Question
QUESTION: Hello!
I don't have insurance or the money to see an eye doctor so I decided to ask you. Since a week ago I noticed white floaters that happens for a second then floats away. It doesn't happen a lot or certain amount of time it just happens at random times. Sometimes, if I have been in the sun if I move my head, I see a white half circle around my field of vision if my eyes closed. Plus, out of the corner of my eye it seems hazy but it does go away. I'm 26 years old, my vision in my left is 200/20 and my right is 80/20 with glasses. I do have coloboma As for the hazy and white flash it doesn't happen a lot very rarely and it goes away eventually as well.
Should I be very worried about this or should I just kind of let it go unless it gets worst? Please let me know...thanks :)
ANSWER: First of all, the floaters most people experience are black or clear, not white. I have actually not heard of white floaters before, so I doubt what you are seeing are really floaters in the typical sense.
You do not mention whether this effect takes place in one eye or both. If it happens in both at the same time, that would not be as dangerous as if it happened in only one eye. This is because many people experience visual phenomena caused by something in their brain, usually not something dangerous and in that case both eyes would be affected.
If this is happening in just one eye, and if it should happen to be your better eye - the left one - I would beg, borrow or steal the money to get to the eye doctor. (not literally on the stealing part, of course) If there is something going wrong with the retina in your better eye and you lose more vision there, you will be in trouble. You already have significantly decreased vision from normal and at 26 you presumably have a long life ahead of you. You need to protect what vision you have left. The half circle and the hazy part are a concern. Even if the effect is just in your right eye, I still recommend seeing an eye doctor.
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QUESTION: Thank you very much. It's all in my right eye and that is my good eye. My left eye no but I am legally blind in the left eye. I am looking at clinics like at hardware stores like Sears. It could cost not too much maybe $100 to get checked out? When I say hazy I mean if I look out of the corner of my eye to look at something i see kind of whitish color and can't see the object but it goes away after a few days. It seems to only happen if I am outside in the sun not wearing sun glasses. Can your eyes get burned and have that affect?
Answer
No, that effect most likely does not come from being burned by the sun. I really do not know what is causing it, but I feel strongly you should have an answer from someone who can actually examine you.
And the doctors at Sears could be fine, but there is no way to know. Doctors everywhere vary in quality that does not so much depend on their location. I would ask people you know for a recommendation - especially if you have a doctor from another specialty you can ask for a recommendation. A professional exam probably will cost around $100, and could be more. If it were my eyes, I would eat rice for a week (because its so cheap, I mean) before I would wait on getting my better eye checked out if the other one was already not capable of seeing well.
