How accurate is oct scan?

[simplyunlucky]

Hello im new here, just found out about this community and its really helpful. My name is willia, im 24 years old with health anxiety and ALOT of floaters in both eyes.

So i had flashes about 5 months ago in my left eye (upper left side) that lasts like 30 secs or less. It happened after i went home from the gym (lifting weights). Feel anxious and panicked i search about the symptomps on the internet and find out about retinal detachment. So i went to the doctor the next morning, but i cant get a dilated eye exam because i was driving alone. I try not to think about it for the next 5 months until 3 weeks ago.
Long story short, i feel like my floaters are increased in number, but no flashes. My anxiety tells me i have to get an exam the next day so i did. Unfortunately i was diagnosed with lattice degeneration, but the doctor wasnt really sure at first because she's a glaucoma specialist and after that she refer me to another hospital so i can examined by retina specialist.

The next day, i met these 3 retina specialist (1 resident, 1 specialist, 1 consultant). They said i was fine and all. They even gave me an oct scan just to make sure and still say the same thing "there is nothing wrong", you are fine.

My question is :

How accurate is this oct scan? Can i assume im REALLY fine? I forgot to ask about the degenaration lattice, can i assume that i dont have it based on the doctors response?

I saw RNFL clock hours in the printouts of the oct scan, some are green and yellow. But there is one part that red, what is the meaning of each of them?

They didnt fine pvd, or tear or anything so what caused the flashes in my left eye? I forgot to ask them that...

I have this one new floaters, that showed up 1 week after the oct scan. Is that dangerous? I mean should i go to the doctor again? I become hyper aware of this particular floaters and my health anxiety just keeps getting worse.

I read alot about retinal detachment and all the risk factors. What i want to ask is, can one person suddenly got a retinal detachment or maybe retinal tear without any risk factor such as high myopia ( i only have myopia in left eye 0.5D ), extreme injuries to the eye, lattice degeneration, and family history.?

And one more, does lifting weights increase the risk of RD? Because i found one video in youtube about a guy who got RD in one eye after trying to lift 120 kg of weights.

Thank you for any response, sorry my english is really bad.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

1.  An OCT is really accurate but not for retinal detachment. It is for macula (reading, central part of the retina) problems and diagnosis of glaucoma. So not helpful at all for lattice and retinal detachment (RD) and tears.
2.  Read out is of NFL OCT is too complicated to explain.  Generally like a stop light: Green good Yellow be careful   Red  Stop. However a perfectly normal OCT might have a few red areas in it.
3.  99.99% of the time your symptoms would have been caused by vitreous tugging on the retina. If the vitreous shifted or moved it would be a PVD;  if it didn't move it would be 'vitreous detachment"  Not all PVDs can be visualized.  If the vitreous isn't detaching it will at some time.  So your flashes either vitreous tug or small not visualized PVD
4.  If you are not highly myopic, no severe trauma,  no family history the risk of a RD is  about 1 in 8000 to 10000. With the lattice, it depends on the amount, the location and whether holes are in the lattice. That I cannot give odds for because it varies. It would be a safe estimate that the risk of RD is less than 1 in 5000.
5.  With eyes that are at high risk (mentioned in 4 above) extremely heavy lifting has caused the retina to detach. You would need to ask the retina doctors that saw you about heavy lifting.
6. See an OPHTHALMOLOGIST every year, always have your eyes dilated, if you can see a retina specialist so much the better. If you have sudden onset new floaters, especially if showers of soot like particles, flashes return, or any loss of peripheral vision you need to see an Eye MD (not an optometrist) ideally a retina specialist as an emergency.
7. To share your pain, I am myopic and have lattice in both eyes. But no trouble with RD.

[simplyunlucky]

Thank you so much for answering doctor, really appreciate it.

The doctor did say i can go working out lifting weights. So i guess i will go back to the gym.

Now i just want to know your opinion, based on the doctors response that said i was fine and all. Can i assume i dont have lattice? I know its sounds silly, im sorry.

And whats the point of them giving me an oct scan if its not helpful for lattice and retina problems?

Thank you doctor

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

I can't tell you whether you do or do not have lattice. That is diagnosed with the light that goes on the doctors head and used with a lens held in the hand (indirect ophthalmoscopy).  The OCT is used to be sure there is no problem with the macula (center of the retina for reading).  An OCT is usually part of every new retina exam.  You can call the retina doctors and ask or you can have a copy of your exam mailed to you. It should be listed as a diagnosis.

[simplyunlucky]

Hello doctor, im sorry to bother you with questions but i really need your opinion on this.

I dont know since when this happen but i noticed a shadowy spot in both of my eyes when i moves my head left and right or up and down really fast. This shadowy spot only appear when i close one of my eyes. And this shadowy spot not covering something, just like natural blind spot, it fills  with the background.
I dont know how to explain it but this shadowy spot location is same for both of my eyes. And its location is the exact same location of our natural blind spot. When i try to see my finger in this spot its just dissapear, kinda blend in with the background just like how our blind spot works...

My question is
Is that glaucoma?
This shadowy spot always stays near the location where i focus my eye. Its not stay in one place. Same like natural blind spot test where we see dot and x. The x will dissapear and so on..

I had oct scan 4 weeks ago, is it possible that the doctors didnt see any indications of glaucoma because my complaints were floaters and flashes?

Im planning to go to the doctor again monday, but please tell me your opinion so i know what to expect... Thank you and sorry for my english

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Your symptoms do not suggest glaucoma at all.  The optic nerve head has no sight receptors so no vision is perceived in it.  During normal vision our brain fills in this area but with visual field testing it can be mapped out and if a person goes looking for it such as moving the tip of a finger into it once again it becomes apparent.  Under certain lighting conditions with the eye shut the 'physiological blind spot" shows can show up. The blind spot will always be lateral towards the ear of the object they eye is directly looking at.