Retinopathy "spots"?

[JamieD110]

Hello. For anyone having diabetic retinopathy, I have a question for you. I've got mild, non-prolific retinopathy, and have had it for about 3 years.
My ophthalmologist says I have some intra-retinal spots where blood has leaked out. I see black spots whe I blink, and then the almost disappear, until I blink again. They are tiny and I am keeping my blood susar levels down, but in these areas, I get a grayish area that stays, and "blanks out" my vision, completely, where it is, but they are not that disruptive unless you are looking at something and then you shift your eyes and that "something" disappears!
Does anyone else see these things? My retinal specialist said they should come and go, change shape, etc. with time, but they aren't. I'm just wondering if they are permanent. He gave kind of a vaque answer like "they could get better", "watch you blood pressure and blood sugar so you don't get more of them", etc.
I am wondering if they will ever go away. I've had them about 3 years, and there is no change, good or bad, in them.
eyes and it disappears!
Weirdly enough, in the dark or when I close my eyes, I see little flickering white waves only in these blind spots. I am wondering what the heck that is... migraine auras (I get them a lot), visual snow, etc. Does anyone get THIS symptom with their retinopathy?
Thank you.

 

[Jo123]

Hi I've got one largish spot of damaged retina, it is permanent, but I see exactly what you do with my eyes shut those wiggly white lines exactly where my blind spot is!! And I get ocular migraines! But I had these after developing my blind spot.
Mine is not due to diabetes. The sight in my bad eye is quite badly affected thankfully my good eye carries it.

 

[noblehead]

Hi @JamieD110

I didn't experience the greyish area blanking out the vision or the flickering white waves, however I did experience the black spots and was told this was the leaking blood breaking down in the vitreous gel, usually these spots disappear over a day or two and is eventually reabsorbed by the body.

If at all concerned just get back in touch with the Ophthalmology Clinic and they'll likely ask you to come in and examine your eyes, I was told to do this when my retinopathy was active and I did so on more than one occasion, but if you can try and keep on top of your bg, bp and cholesterol levels as this is essential when someone has diabetic retinopathy, it says all this and more in the following if you want to take a look:

http://www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/pre-proliferative.html

 

[Bobbin]

I have proliferative retinopathy and have greyish areas in my eyesight, worse when looking at something white, or a screen. It's rather like looking through a dirty lens of a camera. They sometimes change a bit or move a little. My night vision is rubbish, a result of pan rental laser.
Interesting that you mention visual snow - no one has been able to give me an answer on why I have an orangey snow effect in my vision, it is more so the dimmer the light is.

 

[Jemmalee]

Hi Jamie, I am really interested in your symptoms as you are the only other person I have come across with the exact same symptoms as myself. I too see these 'grey' spots in my vision, much like a shimmering after-sun image that blanks out whatever I am trying to see. They are very small but definitely obstructive. I have been treated for proliferative retinopathy in both eyes although the eye with the spot actually only ever had non-proliferative retinopathy. Since then I have had every test under the sun to find out what these blobs could be and none of my doctors detected any abnormality. But of course, I still see these spots. Let's just hope and pray that they will eventually disappear with time! Just wanted to thank let you know you're certainly not alone in your symptoms.

Best wishes,
Jemma