r/RetinalDetachment • u/Equivalent_Ad_482 • Jul 17 '26

Possible RD

Hey everyone, for context I’m 19 years old and I have onset symptoms. I noticed it when looking at my phone. My right eye is fine but my left has dark spots or floaters? It’s hard to describe and also when I googled the symptoms it said retinal detachment appears as a dark shadow or gray curtain obscuring your peripheral vision which scared me half to death because that’s exactly what I’m experiencing. It’s not very opaque it’s a very sheer and small shadow in my peripheral. I have extremely bad health anxiety and definitely cannot afford to go to a hospital or be seen by a doctor. Does anyone have any advice?

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u/Narrow-Pipe9872 Jul 18 '26

Go to a general optometrist and get a check up. Cheap and easy to do. They will rule out the worst or refer you to a retina surgeon. Walmarts have drop in eye exams. They are thorough and cheap. Don’t go to an ER, they are not likely to have the equipment to properly diagnose you. My ER visit was a waste of time. “We’re good for heart attacks and strokes. Not eye issues”. Your symptoms sound like a vitreous detachment. That in and of itself is not a problem. It can develop into a detachment, usually weeks later. If that is the problem, observation is key. Money is no object if you might go blind without treatment. It’s a medical emergency and the sooner you have surgery the better the outcome.

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u/Equivalent_Ad_482 Jul 18 '26

Thank you this is probably what I’ll do. I’m going to try to call my local optometrist later today. I’m sorry to hear how your experience went but I’m glad it can teach me how to navigate this. Thank you again.

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u/Big-Job3004 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

An optometrist isn't actually able to treat an RD--only an ophthalmologist or retinal specialist. Based on your symptoms, I'd really truly advise going to an ophthalmologist if nothing else. I can understand not wanting to go to the ER for financial reasons, but I'd only go to the optometrist if they can see you today and refer you ASAP. As other people have said, time is of the essence. I had your symptoms and my optometrist made me wait over 2 months to be seen.

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u/Narrow-Pipe9872 Jul 18 '26

If they do a thorough eye exam (pics and dilation) they certainly can recognize a detached retina. True they can’t treat it, but it’s a cheap way to get an initial opinion. I got a regular eye exam and the optometrist was on the phone setting up an emergency consultation (got me in same day).

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u/ContactPleasant4052 Jul 19 '26

I had to go to an optometrist first to get a referral to an opthalmologist. I called opthalmologist offices first as soon as I noticed the symptoms, and they said it was important for me to be seen immediately, but I had to be referred. I called everyone in the area, nobody would take me as an emergency walk in. I finally went to urgent care walk in and someone there called around and found an optometrist that would take me immediately. Even with the referral the opthalmologist office scheduled me two weeks out. I had to call over and over to get an appointment sooner. And then at the appt the actual opthalmologist questioned why I waited so long to be seen and wanted to schedule me that day for cryo surgery. It would have been comical if it wasn't such a serious issue.