I had cataract surgery at 49 which went fine.
A couple months after surgery, I am seeing floaters - no pain or loss of vision but somewhat annoying.. it is like a strand that floats in and out.
The doctor said this is vitreous separation and not "uncommon" but happens to older people (I am an outlier for cataract in any case).
I swim 3-4 times a week and am fairly fit with no diabetes etc. so I'm wondering if swimming or chlorine has anything to do with this (the doctor did not think so..) ?
For folks that have had cataract surgery, have you ever seen floaters ?
Thanks to all the replies.. and Jim's article is particularly helpful. I did have a retinal detachment (fairly significant according to the surgeon)..he made 3 stitches in my eye during an involved vitrectomy. I now have the gas bubble and hoping my eye gets back to normal. Complete rest for 2 weeks in the head down position and no flying for the next 4 months.
One of my risk factors was cataract surgery.. I had good vision for all of 2 months until the detachment. I wondered if strenuous swimming and/or yoga might have had anything to do with the detachment, but the Doctor says no.
In any case, I hope to get back in a few months and take it real easy to start with - no backstroke or flip turns.
The Internet is full of sad stories of young people undergoing multiple surgeries but still losing their sight.
My experience is - you don't quite realize how lucky you are to be healthy until there is a risk of losing it... :)
..Take solace in the fact that floater misery has plenty of company: everyone gets these eventually
Be patient and allow your brain time to learn to filter them out and stop paying as much attention
Wear sun glasses and roll your eyeballs as needed!
Don't worry that swimming will make the problem worse--unrelated physiologically. If anything, the stress reduction of swimming might expedite the brain adaptation and floater-ignoring business!
Thanks to all the replies.. and Jim's article is particularly helpful. I did have a retinal detachment (fairly significant according to the surgeon)..he made 3 stitches in my eye during an involved vitrectomy. I now have the gas bubble and hoping my eye gets back to normal. Complete rest for 2 weeks in the head down position and no flying for the next 4 months.
One of my risk factors was cataract surgery.. I had good vision for all of 2 months until the detachment. I wondered if strenuous swimming and/or yoga might have had anything to do with the detachment, but the Doctor says no.
In any case, I hope to get back in a few months and take it real easy to start with - no backstroke or flip turns.
The Internet is full of sad stories of young people undergoing multiple surgeries but still losing their sight.
My experience is - you don't quite realize how lucky you are to be healthy until there is a risk of losing it... :)
..Take solace in the fact that floater misery has plenty of company: everyone gets these eventually
Be patient and allow your brain time to learn to filter them out and stop paying as much attention
Wear sun glasses and roll your eyeballs as needed!
Don't worry that swimming will make the problem worse--unrelated physiologically. If anything, the stress reduction of swimming might expedite the brain adaptation and floater-ignoring business!
