Could tired eyes and floaters be attributed to age?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have always been a little sensitive to light, maybe because I work a lot in front of a screen. I have seen some eye floaters for a couple of years when looking at something bright-like in snow, white screen, or skies. Two weeks ago, my eyes got very tired after using a smartphone screen and working with graphics a lot. I started to notice eye floaters all the time. They seem to be worse when I am tired. I am health conscious; after reading many stories on the internet. Some say eye floaters are just a normal part of aging, and some say it can be a sign of retina detachment and so on. I just took an eye test, and it says everything looks normal, and my eyes have not changed much from 0.00 - + 0.25. I have not used glasses. Later, I ordered prescription glasses with a blue light blocker, which may help my tired eyes. I have attached the fundus image and want a second opinion on how everything looks? I also took an eye pressure test with a puff test, and it showed 15 mm of Hg in one eye and 18 mm of Hg in the other. Is this fine? Please advise.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern. I had taken a look at the image (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity) there is nothing to worry about. Floaters are extremely common. Almost everyone at some point in their lives sees it. We only worry when floaters increase suddenly or when it is associated with flashes of light seen in the vision. And retinal issues are common in high myopes (high minus power). In your case, your power is negligible and almost normal every day. So you come under the low-risk category. The fundus photos that you sent me (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity) look perfectly normal. Even the part you circled is normal. Usually, the sides of the eye are checked for weakness in the retina. Do not worry. You are in the low-risk category and will be fine. Just get your eyes checked every year. Always see if you have a sudden increase in floaters associated with blurred vision or symptoms of flashes of light in your vision. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Yes, the eye puff tests are not very accurate but reliable for screening patients. So a difference of upto four is considered normal. High eye pressure only is significant if your optic nerve shows signs of damage. But your fundus photo (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity) is perfectly normal. Thank you.