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Sour Notes About Retinal Detachments
Medical textbooks explain health problems in very technical, very dispassionate terms. I guess by keeping things 'objective' the reader can move on without getting emotionally involved with every disorder they study. How tidy!
At the far opposite end of the spectrum are patients' accounts of their problems. Equally detailed, their stories are dripping with fear, confusion, pessimism and lots of personal bias. Such is the case with this recent blog entry from a harpist who experienced a vitreous detachment.
First hand, first time experiences can be dramatic. After nicely describing the familiar constellation of symptoms, all of a sudden, the blogger starts worrying about blindness!
All of us will someday encounter a vitreous detachment but few (very few) have problems once the floaters, flashes, and meteor storms settle down. A small percentage can develop small holes in the retina but, once again, few need treatment and even fewer ever go blind. Less than 1-in-10,000 adults sustain a retinal detachment. Yep, most of them get completely fixed and preserve their eyesight.
So, what's my point? Don't ever let yourself leave the doctor's office afraid. A bit more information about vitreous detachments could have completely changed this dedicated musician's outlook regarding this normal, everyday, physiologic milestone in life. Instead of dwelling on an inaccurately dismal prognosis this blogger should be concentrating on the next recital, the next composition, the next blog.
Sure, know the warning signs of a possible retinal detachment and know what to do if it occurs. Meanwhile, get back to enjoying your life.
Related Topics: Vision Problems, Diabetic Retinopathy
Technorati Tags: retinaldetachment, floaters
At the far opposite end of the spectrum are patients' accounts of their problems. Equally detailed, their stories are dripping with fear, confusion, pessimism and lots of personal bias. Such is the case with this recent blog entry from a harpist who experienced a vitreous detachment.
First hand, first time experiences can be dramatic. After nicely describing the familiar constellation of symptoms, all of a sudden, the blogger starts worrying about blindness!
All of us will someday encounter a vitreous detachment but few (very few) have problems once the floaters, flashes, and meteor storms settle down. A small percentage can develop small holes in the retina but, once again, few need treatment and even fewer ever go blind. Less than 1-in-10,000 adults sustain a retinal detachment. Yep, most of them get completely fixed and preserve their eyesight.
So, what's my point? Don't ever let yourself leave the doctor's office afraid. A bit more information about vitreous detachments could have completely changed this dedicated musician's outlook regarding this normal, everyday, physiologic milestone in life. Instead of dwelling on an inaccurately dismal prognosis this blogger should be concentrating on the next recital, the next composition, the next blog.
Sure, know the warning signs of a possible retinal detachment and know what to do if it occurs. Meanwhile, get back to enjoying your life.
Related Topics: Vision Problems, Diabetic Retinopathy
Technorati Tags: retinaldetachment, floaters
