My six year old son just informed me that he sees colored floaters. He explained they are not circles but rather shaped like a flower (without the stem). They are sometimes just one color and sometimes they are several colors. He has been seeing these for at least a year but just let me know about it today. The size of the floaters are the size of my hand, so they are not small. He mentioned that he tries to catch them at which point it disappears. He Never has headaches and he had a CT scan three years ago and everything was normal. He just had a complete eye exam today (dialated pupils) and the doctor said everything was normal, perfect vision and healthy eyes. Of course he mentioned the colored floaters when we got home AFTER the doctors visit. I am very concerned and have no idea what specialist to take him too to get evaluated. If anyone had any suggestions, or knows what steps I can take please please share them with me.
Did he notice this before going to the doctor? It could be that the slit lamp (I think they call it that) that shines SO bright in his eyes after he is dialated might be causing it.
Wait a few days and then assess him again. If he says it's still there, call that doctor back up and tell him, IF he's an opthamologist. If he's an optomitrist, I agree with CA - get him into an opthamologist.
Dawn
I agree with the others- see the opthamologist, or at least call and talk with the doc. Friends have experienced this, only small floaters. The doc. said it was ok- but be sure to ask, and have it checked.
Good luck.
You may also want to check with his pediatrician. I started experiencing visual migraines at an early age and while there was no migraine pain at the time, as I got older it usually precluded a full blown migraine.
Get him in with an ophthalmologist. This is the specialist who checks eye health. Definitely don't take any vision issues lightly. Usually the earlier things are caught, the greater the chances of getting them fixed.
Could he possibly means like when he rubs his eyes and sees spots? Or perhaps he stares at bright lights or the sky for too long? I woudl ask him mor eabout when/where he sees them?
I woudl call back the opthamologist and mention it to the nurse. It is perfectly normal that eye exam would spark this conversation, so they shouldn't mind. Also, a fair conversation for the ped. However, I would start with your opthamologist.
PS - I was thinking about your post, and I see you already got the responses I was going to add. I assumned you saw an opthamologist, but if you didn't s/he might not have done a good job of looking at the retina which is the cause of floaters. i actually have a retinal disease, and a good retinal check is super important.
Please get his retina checked. Floaters are usually a sign of retinal damage and maybe all he needs is biannual check ups, it is important to keep a tab of. This can happen to anyone with perfect vision too so see a retina specialist (not eye specialist). Of course, it is highly probable that it is nothing serious but don't risk it.
I agree that it could be an occular migraine. I think a Ped. Neurologist would be the best Dr. to diagnose, not an eye doctor.
You said he had a complete eye exam. But you didn't say what kind of doctor did the exam. If you went to an optometrist he may not find the problem. He is trained to find out if your son needs glasses or not, but for something like this, your son needs to see an ophthalmologist. The optometrist can probably recommend a good one. Or talk to your son's pediatrician.
I'd take him to the ped first. It's possible that it's something like occular migraines (which can occur without any headache). My husband has them and they consist of floating color lights. They are also benign (yea!).
The other thing I think aobut with seeing colors and floaters (like fireworks) is retina problems, which can be very serious, but a dilated pupils exam should rule that out.
I'd start with the ped and see what they recommend.
I completely agree with every suggestion you've been given and I would defintely check this further with a specialist just to be absolutely sure of his sight and or brain function. But if everything turns out fine and normal and healthy with him, it could be something else. This is only a thought and I'm not necessarily trying to suggest anything, but, your son could be seeing spirits which wouldn't be all that unusal. Children see things much more than adults a lot of times. I won't say anything further at this point other than I know I've experienced many things beginning when I was a child. Let us know how everything turns out. Sending the Best for you and your son
Yes and yes. See a specialist (opthamologist), and check into the possibility of migraine. My sister has those, and it is bright flashing lights of various colors, also called 'scintillating scotoma.' In some cases that's all there is to it, and in others it precedes a headache. And it can change. Definitely ask the ped, and maybe look into a pediatric neurologist.
I haven't read your other responses but I suggest taking him to a pediatric opthamologist. I've taken my daughter to Dr. Rosin (sp?) at Millenium Eye Care on Route 9 South in Marlboro or Manalapan (not sure exact town of the office but you can Google it. They also have a location in Freehold). Best of luck to you.
