dark cloud that covers the lower vision of my right eye, it moves with the eye ball

[adorlavilla]

I have a dark cloud that covers the lower vision of my right eye, it moves with the eye ball, please advise

[JohnHaganMD]

There are many things that can cause this:  Please answer these questions:  your age, when you last had a medical eye exam,  any medical conditions your have, any eye diseases that run in your family,  can you see through the cloud?  Did you have flashes of light or black floaters before the 'cloud' came on?  Is there pain, redness, have you had trauma? Are the symptoms only in one eye.

[adorlavilla]

Sir,  I'm 69 years old,  I have my last eye exam June 2019,  the Ophthalmologist dilated my eyes and after exam stated that given my age, my controlled diabetes,  controlled BP,  Chole, etc.,   I cant have a 20/20 vision.   She have my glass upgraded to enjoy watching movie coz the picture will be blurred.  I was considered  to be near sighted.  Last October I experienced eye dryness and I was given artificial tears.  Except for a very few floaters that goes away with the lubricant and a flashes of light for a day or two, no other issues until March 11, 2020.  At that day I feel discomfort at my right eye that I keep blinking to gain comfort and that's the time I notice that when I cover my left eye there's something like a dark cloud covering my right vision at lower part.  It moves with my eye,  say if I look down the dark cloud goes down also.  Last March 12,   when I'm about to see my ophthalmologist our Metropolis was put into Lock Down due to COVID 19,   No transportation.  I don't want to go to the hospital coz of the Pandemic.   All hospital are full of COVID19 infected people.  Too many people are dying.  That's why I seek help from MedHelp.   More thing,  I can't see through the cloud,  there's no pain,  no redness,  don't have any trauma,  no eye disease in the family and the symptoms is only in my right eye.   One more thing,   last Jan. 15  2020 before noon I suffered from TIA  that's  Transient Ischemic Attack, a mini stroke,  I was in the Hospital Emergency  for 5 hours only,  after a battery of test  I was declared safe, no other findings and ordered to go home that afternoon,  after a week of  out patient follow up the doctor told me that everything is normal,  now I have a strict diet and I'm doing well for 2 months now except for this vision problem that started March 11, 2020.     Please help.       Ador Lavilla

[JohnHaganMD]

Ador. These are desperate times and I'm offering more advice than we would ordinarily when people have regular access to medical/eye care.  The absolute best thing this could be is a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) with a much larger than normal floater (Weiss Ring or vitreous veil/membrane)   Floaters like people come in all different sizes and shapes.  Go on the internet e.g. Google images and look up Weiss Ring vitreous floater. I have one in my right eye. It is 5-6 times the size of a regular floater. Also sheets, not pieces, of the posterior vitreous membrane can come loose and look like a veil that you can see through.  There are some much more serious problems:  1. retinal detachment.  usually preceded by bright flashes of light,  hundreds of small black dust like floaters (blood) and the blacked out area while it can move is dark and not possible to see in the blacked out area.  Another possibility is bleeding in the eye from diabetic retinopathy.  If you had a normal eye exam in Oct 2019 and your diabetes is controlled it is unlikely that severe bleeding diabetes would develop in that time.  Another possibility since you had a TIA is that you had a blood clot (emboli) or cholesterol plaque that caused a small stroke in the eye.  However that type of problems the dark area doesn't move.  Or you could have had a blockage of a artery or vein in the eye (more common in TIA and diabetics) that caused a small hemorrhage in your eye.   From what you have told me the most likely is the large vitreous opacity.  Suggest you avoid heavy bending, stooping or lifting, try and keep you head above you waist,  Keep your blood sugars and blood pressure under good control.  While  I cannot tell you for certain and am offering more of an opinion than usual with COVID 19 it is less likely to be one of the more serious problems.  Over time most of these 'clouds' drop to the bottom of the eye and out of the line of sight or the brain learns to ignore the cloud ( I got used to my Weiss ring but took about 4-6 months).  when the world is back to normal see an ophthalmologist or if it is possible to speak with your ophthalmologist by phone or telemedicine do so. Best of luck.

[adorlavilla]

April 1, 2020,

Dear Doctor John Hagan,

Thank you so much for taking the time to analyze my medical condition, more so for enlightenment that I needed most at this crucial stage of my senior year. I salute you and hope that you'll have the best in life.

I will follow your advice and I will look for another ophthalmologist (my ophtha is under quarantine as she is covid19 positive).  Hope this pandemic will recede and be stop soonest.

Again thank you and more power.

Respectfully yours,
Ador lavilla

[JohnHaganMD]

Happy to be of help. One World, we are all in this together.   JHagan MD