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Vomiting, floaters, and retina issues

I have posted on this forum before and have been advised to get help with OCD. I have done that and I thank the doctors for their advice. I just want to now get some medical advice on this issue. I request you to kindly help me with some clarity on this issue.

I had a vomiting episode 6 months ago. At the time, I was on antibiotics for a foot infection, and the vomiting was due to the excess consumption of alcohol. I was also touching a BMI of obese proportions.

When I woke up the next morning, I had a good number of floaters in both eyes and immediately got it checked.

I have been to 3 retina specialists and they have checked my eye with dilated eye exam and said that retina is fine. I have no lattice, myopia of minus 2.75, and nothing abnormal except the sudden emergence of new floaters.

I just want to understand why the floaters came. A combination of antibiotics, alcohol,vomiting and obesity?

I have quit drinking and i am no longer obese.

Am I at a higher risk of retinal detachment now? I have learnt to live with the floaters. What I want to know is if I should be more worried than the average person of a retinal detachment. I have never had eye trauma.

Can vomiting cause retinal detachment in an otherwise normal eye?

Thanks for your answer and your time. I appreciate your help and your efforts in helping us out.

2 Responses
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177275 tn?1511755244
Floaters can develop at any age and can be present at birth.  In the very young they have different causes (persistence of embryonic blood vessels) than older people (vitreous liquifaction).    There is no way to generalize about why floaters suddenly appear. The large Weiss ring in my RE developed when I was reading quietly in bed at a medical meeting.  People can vomit or be hit in eye and not develop any floaters. So no way to generalize.  You are not at higher risk of RD and that risk is probably about one in 6000-10000. Vomiting in a normal eye is very unlikely to cause RD but could cause PVD.   Well done and good luck on stopping alcohol and getting treatment for OCD.
Helpful - 2
4 Comments
Dear sir,

Understood. Your answer is well taken. Since I am only 23, I would like to prevent this floater issue from leading to further problems.

I am fond of running, i have already read on this forum that it is considered safe. But I want to ask about dancing and lifting light weights.

I enjoy lifting 2 pound weights with focus on reps rather than holding them for long (as part of my dynamic cardio workout) and also enjoy dancing. (Dancing would involve relatively fast head movement and eye movement). Are these problematic?

I try to avoid the valsalva manouvre as much as I can in these activities but sometimes it happens. Do you think doing the valsalva manouvre could lead to problems?


Thanks for your answer in advance
Regards
Sadly there is no way to prevent floaters. They become more common as we get older and are due to the way the eye ages. Running, dancing, light weights are fine.  Since almost everyone does a valsalva maneuver when they have a bowel movement its fair to say its not much of a threat to the eye.  
I'm with the Dr. You are obsessing. I don't know about the OCD but if you say you were a heavy drinker and obese....you don't do that for the heck of it. Learn and look up stuff yourself. Dependent personality comes to mind. It seems you are looking for someone to give you all the answers, you've been given them and then you take it even further. I am not a Dr. but I am a Psychotherapist. Seeking approval from total strangers is not cool. Whether on line, on a forum or in real life. I wish you all the luck in the world but "help you help yourself". Have a great day!!!
=
Avatar universal
Why did I get new floaters when so many people vomit everyday even with alcohol and dont get new floaters?
Helpful - 0
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177275 tn?1511755244
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