It sounds like you had a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). PVD is common for older adults; over 75% of those over the age of 65 develop it, according to research I have read. Although less common among people in their 40s or 50s, the condition is not rare for those individuals. Some research has found that the condition is more common among women.
PVD is a condition where the vitreous pulls away from the retina at the back of your eye. This detachment is usually caused by changes in your vitreous gel. PVD isn’t painful and by itself it doesn’t cause sight loss, but you may have symptoms such as seeing floaters and flashing lights. These symptoms will calm down as your brain learns to ignore them. With time, you should be able to see the same as before.
As you age, it is common for the vitreous to become more watery and less like a gel. When the vitreous gets too soft and loses its shape, it can come away from the retina and shrink in towards the centre of your eye.
These changes are usually not a sign of another eye health problem. However, in rare cases a PVD can develop a retinal tear, which, if left untreated will develop into a retinal detachment. Therefore, it is wise to see your doctor.
Most people with a PVD can carry on with their normal day-to-day activities with no restrictions, especially after the PVD has stabilized.
Some ophthalmologists advise that high impact exercise should be avoided during the first six weeks after the start of a PVD. This is because your vitreous may not have completely detached from your retina and you may be at greater risk of having a retinal detachment during this time.
However, there is no evidence that any of the following activities directly cause any problems with a PVD:
- Very heavy lifting
- energetic or high impact exercises, such as running or aerobics
- Playing contact sports, such as rugby, martial arts or boxing
- Inverted positions in activities such as yoga or pilates.
I am always concerned that a restriction of exercise and activity in general could do more harm than good. In this case, as far as I know, there is no evidence that rebounding would cause this. If you know otherwise, please let us know.
As far as treatments, it is possible to remove floaters now with fine-needle aspiration with vitrectomy. You might want an opinion from a super-expert. If your central cornea is clear and the haze is peripheral you might want to leave it alone. However, corneal endothelial stem cell transplants are being done now. Again, you would want to see a super-specialist.
I also wonder if any supplements like glucoasmine, hyaluronic acid, MSM or chondroitin sulfate would help... this is just speculation. However, if you have glaucoma, be cautious with those supplements because in roughly half of glaucoma patients they can lead to an increase in intraocular pressure (eye pressure).
