• Can a PVD affect my performance as a competitive marksman?


    Question:

    I am a 67-year-old competitive marksman. Two years ago, I had a posterior vitreous detachment (or PVD, when the gel in the middle of the eye shrinks and separates from the back of the eye) in each eye, after which, all of my shots were six inches to the left of the bull’s-eye. Prior to the PVDs I never had this problem and I have tried every remedy with regard to my shooting form and trigger placement. Could this shifting to the left be a result of the PVDs?


    Answer:

    When the posterior vitreous detaches in a PVD it causes floaters, which can potentially interfere with vision. However, a systematic shift in your ability to aim at a mark accurately should not be affected by the PVD. Perhaps you can consult your ophthalmologist and retina specialist and they could look for eccentric fixation (when an area in the back of the eye, other than the fovea, is used for visual fixation), which theoretically could cause a systematic shift such as you are describing.


    Answered By:

    General Eye Health