What is PVD or Posterior Vitreous Detachment? I had never heard of it until March of this year. It had been a stressful couple of weeks because I had been trying to help one of my chickens, “Skippy”, who had been sick and for the life of me I could not figure out what was wrong.
Needless to say, I hadn’t slept much which is not unusual for me when I’m stressed out. About three days before I was aware there was a problem, I noticed weird flashes of light in my peripheral vision. I just assumed it was because I wasn’t sleeping. The next day the flashes increased and I noticed a big floater that I hadn’t seen before. I figured my eyes were tired so I put some eyedrops in each eye and forgot about it. That night I decided to bring my sick chicken in the house and put her in a dog crate so I could keep an eye on her (no pun intended). Early the next morning, before the sun came up, I got up to check on “Skippy”. Well, I stumbled into the wall. I thought, “What is going on?” I ignored it and went in to see if Skippy was ok and fell into the dog crate because of all the flashing. You would have thought I was at a disco!
Then I thought, great, now I am going to have to say something, and I don’t have time for this. I told my husband when he got up for work and while I was describing it to him, my son overheard us talking and was convinced I was having a stroke. I kept telling him it was in my eye, but he wasn’t having it. So off we went to the dreaded emergency room. As everybody knows the emergency room is the last place you want to be. After six l-o-o-o-ng hours of tests and blood work, the doctor recommended I go to the hospital’s ophthalmologist, so I scheduled an appointment for the next day. The flashes and flickering were still happening so several tests were done. After the doctor looked at the pictures, he told me I had PVD, posterior vitreous detachment. Anything with the word “detachment” doesn’t sound good to me. What in the world is it?! Posterior Vitreous Detachment happens when the gel-like fluid that fills your eye, called the vitreous, becomes more liquid instead of gel-like. It is common in people over the age of 70, which I have quite a few years to go. So why did this happen?!
From my research these are the contributing factors for PVD:
- Vitreous thins with aging
- People with myopia: patients with myopia (nearsightedness) experience PVD 10 years earlier
- Cataract surgery
- Trauma to the head
- Vigorous nose bleeding
- Excessive computer use
- Menopause
- High levels of B6
Unfortunately once the vitreous detaches you can’t fix it. There are a few complications that can occur when detachment happens. It can cause a retinal tear which could lead to retinal detachment if the tear is acute. This is why it is important to go to the ophthalmologist for a follow up visit because serious changes can occur up to 6 weeks after PVD happens.
When I went for my follow up visit there were no tears. The other unfortunate complication of PVD is that the thinning of the vitreous makes the eye more prone to cataracts. During my eye exam the ophthalmologist found a tiny cataract in each eye. The good news is there was no sign of glaucoma or macular degeneration. The ophthalmologist told me there was nothing to worry about in regards to the cataracts but I believe prevention is better than a cure, so I did some research on how to slow the progression of cataracts and if there was a way to reduce them. I did find some very interesting facts that are helpful.
The following are nutrients that slow the progression of cataracts:
- Vitamin C
- Lutein & zeaxanthin
- Omega 3
- Wholefood multivitamin without synthetics (natures whole food multivitamins are (bee pollen, chlorella, marine phytoplankton, sea moss w/ bladderwrack, beef liver)
- Astaxanthin 12mg
- B12 & B2
Currently there are a few eye drops in the clinical trail phase being tested for possible prevention and reduction of cataracts:
- Lanosterol eye drops
- 25-hydroxychosterol eye drops
- VP-001 (compound 29)
- Antioxidant drops
- NAC eye drop (N-acetylcarnosine)
- Rosmarinic acid
- C-KAD
Unfortunately none of these have left the clinical trail phrase but it might be worth staying informed. There is one product that is currently being sold. It is called NAC eye drops called “Can-C”.
Below are links to learn more:
- https://www.can-c.net/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWOOo2VsyRQ
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2BWKlnGax4&t=1s
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whb0WqthFqw&t=338s
If a retinal tear should occur or floaters are creating vision impairment as a result of PVD, there are surgical procedures to repair the tear, such as, vitrectomy or vitreolysis. As with any surgery there are risks. Cataract formation or retinal detachment are possibilities so this is why most ophthalmologist do not recommend surgery unless vision is impaired or the retina tears. It is not a risk I’m willing to take. I did some research on nutrients that could possibly reduce the floaters and progression of PVD so there are no tears, plus I also want to strengthen my vision.
Vitreous health supplements help manage vitreous floaters which are collagen fibers that cast shadows on the retina. There is a patent blend of antioxidant nutrients that improve visual health within six months:
- L-lysine
- Vitamin C
- Grapeseed Extract
- Zinc
- Citrus Flavonoid
- Hyaluronic Acid (highest source is bone broth)
- Bromelain – it has been proven that eating a slice of pineapple 2X per day can reduce eye floaters within 3 months
Of the nutrients listed, vitamin C, I would think would be the most important because vitamin C naturally increases collagen production which is what the vitreous is made of, just a thought to consider.
Foods with the highest vitamin C content:
- Kakadu plums
- Acerola cherries
- Rosehips
- Chili Peppers
- Guava
- Red Bell Pepper
- Parsley
- Mustard Spinach
- Citrus Fruit
Below are a list of supplement brands with a good combination of nutrients for eye health:
- Clear Eye by Theia Bio
- Pure Synergy Eye Protector
- BioAstin Astaxanathin 12mg
- Premier Research Labs. OcuVen
- Nordic Naturals Omega Vision
These are the vision supplements I am currently taking along with preservative-free eye drops recommended by my ophthalmologist:
From the research on nutrients for PVD I discovered Dunaliella Salina, a micro algae becoming recognized as a promising supplement for eye health. This is a supplement I am considering for myself. I did find a few brands with good reviews for positive results:
- Now Foods Natural Betacarotene
- Algotene Red Marine Phytoplankton
- https://interclinical.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/algotenepatienta4.pdf
- Sea Carotene by Seagrass Tech
- Code Edge Eye Vitamins
- Natural Factors Whole Earth & Sea Multivitamin (also has a men’s multi)
- Carlson Labs Super Beta Carotene
- Vitamin Shoppe’s Fermented Multivitamins (also has a men’s multi)
Additional references for Dunaliella Salina:
- https://www.marine-phytoplankton.com.au/why-us
- https://hydralongevity.com/en-us/pages/dunaliella-salina
- https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/carotenoids
Web Site References:
- https://www.naturaleyecare.com/eye-conditions/vitreous-detachment/
- https://www.naturaleyecare.com/eye-conditions/eye-floaters/
- https://www.algatech.com/astaxanthin-and-eye-health/
- https://www.takecareof.com/articles/astaxanthin-benefits-for-eyes
- https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataract-medication/
- https://www.consumerlab.com/answers/do-any-supplements-help-prevent-or-improve-cataracts/cataracts/?search=Eye%20Health
- https://store.naturaleyecare.com/eye-vitamins-supplements/vitamins-supplements-vitreous-support.html
- https://thesynergycompany.com/products/eye-protector?variant=40358088573007&tw_source=google&tw_adid=666273426686&tw_campaign=12299990368&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6uWyBhD1ARIsAIMcADrtocoxYDh0iehD8guZYSlYkdDjicujj2Fd0hAO9-YYuHSNh8lW8wYaAkZKEALw_wcB
- https://vistaeyecareco.com/ocular-nutrition/