Seeing Black Spots

[Dobo]

When I was out on my morning ride today I noticed a couple of really small black spots which suddenly appeared in my right eye, they lasted for a few minutes then disapeared. Any ideas what this cold be? I'm not sure if it's a sign of somthing serious or not.

Cheers

[iMad]

When I was out on my morning ride today I noticed a couple of really small black spots which suddenly appeared in my right eye, they lasted for a few minutes then disapeared. Any ideas what this cold be? I'm not sure if it's a sign of somthing serious or not.

Cheers

I can't offer medical advice but I get floaters (spots) all the time in my eyes.
Occasionally I get a slight flicker in the corner of my right eye that slowly worsens to the point I have tunnel vision in both eyes. It seems to last about 10 minutes then clears quickly with no after effects.
It used to worry me at first but not now because I understand it's not too uncommon.
I don't think I'd be too concerned at this stage. Just monitor it and if it gets worse or remains for lengthy periods go see your GP.

[Downhill]

When I was out on my morning ride today I noticed a couple of really small black spots which suddenly appeared in my right eye, they lasted for a few minutes then disapeared. Any ideas what this cold be? I'm not sure if it's a sign of somthing serious or not.

Cheers

If it continues then get it checked it out (especially if there is any pain or other symptoms). It's the quickest way to get peace of mind.

[Addictr3]

When I was out on my morning ride today I noticed a couple of really small black spots which suddenly appeared in my right eye, they lasted for a few minutes then disapeared. Any ideas what this cold be? I'm not sure if it's a sign of somthing serious or not.

Cheers

Ever suffer head aches? Were you riding hard?

[twizzle]

... or you could just leave it until something bad happens and then say stuff like "I wish I had..."

Doctors prefer to see people who don't need fixing... rather than people who missed the opportunity to be fixed.

[Dobo]

I don't get headaches while riding but I have had the occasional dizzy spell but I just put that down to a crash in blood sugar. a rest and something to eat usually fixes that pretty fast but this is the first time i've had these black spots. I do tend to fatigue very quickly all of a sudden especially when riding into the wind or up hill but I back right off and recover very quickly too. I thought it might be a bit of dehydration but I have read somewhere that it could be low blood pressure that causes it but there are quite a few more scary alternative explanations too. Just thought I'd ask on here to see if anyone else had experienced the same thing. I'm going to buy a heart rate monitor to make sure I'm not over exserting myself and adjust my training from there.

[nutsack]

When I was out on my morning ride today I noticed a couple of really small black spots which suddenly appeared in my right eye, they lasted for a few minutes then disapeared. Any ideas what this cold be? I'm not sure if it's a sign of somthing serious or not.

Cheers

How old you?

Black spots (floaters) are common and by themselves benign. I have a ton in my right eye as a result of a squash ball injury years ago. As you get older the vitreous (jelly) within the eye can detach partially suddenly causing a large amount of floaters to appear which may or may not settle. Learn to ignore them.

Floaters plus flashes +/- loss of vision = bad = retial detachment. Get this seen to asap.

[nutsack]

I can't offer medical advice but I get floaters (spots) all the time in my eyes.
Occasionally I get a slight flicker in the corner of my right eye that slowly worsens to the point I have tunnel vision in both eyes. It seems to last about 10 minutes then clears quickly with no after effects.
It used to worry me at first but not now because I understand it's not too uncommon.
I don't think I'd be too concerned at this stage. Just monitor it and if it gets worse or remains for lengthy periods go see your GP.

Yeah, I'd get yours checked out. Floaters are common, loss of vision even if temporary, may indicate a vascular problem. Yours may be benign e.g. like a migranous aura without the headache. But I wouldn't just assume.

[iMad]

I can't offer medical advice but I get floaters (spots) all the time in my eyes.
Occasionally I get a slight flicker in the corner of my right eye that slowly worsens to the point I have tunnel vision in both eyes. It seems to last about 10 minutes then clears quickly with no after effects.
It used to worry me at first but not now because I understand it's not too uncommon.
I don't think I'd be too concerned at this stage. Just monitor it and if it gets worse or remains for lengthy periods go see your GP.

Yeah, I'd get yours checked out. Floaters are common, loss of vision even if temporary, may indicate a vascular problem. Yours may be benign e.g. like a migranous aura without the headache. But I wouldn't just assume.

Thanks Nutsack
I was concerned about it when it first happened, but I was telling my son-in-law about the experience some time ago and he said he gets the same thing from time to time. I sort of figured that because he's a triathlete and I was working hard to get fit on my new bike that it was fairly common. I will mention it to my GP when I see him. Thanks.

[twizzle]

I don't get headaches while riding but I have had the occasional dizzy spell but I just put that down to a crash in blood sugar. a rest and something to eat usually fixes that pretty fast but this is the first time i've had these black spots. I do tend to fatigue very quickly all of a sudden especially when riding into the wind or up hill but I back right off and recover very quickly too. I thought it might be a bit of dehydration but I have read somewhere that it could be low blood pressure that causes it but there are quite a few more scary alternative explanations too. Just thought I'd ask on here to see if anyone else had experienced the same thing. I'm going to buy a heart rate monitor to make sure I'm not over exserting myself and adjust my training from there.

I nearly fell off my bike in a race last year with a sudden dizzy spell, no sense of balance at all for about 30 seconds, took months before it was 'sort of' right, but the MRI scan showed an unusually high number of dead-bits in my brain for someone my age. I now take low-dose aspirin to thin the blood in case it was a blood-flow issue that killed them, but I have more of these 'off balance'/'slight dizzy' moments since "The Big Event".

[Semar]

These look like my floaters. They ain't spots. See a doctor.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/37247 ... cise-mean/

[wombatK]

If you start seeing them afterwards, or see cobwebs or flashes, go see an ophthalmologist ASAP - that is, As Soon As Possible. Meaning without delay. Probably worth seeing an ophthalmologist with less urgency anyway - eyesight is pretty critical to
lots of activities, not just cycling.

[iMad]

I can't offer medical advice but I get floaters (spots) all the time in my eyes.
Occasionally I get a slight flicker in the corner of my right eye that slowly worsens to the point I have tunnel vision in both eyes. It seems to last about 10 minutes then clears quickly with no after effects.
It used to worry me at first but not now because I understand it's not too uncommon.
I don't think I'd be too concerned at this stage. Just monitor it and if it gets worse or remains for lengthy periods go see your GP.

Yeah, I'd get yours checked out. Floaters are common, loss of vision even if temporary, may indicate a vascular problem. Yours may be benign e.g. like a migranous aura without the headache. But I wouldn't just assume.

I found this and it illustrates perfectly what happens during an episode. http://www.migraine-aura.org/content/e2 ... ex_en.html
No headache though, just the strange visual sensation and tunnel vision. Can be frightening first time around.

[Max]

I have floaters as a result of a bad case of iritis when I was in my teens. It all but blinded me in my left eye, and my right eye was also affected. My stupid GP misdiagnosed it as conjunctivitis . By the time I finally got a referral to an opthalmologist, it was so bad I needed an injection of steroids in my left eyeball. This is an incredibly unpleasant process and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The opthalmologist said it was so bad that I was only one day away from blindness. I needed ongoing treatment for the next year. It permanently affected my vision, and I wish my GP hadn't been so damn obstinate in his diagnosis. I could've received treatment earlier and I'm sure the outcome would've been a much better one.

My iritis was accompanied by severe pain and intolerance to light, and the floaters came along afterwards (they weren't a symptom, they were a result). You're not describing any other symptoms, but let my experience be a cautionary tale to you! Don't let it go undiagnosed (or, worse, misdiagnosed). Get yourself to an opthalmologist. Don't spend any time having a GP check it out. Most of them won't have the first clue what they're looking at. Get them to refer you to a specialist. And if it turns out it's just old age or something benign, great. But if it's more than that, you'll have an early start on treatment.

Max

[sogood]

Max has demonstrated the importance of finding a competent GP. Otherwise floater is a simple diagnosis or it'll be an expensive diagnosis by an ophthalmologist after 3 months wait.