ago and I saw the optometrist that replaced him). I looked for ophthalmologists within our hospital system and found ONE retina specialist. No general Ophthalmologists around!! Optometry is the gate keeper to our retina specialist. This is somewhat scary news as we have a huge aging population with multiple comorbid conditions and an opthamologist is an important specialty to have around. Appreciate all you do for medicine in general. Rant over.
Optometrists are amazing, they can recognise all sorts of retinal issues and are generally a great judge of when a retinal specialist (or generalist ophthalmologist) needs to see a patient, and when they can be managed in clinic.
Many optometrists do NOT do thorough eye exams and don’t catch issues early. Go to an ophthalmologist at least once every five years even if you see an optometrist every year.
You have said on other pods that you have not ever had your own eyes dilated. I think you should film an episode in your clinic where you get YOUR eyes dilated - just so you know what it is like. Can't imagine you made it all this time and through med school without having it done.
@@suzboneneglectful?? What on earth do you mean? It isn't advisable or right to have procedures and drugs that you don't _need._ Doctors and other healthcare professionals don't go around trying all the drugs in the world so they can tell patients what the effects are like from experience. That doesn't make any sense.
Wow, it never even occurred to me that you could get to adulthood without having your eyes dilated. Is that not something they do for people who aren't nearsighted? I feel like my eyes get dilated every other exam, but I've had glasses since I was a kid
@@samr9483I didn’t have an eye exam with dilation until last year, in my late 30’s, and only because my sister’s friend, who is an optometrist, encouraged me to, if only to set a baseline for future vision care. Had 20/20 vision, which is a bit of a downgrade from what I had as a kid (20/15). Haven’t needed glasses yet, but I know they’re in my future.
@@suzbone in all fairness, I don't think anyone would expect their heart surgeon to have bypass surgery or a neuro surgeon to have brain surgery just to know what their patient goes through.
You dont need this to make people believe you're an expert in your field. The depth of your skits already speaks volumes. (well, for a person in the medical field like me)
Had my PVD in 2003, vitrectomy in 2013, ended up with post surgical ocular hypertension, failed SLT in 2021, so it's lifelong drops and frequent monitoring
I know you've mentioned this in a previous episode, but I really do appreciate the perspective that sometimes it really is better to wait a few hours or days for a surgery, because it'll be the regular team who's much more familiar with the equipment and procedures. Obvious when stated, but as a non-medical human, I'd never thought about it before!
Hi! Love you! I am retired eye scrub, and these were the best cases ever! Loved doing retinas, cataracts, glaucoma, or even the blephs! Thank you so much for explaining all of this! God bless you! oh yes! my son the nurse practitioner, was telling me that he got to meet you at a conference. He spoke so highly of you too.
I was on prednisone for around 18 months at one point, and the resultant rise in blood pressure in my eye resulted in a few floaters. Most have settled down, but there's still one that flicks around with my vision. Thanks for the info!
Love the show and can't wait for the next episode! Something that I would like to know more about is what happens when the eye is damaged by a laser (either a direct hit or from scattered light) and what can be done to treat such an injury.
Many retinal conditions are actually treated with lasers, interestingly. But generally speaking damage from something like that could cause scarring on the retina with an associated blind spot or blurred spot, though sometimes the brain compensates and you don't notice it.
Not sure if you've covered Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. I got SJS from an antibiotic I was on for an infection in my arm. (I fell on a run and scraped my arm. Running will kill ya!) I had ocular involvement. It was so painful and scary. A doctor at a burn unit at a more major medical center consulted and got my local ophthalmologist (who had never dealt with SJS) do the right things to save my vision. Eight years later, I still have to use drops every day to open my eyes because they are now permanently dry. I have some corneal scarring, but I see well enough to function in life and am grateful for my vision.
One of my former coworkers introduced your TikTok videos to me and I was an instant fan. I’m extremely near sighted (-8.5) and found this episode informative. Didn’t know that this increases my chances for retinal detachment. I had an ophthalmology resident once comment, “Wow, your eyes are really long.”. 😂 He said that at least twice during the exam. I’ve been a nurse at UIHC for 23 years and residents definitely keep things interesting.
Im 45 had floaters & vitreous strands most of my life. Have had 1 laser treatment when I got a new hole&thin spot. And just found out I'm developing cataracts.
OMG, I had no idea about the retinal tear. About 7 years ago, around 2014 (I'm 74 now), I had guests at Thanksgiving. At one point I noticed a vague disturbance in my vision, but ignored it; the stress of hosting could be causing another migraine aura, I thought. A few minutes later, on a clear blue day, a big flash occurred. I turned around and asked who took a picture; only blank stares from the group. I mentioned the flash; no one said anything, so I continued on with my meal prep. I never noticed any extra floaters. Weeks or months later or longer I was aware of more floaters, in passing, thinking I was getting old and should expect some increase. I've never noticed much change in my vision. I have seen my optometrist every few years for 15 years. Should she have noticed something like a retinal tear? Should I have mentioned it to her? I don't remember if I ever did.
@@ferretyluv that’s not true, when you get flashes it means that the vitreous body is pulling away (the vitreous body becomes more watery when people get older) and trying to pull the retina with it, just cuz you get flashes doesn’t mean you have a tear, it simply means that the something is pulling the retina, I get a lot of patients that have flashes but I find no hole when examined, and of course sometimes a hole is there and laser treatment is indicated, anyways if you got those problems still it wouldn’t hurt to go to a doctor to get it checked out
@@kararfadel625 Thanks. I'm now 75 and saw my ophthalmologist a month ago. I brought it up to her and she found no sign of a tear or detachment so I guess I'm okay. I occasionally get vision disturbances like migraine aura, shimmering cracked ice images in both eyes. My doctor said it is basically an eye migraine, whatever that means. I had it in just one eye a few days ago. In my 30s I had constant episodes of migraine, head pain and all. I will need cataract surgery in a year or two she said.
Had the same experience ( 16 years ago) on your first example . My burst looked like tiny red blood cells flowing out via gelatinous fluid. Went to kaiser. They didn't find anything except floaters (new to me). I now go and receive care at UC Berkeley's eye clinic . They're following me and give me the best diagnostic care.
I had or still have macular hole. Fortunately it is healing itself so no surgery thus far. The vision in that eye sucks but I can still see peripherally. It was several WEEKS before i could see a specialized retina specialist for severe myopia and then he referred me to a more specialized retina specialist that vould handle the severe myopia I have. While I appreciated the doctors saying ' you need more help than i can give' but didnt appreciate waiting so long to finally see someone that says 'I think your eye is healing itself. Let's keep an eye on it. Come back in a month.' But it is what it is. 😢
@dglaucomfleckin IOWA!!! This Iowa City transplant and UI alum is so proud! UIHC does have a top ophth program. I'm awed every time I walk into that clinic, and my fav part is the amount of light that comes into that clinic from the architecture focused on a lot of windows in the waiting room.
My optometrist spotted a tiny fold at the top edge of my retina at my annual exam. She sent me to an ophthalmologist the next day and he fixed it first thing the next morning. I feel very lucky. Now if I could just fix this dry eye issue. I've been using Restasis for a year and still have a problem. Also can't use any moisturizer or makeup without making the dry eye ache and burn. I will search your episodes to see if this problem has been discussed.
We all want to hear about eye stuff! My daughters have friends in medical school. They all know about you. Can you do trigeminal neuralgia of the ocular branch? Also, Sjogren's syndrome.
Addition - I’ve been treated for dry eye for 20+ years. Finally saw a specialist who says I don’t have dry eye, but my eye isn’t producing the oil in needs. But…for $15,000. CASH per eye, I can have surgery at mass eye & ear & fix it. It’s not accepted by any insurance… so, no surgery.
It's so funny, in a dark kind of way, I am a biology nerd and for some reason I was telling my friend about retinal tears and detachments and I don't remember how we got on the topic but I was telling him about what happened with my grandmother. Two weeks later he had retinal tear event knew what it was from our conversation and got to the ER immediately and they scheduled him for 2 days later after a quick evaluation. They were able to repair his eye in the two spots that had detached and he is good now although still a few extra floaters. This is good knowledge I guess for everyone to have, lol. I now share retinal detachment stories with people whatever I can slip them in.
I am totally going to add the information about the air bubbles in the eye and airplanes to my list of weird things would people ask me to tell them entertaining biology stories.
