If you are experiencing "lightning" or "welding" going off in your peripheral vision, then you too are experiencing the cause of all this misery. As I now understand it, PVD or "peripheral vitreous detachment" is an age-related issue that seems to affect the near-sighted and the astigmatic much more than most (more "conical" eyes versus truly "round" eyes). It is the vitreous humor pulling away from the back of the eye as you effectively get-old and "dry-out", and the process can act to tear the connection of the optic nerve with the back of the eye. If you're lucky, you just end up with "floaters" and a few blank spots, if not so-lucky you end up losing the use of that eye as a dark curtain is drawn across it. Ted isn't worst-case but... it has effectively ruined his left-handed shooting. My experience with it has left me with deteriorated vision in my left (or shooting) eye, but I'm still soldiering on. Once damaged you are evidently more fragile, and caution is always advised (no more magnum rifles?) but... when has any sawbones ever not advised caution? I'm not happy about it, but I'm also not going to change anything. I certainly don't love recoil, but I've never been all that sensitive to it either (yet another insensitive bastard, eh?). Lighter guns seem to do better with softer loads and I respond accordingly but... I'm not going to live in fear about it. When my dirt-nap comes I'm hoping to have worn everything completely out, and hang the expense!
Yes all those things happen. After my surgery in Florida the doctor said I would be near sighted. You might say I have the best of both, without corrective lenses, my left eye is good to arms length and my right eye is good for distance but not close-up. The only time I wear glasses is driving. I have other glasses for shooting.
As to floaters I have them, most times the brain doesn't focus and I don't see them, other times blink your eyes and they jump right back up top. You get to live with it
