Floaters and Medical School

[TheBoneDoctah]

I was accepted into medical school and will start this August. Does anyone in here have floaters and how did you deal with them during medical. I am really nervous that I won't be able to concentrate or read in school because they are so distracting.

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[MstaKing10]

Did you struggle as an undergrad?

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Did you struggle as an undergrad?

The floaters emerged literally right after my interviews for medical school. I haven't had to study with them yet.

 

[DrZeke]

The floaters emerged literally right after my interviews for medical school. I haven't had to study with them yet.

Have you had a dilated retinal exam with an ophthalmologist ?

 

[Heday]

The floaters emerged literally right after my interviews for medical school. I haven't had to study with them yet.

It depends. I have a few floaters (since I can first remember), and it wasn't up until a few years ago that I realized what they were. They don't get in my way at all when it comes to studying. They're usually too of focus and mostly transparent so it's not too big of a deal. Then again, I've had years to get used to them. Don't worry though, if you don't think about them, you own't see them.

Disclaimer: I'm not in medical school, but I don't think that should matter in regards to your question.

 

[akinetopsia]

Probably want to get a dilated exam with an ophthalmologist. If it's a retinal problem, they'll probably refer you to a retinal specialist. Enjoy the scleral depression and hopefully it isn't anything major but something that just needs to be monitored.

Source: I'm a tech at a retina practice (COA, OSC).

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Have you had a dilated retinal exam with an ophthalmologist ?

Probably want to get a dilated exam with an ophthalmologist. If it's a retinal problem, they'll probably refer you to a retinal specialist. Enjoy the scleral depression and hopefully it isn't anything major but something that just needs to be monitored.

Source: I'm a tech at a retina practice (COA, OSC).

Yes, I have had two exams with two different ophthalmologists. Both of them fully dilated my eyes and looked inside to examine my retina. Everything looks completely normal to them.

I had LASIK done on my eyes about 4 years ago. Since I got the LASIK until about 6 months ago, my vision was 100% clear and I had better than 20/20 vision. I didn't have ANY floaters. Then, one day at work I just started seeing them.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

It depends. I have a few floaters (since I can first remember), and it wasn't up until a few years ago that I realized what they were. They don't get in my way at all when it comes to studying. They're usually too of focus and mostly transparent so it's not too big of a deal. Then again, I've had years to get used to them. Don't worry though, if you don't think about them, you own't see them.

Disclaimer: I'm not in medical school, but I don't think that should matter in regards to your question.

Ok. So how many do you have then? I have one that is so big it looks like a tumble weed rolling across my visual field every time I move my eyes. There is absolutely no way I can "ignore" this. It's not possible. I don't think people understand this unless you have actual floaters. My vision when I look at the sky is actually worse than this picture I attached. They aren't the clear ones, they are the DARK ones. If I am reading or on the computer, they go back and forth the entire time so much that it gives me a headache.

 

[akinetopsia]

Ok. So how many do you have then? I have one that is so big it looks like a tumble weed rolling across my visual field every time I move my eyes. There is absolutely no way I can "ignore" this. It's not possible. I don't think people understand this unless you have actual floaters. My vision when I look at the sky is actually worse than this picture I attached. They aren't the clear ones, they are the DARK ones. If I am reading or on the computer, they go back and forth the entire time so much that it gives me a headache.

Was it a general ophthalmologist you saw, or a retina specialist? For symptomatic floaters that are really irritating/impacting daily life, some people opt to have a vitrectomy (example: an airline pilot that needs great vision would probably get one before a farmer would). The surgery removes the floaters, but it is surgery, and not without risks. See a retina specialist if you can.

Edit: when the two ophthalmologists looked inside, did they sclerally depress your eye, e.g. pushed on it with an instrument that looks like the attachment, while you looked in different gaze directions they asked you to?

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Was it a general ophthalmologist you saw, or a retina specialist? For symptomatic floaters that are really irritating/impacting daily life, some people opt to have a vitrectomy (example: an airline pilot that needs great vision would probably get one before a farmer would). The surgery removes the floaters, but it is surgery, and not without risks. See a retina specialist if you can.

It was a general ophthalmologist. It's really quite irritating because every doctor I see just says, "yeah, you have floaters. They aren't bad for you. You will get used to them." They don't have floaters themselves and have no idea what it's like living in a swarm of flies all day.

He told me look up and to the right, look up and middle, etc.

I have looked into vitrectomy, but like you said, there are risks. I wonder if I went to a retinal specialist if they could inform me on the ri

 

[Pinkertinkle]

You're going to have to get used to them. If you get a vitrectomy you'll get a cataract and need more surgery, each time with risks. You'll also loose your accommodation and have increased lifetime risk of retinal detachment. That's not a road you want to go down. I have floaters and they're annoying but I tell the patients this all the time.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

You're going to have to get used to them. If you get a vitrectomy you'll get a cataract and need more surgery, each time with risks. You'll also loose your accommodation and have increased lifetime risk of retinal detachment. That's not a road you want to go down. I have floaters and they're annoying but I tell the patients this all the time.

How bad are your floaters though?

 

[DrZeke]

.

 

[DrZeke]

How bad are your floaters though?

Yours are worse than his, obviously... What is the point of this thread?

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Yours are worse than his, obviously... What is the point of this thread?

I am trying to see if anyone who went to medical school had them bad and was able to overcome them. And how to overcome them

 

[backrow]

I am trying to see if anyone who went to medical school had them bad and was able to overcome them. And how to overcome them

One usually overcomes them by not perseverating about them. (And I'm not being facetious)

 

[DrZeke]

One usually overcomes them by not perseverating about them. (And I'm not being facetious)

Agreed. I think we've established that without vitrectomy you need to unfortunately live with them and that a vitrectomy is not without its risks.

 

[Heday]

Ok. So how many do you have then? I have one that is so big it looks like a tumble weed rolling across my visual field every time I move my eyes. There is absolutely no way I can "ignore" this. It's not possible. I don't think people understand this unless you have actual floaters. My vision when I look at the sky is actually worse than this picture I attached. They aren't the clear ones, they are the DARK ones. If I am reading or on the computer, they go back and forth the entire time so much that it gives me a headache.

Well I have about 4 of them that are very apparent. The ends are a brown/gray color (so it looks like a bunch of gnats in my field of vision), but the middles are fairly transparent. If I concentrate on them, I notice a lot more that are transparent and then it becomes irritating. I prefer natural light over flourescent lighting because of this.

I definitely understand the whole going back and forth while doing anything. And if you try looking straight at it, they run away from your focus. I genuinely meant that you'll get used to them, but obviously I shouldnt assume we have the same size/color floaters. My opinion is that your brain will adapt and get used to having these floaters there. The older I get, the less they bother me. Give it some time, see how it goes, and then maybe you can decide if the risks are worth the removal.

 

[PBEA]

just a humble anecdote but it's possible that for run of the mill syneresis, maintaining proper hydration could limit the symptoms.

 

[BeardedGiraffe]

Apparently, there is an alternative to vitrectomy: Dr. Karickhoff and laser treatment

http://www.eyefloaters.com/

Has anyone heard of this? Does it work?

 

[MullerCell]

No, it doesn't work.
http://www.retinalphysician.com/articleviewer.aspx?articleID=111986

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Apparently, there is an alternative to vitrectomy: Dr. Karickhoff and laser treatment

http://www.eyefloaters.com/

Has anyone heard of this? Does it work?

I've done a lot of research on this and actually spoke with dr. K. He will only do the surgery on some people of the floater is a certain distance from the retina. In younger patients, most of the time the floaters are too close to the retina to do surgery.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Well I have about 4 of them that are very apparent. The ends are a brown/gray color (so it looks like a bunch of gnats in my field of vision), but the middles are fairly transparent. If I concentrate on them, I notice a lot more that are transparent and then it becomes irritating. I prefer natural light over flourescent lighting because of this.

I definitely understand the whole going back and forth while doing anything. And if you try looking straight at it, they run away from your focus. I genuinely meant that you'll get used to them, but obviously I shouldnt assume we have the same size/color floaters. My opinion is that your brain will adapt and get used to having these floaters there. The older I get, the less they bother me. Give it some time, see how it goes, and then maybe you can decide if the risks are worth the removal.

When you read books are look at a white wall can you see them? Is it tough to focus when reading?

 

[Heday]

When you read books are look at a white wall can you see them? Is it tough to focus when reading?

See them on white/light-neutral color walls fairly easily. It's not tough to focus reading most of the time, but when I was younger (in elementary school) it was distracting. When you're focused, most other distractions don't deter you, hence you're focused.

 

[MrGrrrMonster]

I have had really bad floaters in both my eyes since I was little. Given I have had plenty of time to get used to them. They can be annoying at times, but as others have said you just need to ignore them. To answer your original question: No, my floaters did not effect my medical school performance at all. You should be just fine.

 

[4424]

No one should be willing to do surgery (vitrectomy) on your eye. It is not likely that you have a PVD and surgery would be a very bad idea given your age. I would suggest putting the idea of vitrectomy out of your mind completely. As others have suggested, continue to adjust and ignore them the best you can.