by For the past 20 years my floaters and flashers have been making me crazy! They’ve calmed down a bit in the last couple of years but they are still bothersome and my eye doctor says nothing can be done to fix them.
Floaters and flashers are a natural part of getting older though a sudden onset of either could mean retina trouble and you should see your ophthalmologist immediately if you experience floaters and flashers in an unordinary way.
If you are lucky enough to not have a clue what “floaters and flashers” means consider yourself blessed and clear-eyed and get out of my sight!
For the rest of us who have to deal with floaters and flashers we must
fight reality and falsity right before our eyes.
Floaters are cellular gunk that travels around inside your eye.
Floaters come in all shapes and sizes.
My floaters appear like a single strands of hair and I can especially see them when I’m in a dark room watching a bright screen so when I see a movie or watch television in the dark or when I use my computer late at night my floaters come out and swim in my field of vision. Sometimes my floaters are more entertaining than the movies
I watch.
You can unfocus your eyes and meditate while watching the floaters flow by but if you’re trying to get serious work done on a deadline your floaters can sell you down the wrong river by continuously wading into your line of sight.
The trick to dealing with floaters is to keep your eyes still so the floaters will float down and settle out of your field of view.
If you move your eye around too much they get all stirred up again just like snowflakes in a snow globe and you have to wait all over again for them
to calm down.
My floaters make me edgy when I feel I see something out of the corner of my eye — a mugger sneaking up on me, a cat climbing into an active fireplace, a truck bearing down on me — when it is all only another floater passing through my eye.
I have to honor all those alarms, though, because when you’re out in the world you can’t know if you’re sensing a floater or real danger so I have a habit of always looking around a lot just to make sure I am properly defining the reality surrounding me.
Flashers come in all sizes and intensities.
Mine tend to be instantaneous pinpoints of blue or white light that looks like the snow you would get on old television sets from channels without a broadcast station.
I can handle my flashers better than my floaters because a flasher, while annoying, is immediately identifiable as an experience.
Floaters and flashers are a natural part of seeing — or not seeing! — for many of us and I accept them as a station of my life. I just wish I could blink them away at will instead of them willfully making me blink first.
I have these too. My floaters are like a webbing that always scrolls down. My flashers are fireworks shooting here and there.
Hi Simmering!
I feel for you. Floaters and Flashers are annoying but I’m glad you’re able to deal with them living in your eyes. I’m glad I don’t have fireworks yet! 🙂
I have floating and flashing too. Have to look thru focus floaters to see. older should see less float. Flashing is green in center of vision not much not as fun as floating.
Hiya tian!
10 years ago my floaters were killing me and I could see them all the time. Now they are bothersome only in the dark with a bright light source. We have them because that’s how we’re made. We’ll get through it as one. 😀
According to my Mom (well, her Eye Doc. anyway), you can mitigate Floaters/Flashers by making sure to not be deficient in a couple of key vitamins. Not that I know which ones they are off the top of my head, but Mom says if she forgets her multi-vitamin for a few days in a row, her “Floater” about double. And that they have probably dropped to a tenth of what she originally had after regularly taking vitamins for the last six months or so. (She takes the generic form of Centrum Silver, but probably any decent multi-vitamin would work.)
Of course the irony is now I get to say, “Don’t forget to take your vitamins!”
Regards,
M.J. Taylor
Editor
from Reason to Freedom
http://www.ReasonToFreedom.com/
Heya M.J.!
Thanks for the vitamins tip!
I’m a bit of a health freak so I try to cover all those bases with a good multi-vitamin every day even though most of the current medical literature claims if you eat a balanced diet you don’t need a supplemental vitamin.
I think it’s better to be cautious than practical. 😀
Wow I have never heard of this stuff. I have pretty good eyes. I never knew that floaters & flashes existed.
Me either Haddock until two weeks ago. It came on suddenly. These posts make me feel better.
Now that’s amazing, Mr. Haddock! 🙂
I thought Flashers and Floaters were pretty ordinary. At least that’s the feeling my eye doctor gave me. He said many people have them and he always mentions them… asks me if they’re bothering me… and then before I can answer he tells me there’s nothing he can do about them anyway and I’ll just have to live with ’em. 😀
M.J. Taylor, you must be talking about a study from 2002 where dietary supplementation with
Vitamin C and E
Zinc
Copper
Beta Carotene
lowered the incidence of floaters. Our Opthalmogists here recommend that combination as a result of the study. 🙂
Good to know, Jeff!
I take a Centrum vitamin every day.
Here’s the breakdown of what Centrum offers in one vitamin (with %DV) concerning the study you mention:
Vitamin C: 60 mg (100%)
Vitamin E: 30 IU (100%)
Zinc: 15 mg (100%)
Copper: 2 mg (100%)
Beta Carotene: Vitamin A 3500 IU (100%)
with 29% as Beta Carotene
There’s a whole Centrum label:
Each Tablet Contains % DV
Vitamin A 3500 IU (29% as Beta Carotene) 70%
Vitamin C 60 mg 100%
Vitamin D 400 IU 100%
Vitamin E 30 IU 100%
Vitamin K 25 mcg 31%
Thiamin 1.5 mg 100%
Riboflavin 1.7 mg 100%
Niacin 20 mg 100%
Vitamin B6 2 mg 100%
Folic Acid 400 mcg 100%
Vitamin B12 6 mcg 100%
Biotin 30 mcg 10%
Pantothenic Acid 10 mg 100%
Calcium 162 mg 16%
Iron 18 mg 100%
Phosphorus 109 mg 11%
Iodine 150 mcg 100%
Magnesium 100 mg 25%
Zinc 15 mg 100%
Selenium 20 mcg 29%
Copper 2 mg 100%
Manganese 2 mg 100%
Chromium 120 mcg 100%
Molybdenum 75 mcg 100%
Chloride 72 mg 2%
Potassium 80 mg 2%
Boron 150 mcg *
Nickel 5 mcg *
Silicon 2 mg *
Tin 10 mcg *
Vanadium 10 mcg *
Lutein 250 mcg *
Lycopene 300 mcg *
*Daily Value (%DV) not established.
I started seeing a couple things about 1 year ago..and now its in both eyes and it can be pretty annoying..I was scared I had some bug or something, thankfully I eased my anxiety and learned some info.
Hi Chelle —
Thanks for checking in here! Please have your eye doctor check to make certain your floaters or flashers are benign. They could be a sign of something more serious of they made a rapid appearance.
Very very well said.
Hello I’m a 21 year old girl and I also got floaters and flashers. They are very annoying , when do you see flashes? Because I see them specially with bright light. Sorry for my english I’m from Spain. I like your explanation because it’s a “funny” vision of so annoying condition…:) Talk to you soon
Hi Marisa —
Your English is beautiful and clear and I thank you for your sweet comments and thoughts.
My floaters are always there.
I get Flashers in bright light as well usually when there is a bright light source in a dark room. I often get them while doing computer work. I get them while watching television in the dark and in movie theatre. Sometimes I can close my eyes and get Flashes in the “dark” of my mind. Kinda freaky and unpredictable because I can go for days without one Flash and then one day have several. Maybe they’re stress induced? 😀
Hi, I just turned 60,but noticed earlier back I have “floaters,flashes,zig zags different colors. It is scary to some of us. My question is would it hurt to put an eye patch over the effective eye to “let it rest” awhile? Please reply to this email to my email address. Concerned searchlight,nevada female. Thank you so much.
I don’t think an eye patch would make any difference, but you should ask your eye doctor to be certain.
Hello David, I think you’re lucky because you get them only a few times…I have no idea why is this happening to me and it makes me difficult to concentrate while studying. I don’t understand why this kind of flash is happening. Any explanation? By the way I think that you have a nice website but dark background will help us to read it better 😛
Hi Marisa!
I think you should see an eye doctor to make sure your Flashers are not a sign of something more serious. Please do that as soon as possible!
You’re right that a dark background would help those with Flashers have an easier time reading this blog! Arrrgh, Matey! I may have to rethink some things! 😉
David I’ve seen 2 eye doctors and they couldn’t find something wrong so…that’s why I don’t understand what happens. What do your eye doctors say?
Hi Marisa —
If you click on the first hotlink at the start of my story about Floaters and Flashers you will be taken to a good site for information as to why this happens on a physical level.
My doctor says Floaters and Flashers are just a part of getting older and to live with them. 😥
Thanks David, I’m only 21 so I’m not used to “the process of getting older” 🙁
Hi Marisa —
I’ve had Floaters and Flashers all my life. When I was 15 I discovered they bothered me more and more but I have learned to deal with them by ignoring them. The Floaters calm down a bit after age 30 or so. The Flashers are usually consistent.
David, I have heard that flashers usually go away and floaters become less bothersome…so contradictorious ideas don’t you think? 😛 In that case I have to learn to ignore them too…thanks for your suggestion 🙂
Good luck, Marisa, I feel for you! 😀
You know…my dad works at Mass Eye and Ear and does eye research.
NOW YOU TELL US! 😉
😆 sorry I’m always a bit late. He’s actually done a lot of research in general and helped a lot of people (who knew?) and he tells me he’s going to cure blindness.
He sounds like a great guy, Robin. Is he an MD or a PhD?
PhD…he went to Brandeis and Brown. He’s a smart guy as far as that but with everything else not so much.
That is very cool, Robin! I hope he finds a cure soon!
If you are interested he’s mentioned here.
He works for the Bermund Gund Lab…he’s used me as a test subject many times since I have abnormal vision.
This version is better formatted. 🙂
Wow, you are right.
Hi all…. i am trying to learn how to deal with them. I guess the thing that bother me the most is that i won’t be able to enjoy the outdoors anymore and i am only 20. I can still read and write normally. Can anyone teach more tips on dealing with them?
I have had them for 8 month now…..still find them annoying. Just wondering how long it took you all to get used to them and stop worrying about them
Hi Ed —
You just have to learn to “look past” them and not right at them. It takes some practice to ignore something sheeting over your eye but you will eventually get used to it. Make sure your visit your doctor for more information. Good luck!
i sort of know what you mean….but sometimes there is this dot right at the center of my vision. It mess up the focus really bad. I guess I just need more time.
one more question, about the flashes, i only see them in a very dark room with really fast eye movement. It that what you guys are talking about? ot everybody has that?
Hi Ed —
Floaters are always moving. Flashers pop up in different places all the time. We all experience these differently. Have you seen an eye doctor for a proper diagnosis? Perhaps you’re having some other kind of problem?
I saw 3 doctors. lol all of them told me everything is fine except that i am nearsighted and they couldn’t even see my floaters.
are you nearsighted? I wonder if ppl with perfect vision also get floaters
Ed —
I am glad your doctors cleared you and then told you to live with it. Ha! That was my experience, too.
Yes, I am extremely nearsighted. I think everyone gets floaters but it may also be that since we are nearsighted we can see them “up close” better or something. 🙂
I’ve had mild floaters for over 15 years. However, I feel they greatly increased when recently I was taking 600mg of Ibuprofen 3 times a day for a tooth ache.
Hi Dennis H — Welcome to the Urban Semiotic blog! Nice to see you here. I thank you for sharing your floaters experience and your Ibuprofen clue is quite telling. I wonder what it all means?
some opthalmologists have tried replacing the vitreous fluid in the eye but only in severe cases, usually blood seeping into the eye, etc. i have a floater that has settled directly in the line of vision of one eye. i play sports – still at 52 – so i scoured the internet for a cure. there is a guy in virginia that uses lasers to move or break up large floaters but my local dr could’nt even see mine with a scope so advised against either procedure. they do seem to get better and worse from time to time for me – depending on i don’t know what. my stationery floater has been with me now for at least 10 years tho. still very annoying but i just live with it.
Hey john —
Thanks for the helpful comment! I think some of those treatments you found are scary and really risky! I’m glad you are being conservative and I am really happy your doctor is trying to help you deal with your tough situation. I feel for you, my friend, and thanks for sharing your story!
what is a natural cure for floaters? 1 lb. of carrot juice per day I have heard?
I have floaters in both eyes, worse in my right. I know its worse with stress and panic attacks. However Im having a hard time dealing with this. I get scared and some times mad about it. I some times feel trapped. please respond.
Okay, I just joined the world of floaters and flashes after a ski holiday in Colorado, followed by a plane ride and a bad cold. I can’t help but think that dehydration may have something to do with the sudden onset of this phenomenon. I too took a kind of cold medication before the onset of the floaters, the flashes came two days later. I already take vitamins regularly, but will step up fresh carrot juice and fluid intake. I know I did not take enough fluids while in Colorado. I have had my eyes checked, no tears in the retina at this point, but it is annoying and worrying. I hope for improvement along the way, but it does not sound hopeful.
cheers
I would add “learning to live with it” as part of your psychological regimen, gudrun.
hi
I am not English man, though excuse my writing…
I am nearsighted on my right eye, left is good,
I have had floaters for about 5 years, no majority problems…
But now, I have spotted some flashes since about 2 or 3 weeks
I do not know, what to do…
I see them only during the day with white clouds…
Sometimes I see them in dark when I want to see… like from my mind….
I want ask you, what to do…
I am afraid that doctor does not help me, I am trying to eat
Bilberry and Centrum vitamins, but it does not help…
Is there some alternative treatment?
thank your very much for your answers…
Hi marek —
You ask fine questions but the answers you need are with your doctor. Please make an appointment to see you doctor for a full diagnosis and treatment program.
hi,
thank you for your response, but:
1. I visited many different doctors before, all of them confirmed, that my floaters are
common and it is nothing to do…
2. I have never had flashes, only during last couple of weeks, I do not know, what happened,
I do things like I did before, nothing changed, why flashes appeared??? I am only 28 years old???
3. I do not understand, if mankind is able to go to the moon, fight against HIV,
make nanorobots, why nobody discovered what cause floaters and flashes.
All doctors said me, I will have floaters for all of my life, this is very painful for me,
Life with everyday pain is realy hard…
I have surfed the internet for hours, but I have not found any real method of
floaters and flashes treatment…
I got some a few months ago but haven’t had any other symptoms such as flashers or vision problems. I’ve read some things on the net that floaters can sometimes be a symptom of retinal detachment, but it seems like from most sources that in most cases it is a benign symptom. If you get checked out by a good opthamologist and they clear you, then I wouldn’t worry about it. Of course if one has some new symptoms it’s always good to get re-checked, and no matter what to get periodic check-ups.
Hi vizioneer!
Welcome to the forum and I thank you for sharing you experience with us!
David,
what a helpful website. God bless you my friend for the peace of mind you’ve brought us in just a few minutes.
My wife just finished cataract surgery on both eyes and a follow up of two surgeries for retina tears on her left eye and one “in office” laser repair for her right eye since February.
She noticed the problem with the retina tear in her left eye a few days ago and then also noticed some flashers in her right eye. The doctor said that her left eye needed immediate surgery but that he saw nothing wrong in the right eye.
As we were sitting here after the second surgery in the left eye this morning, my wife was concerned that she was noticing the flashing again in her right eye. (Needless to say there was a little concern about whether we were headed for a repeat of the left eye situation).
At any rate, your comments and some of those who have written in have been a help in understanding the floaters and flashers and feeling a little more comfortable in dealing with them.
Keeping sharing the encouraging word.
Ray
Thank you for the wonderful comment, Ray, and your thoughts are why I find writing this blog worthy and worthwhile.
I hope you wife feels better soon and I thank you for sharing her experience with us here.
Hi all! I am so thankful I found this site!!! I to have floaters and flashers. the floaters I’ve had and never really gave it much thought. The flashers just started about a month ago. Its really bad when i look into the sky or on white paper with the lights really bright. I have been very scared, even though my doctor has told me not to be concerned. He did find a retinal tear on my right eye but said it looks good so far i guess it has a black ring around it indicating it is tough or something lol who knows! lol this is the craps thats all i can say. does anyone know how long they will last or is that just a dumb question? he has me on 3 different kind of eye drops right now, my corneas are really dry. whew what a mess! lol
Hi roseann!
It is a pleasure to meet you and thank you for the great comment!
I’m sorry your eyes are dry. I know that condition well and it is quite terrible!
We hope you feel better soon.
Hi David,
I have many floaters on my right and left eyes, and have see 3 doctor who checked my retina and says no problems.
I have difficulty to deal with it as I see it every days and night will be less. I have it for past 5 months and seems to be a increase more and more time. May be due my worries ?
Do you any tips for me to live with it.
I just expect it will fade out over time but I have not see this so far.
Please advise how should I do.
Hi Yong —
Welcome to the blog and thanks for your comments!
I am not a doctor. My understanding is you will need to learn to live with your floaters. As I understand it, I don’t think they were made to ever go away.
Hi all,
I have been researching on the net for months now after a sudden onset of floaters(which i had checked and was told to live with) and found that there is a procedure called a sutureless Vitrectomy which is a surgical procedure that only removes floaters (also known as a Floater Only Vitrectomy – FOV). Unfortunately there are only about 4 surgeons in the world that carry out this procedure at present, however because of the success rate (1500 patients a year – 40 to 50 of which encountered cataract problems which are very curable) it should become more common in years to come.
2 of the surgeons are in Belgium and 2 are in the USA, if anyone want’s more information on this please respond and i will investigate it further.
All the best, and may we all look forward to the day we are floater free!! (Never Give Up Hope)
Hi Mark —
That sounds like a fascinating procedure. Do let us know if you find out any more information!
Hi all, I just found out I have floaters. Are there any people who have had them go away? This is like black smoke swirling in my right eye. Are any of the four Md’s that Mark talked about in or around Maryland. Thanks
David,
Please find below an actual response from a vitreoretinal surgeon in belgium, i don’t know about you but this gives me some hope!
I have floaters and am 20. i have been advised by my friend in holland to contact an FOV Dr in Belgium. I had a reply which should be helpful to anyone really struggleing!
Here it is:
Dear Sir,
If a patient is still bothered by floaters four months after the onset of them, we consider removing them by surgery. Since a few years this type of surgery is performed through micro-incisions (25G), which yields in less discomfort for the patient and faster healing.
However, such surgery (vitrectomy) is still major eye-surgery, and complications are always possible:
a. Cataract: at your age physicians dont take floaters seriously, but on the ohther hand the real question is what can be done about them.
I do not do vitrectomies, so not an issue for me as a physician, but the problem is theat even relatively “safe” 25 guage vitrecomies can have
devastating complications (altough uncommonly).
———————————————————–
I hope you don’t think I am just clogging up your message board, I think i may have found a solution for my Floaters and i want to share it with others. I understand that surgery has it’s risks, but they arn’t anywhere near as serious as some Opthamologists make out.
I have more statistics regarding risks that i have found, I will post them here if you are interested.
Cheryl,
This may sound odd, but is Maryland near Washington? I am from England and my Geography isn’t that good.
Please find the link below for a Surgeon that carry’s out this procedure in the USA (Santa monica CA):
http://interservicesnetwork.tripod.com/floaters/hanscom.html
The other surgeon in america is in New York somewhere.
There is an MD called Dr Karrikoff in Washington that beliives that Laser will break up floaters (Potentialy a safer option): visit http://www.eyefloaters.com
I hope this info helps. Good Luck
Hi Mark —
Go ahead and post what you wish here as long as you are not shilling one certain surgeon or website.
I think this is a very serious eye operation for what are not reliable results. I would be extremely wary and move with great caution.
Hi David,
I hope you didn’t mind the links i attached to my previous post, it was only to advise Cheryl of somewhere near her local area that she may be able to go and have an FOV should she consider it. Please let me stress not to have the surgery on my word only, it should be talked through with a professional Vitreoretinal Surgeon, i am purely informing people of what i have discovered through months of research.
I agree that this is a serious eye operation and that is why I intend to give my floaters the oportunity to dissapear for at least a couple of years before I consider such invasive surgery. I am currently trying a product called SEE-CLEAR which I purchase direct from Vancouver, it contains all the natural herbs that help regenerate good eye health (Ingredients: Eyebright, Bilberry, Bayberry Bark, Cayeene – Stings a bit, golden seal root, Passion flower and red rasberry). I have been using this as an eyewash for one week now and have noticed no change to my floaters yet, but it does say it can take months for them to disolve, I’ll try anything once. Will keep you posted on my results with this solution.
The statistics I have regarding the FOV are as follows:
A hospital called UZ Hospital in Leuven (Belgium), This information is direct from their Vitreoretinal Surgeon.
They have used the new instruments for over a half year with excellent results. They do 1500 vitr/year and the last “blindness”-case dated from 2002. The operation has a 98.5% success-rate.
So how does the “new” operation work here? They stick a plug in your eye of 0.4mm. Through that plug they use the 3 instruments (cutter, light and something that puts new fluid in the eye). The plug wouldn’t become larger then 0.9mm if I understand correctly. Before they do the actual vitrectomy, they laser your retina in the non-vision zone. This way you have lesser chance of a retinal detachment while performing the vitrectomy. After the vitrectomy, they remove the plug and that’s it. The hole will close out of itself, without any stitching.
Recovery period. Almost none … he had a secretary who had a FOV, and 2 days later, she was back at work. If you want to have a vitrectomy on 2 eyes, you will have to wait about 2 months before doing the second eye.
The risks … like any operations, there are risks involved:
1.) Cataract chance
> 60 years -> 100% … they replace the lens instant after the vitrectomy
2.) Retinal Detachment … it’s possible … but they operate you again soon after the vitrectomy .. chance of blindness are nil
3.) infection … the most dangerous one. They keep you in observation for 2 days (the most critical ones). If an infection shows up, they can help asap.
In 2002 there was a person who went home directly after his vitrectomy. At home he complained about pain in his eyes. His “house-doctor” said just to take a couple of asperines. A couple of days later, the pain didn’t go away and he went to the hospital but it was to late and got blind afterwards …
Hi Mark!
Your previous links were great! No problem there.
Thanks for this expanded detail. I will take all of this with me to my next eye doctor appointment to see what he has to say about it all. Your eye wash also sounds dangerous to me — be careful.
Hi,
Just a quick note to anyone who has recently experienced floaters.
Get them checked by an eye doctor immediately as it could be a sign of retinal detachment. A close friend of mine had this recently and has since lost his vision in his left eye as he didn’t act fast enough. Unless accompanied by flashes it is unlikely but you can’t take chances with your eyes so get them checked if only for peace of mind.
Also, if you have only had floaters for a few weeks or months don’t panick about them never dissapearing, I know of a few people that have had them dissapear out of their central vision into their perriferal. This is an extreamly slow process sometimes takes up to 18 months to 3 years depending on how viscous your vitreous gel is. I would suggest that any slight change in your floaters over time is a good sign (from what i have heard) unless you get more floaters in which case you should get them checked again.
I am still hoping that one day i will wake and mine will have dissapeared, i guess you just never know. Surgery must always be a last resort.
Thanks for providing excellent advice, Mark!
Hi all,
I have had floaters for now 4 months and they have dramatically impacted my life. I have seen two eye specilists (MD) who have advised me that they are benign and will disapear soon. I am struggling so hard to forget them and live a normal life especially that I live in Aus and everything is so bright here. Would any of you have any tips to forget them ?
Good luck to all who have floaters,
Gregory
i wish i could give u advise man……all i can say is we are a group of people who are forsaken and ignored. I also can’t believe through our human history no one bother to look for a cure……..if I ever work my way to become a doctor or scientist, i would definitely look into this……
I am also very skeptical about all those “getting used to” and “fade out” and “settle down” bullcrap. I wonder what “getting used to” mean, do u mean that u become completely oblivious of them…or you just become able to suck it up and tolerate them
only 21 years old. I have had them for 1 year and 2 months….all i notice is that they can move more freely. When i play soccer outside it’s like playing underwater
i hope Bill Gate’s get floaters LOL and maybe he will fund floater research
Ed —
When you’re 30 your floaters will be better.
By 40 you won’t even know they’re there.
This is one of the advantages to getting older.
I really find that hard to believe…………..im sorry. If that’s the case, is that a gradual thing or something that just happen all of a sudden…….cuz i have had them for a while now….still very uncomfortable about them…..
and it really suck i have to spend my youth dealing with these buggers
Hi Ed —
I’ve had floaters and flashers for a long while now and I, too, hated them. My eye doctor, one of the finest in New York City, told me they’d start disappearing as I got older. He was right!
When I hit 30 they were half as bad as they were when I was 20 and he told me when I hit 40 they will be half as bad as they were when I was 30. So there is good thing in longevity, Ed.
It’s all a matter of perspective, I suppose.
We could have Usher Syndrome:
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/usher.htm
Or severe Glaucoma:
http://health.yahoo.com/topic/vision/treatment/article/healthwise/aa14288
Sometimes we luckier for what we don’t have.
i hope he is right…….can u tell me a little bout your lifestyle? hobby and things you do? etc etc? thx
Here you go, Ed:
http://goinside.com/health.html
hey David
Sorry i was a little moody the other day. These litle buggers really get on my nerves when i am stressed. I just have one question for you, do you think that these floaters had any impact on your life at all? Did they change your life dramatically for the worse? I know i should be grateful that I dun have usher symdrom and glucoma. But it worries me that these buggers might ruin my life. I had a few arguement with my dear girlfriend because of them…..
many thanks in advance
Hi Ed,
I can really sympathise with your floater problem as they have driven me to despair at times, they are exremely debilitating for me now, i can’t drive, read or use a computer without them driving me mad. This is why i have finally taken the step to have them removed. I know this may sound a bit crazy but that is what they have done to me.
All the best
Mark
Hi Ed —
Try not to get upset over things you cannot change and things that are not your fault. Your eyes are the way they were made and to get into arguments over your floaters doesn’t do anyone any good.
My floaters have calmed down a bit — so know every day you live — your eyes will get just a little bit better.
When they were the worst and I needed to really see something, I would stare without blinking or moving my eyes for just a bit. My floaters would “settle out of my field of vision” and I could see sharply again. Don’t move your eyes, though, or you’ll just stir them up again.
Wearing sunglasses in all conditions outside also helped.
It was most difficult for me to watch a movie in a dark theatre. The bright light and the darkness all around me was a painful experience. I stopped going to the movies because it was so depressing.
Always have a secondary light source in a dark room. If you are watching TV in the dark, have another light on in the room. That will additional light will help trick your eye into not focusing so sharply on the floaters. Ambient light is your friend.
hi Mark
My understanding is that you have only had them for only months…(by the way how old r u?)..not that it’s easy but don’t you think it’s a better idea to wait for a couple of years? As you have mentioned, some people’s floaters really got better with time. I wanted to take the plunge but I just couldn’t afford to take the risks…
David
By calm down abit, do you mean physically or mentally less bothersome…..
Hi Ed —
“Calm down a bit” means they’re not as bad as they used to be. I don’t know if they went away or permanently settled or what but they bother me much less than before from a physical POV.
Hi Guys,
It’s good to read you guys and feel we aren’t alone. My floaters appeared four months ago for my 30th birthday, happy birthday ! Even if I have had the feeling that I see them more, I strongly believe I will manage to forget them. Over the last days I have sometimes forgotten them, even if it’s rare it has happened and I have to keep thinking of those moments. It’s a massive process but our gifted brain is powerful. Well I hope it is !
Many individuals have floaters and this problem won’t be left withot a treatment. Economically it is a flurishing market when you know that 50% of those over 70 have floaters. I cross my fongers for us.
As for the moment the only solution is to think less of them and think positive, I’ll be trying my best to follow this philosophy.
See ya,
unfortunately most of the opthmologists treat us like we are wasting their time. I wonder how long it will take for them to even realize the severity of our problem…..I hope those goddamned doctors get massive floaters……and lets see who is the crybaby
I appreciate your sage advice, Gregory!
Ed —
My eye doctor is very good and he dismisses floaters because there’s nothing that can reasonably treat them. Why waste a lot of time on something that is what it is? They may annoy you but they are not hurting you.
Hi David,
Thank you for this blog.
I’m 31 and I ‘ve had floaters for only one and a half month now. They appeared suddenly with no reason. They are like dots and hairs. I got my eyes checked and my doctor said that I have to live with them and that they will fade a bit with time. Since then I often feel desperate. I find it hard to enjoy life and to make new plans since I don’t know how my floaters will evolve.
I understand what you mean when you write “Why waste a lot of time on something that is what it is?”. I just hope I will be able to think this way soon.
You’ve had floaters for the past 20 years. Did they appear suddenly? Were you worried at first as I am now?
Gregory, just like you I hope someone, someday, will find a treatment. I would give anything for it.
Take care all of you.
Welcome to the blog, Cedric, and thank you for your friendly comment!
I think I’ve always sort of had floaters. You need to look and focus beyond them.
Don’t concentrate on your floaters and they won’t concentrate before you.
Sometimes when I want to “space out” I let my eyes unfocus and the floaters come into focus and I watch them move and dance and I learn how to control them. It’s actually quite peaceful and I learn how to predict their movement.
Hi Ed,
I am 24 years old and have had floaters for about 10 months now. I have been to see my Opthamologist a few times as they are gradually getting worse, each time he has discussed in great detail possible ways of curing this problem. He understands that although they may seem insignificant in medical terms, they are extremely annoying and nobody should have to live with them. He has strongly advised me not to resort to surgery straight away however has given me the hope that should they get worse or not disappear on their own he will gladly send me to his Vitreoretinal surgeon in London where they perform surgery frequently for floaters (I thought they only performed this surgery in Belgium and the US but apparently it is now commonplace however still not suggested for floaters alone unless totally necessary). If there is one thing i can assure you of than it’s this, All floater are different shapes and sizes and therefore every floater sufferer is different, there are many different reasons for getting floaters, poor diet, over excessive use of medication, spondalitous, high blood pressure,etc, The list goes on. I guess what i’m trying to say is that although one person may be coping with them others may not, and i am one of the others. I think that depression alone is a good enough reason to try and eradicate them from your vision, you only live once and who wants to live a life of depression – certainly not me!
Good luck to everyone!!
David,
Thankyou for this Blog, it has really helped to talk to other sufferers!
Hi Mark
Of course I thought about the surgery but I still do not think it’s such a good idea to rush into it as you have a lot more to lose if complication occurs. eg cataract, infection, RD. RD is not funny you know……I have saw one of those simulation pictures….all the images are distorted and some part of the image is missing..
but you are right…we only live once….I will certainly go for it if they do not get better….i will give them a couple more years though….Like you said, it is possible for them to go away in 18 months to 3 years…….
My dad lived his whole life with them and I never realized it until i got them..
My sister had them for like 1 year. They went away she said…so I have no idea what will hapen to me.
If you do not mind, can you tell me how bad your floaters are? just briefly. I am just wondering how bad is bad enough to restore to surgery.
Apparently, the surgen in belgium is a expert in FOV. You should go chekc out this forum http://p198.ezboard.com/bfloatertalk
there are people who actually gone through his surgery and sharing their experience. I just thought you like to read them before you actually go for the surgery.
Hi from down under,
Cedric, je suis comme toi, j’ai 30 ans et mes floaters sont apparus il y a 4 mois et me pourissent la vie.
I would be very prudent with surgery because the benefits don’t match the potential risks but that will definitely change in the coming months?/years? The Vitrase medication is a first step to a better Victrectomy. Maybe Laser treatment or medication will be a better alternative, as I mentioned I am sure things are on track.
I have been quite depressed since I got them but I think I am starting to accept them (well not totally! but as much as I can) and believe it or not today I didn’t think of them for 1 hour. I have been waiting for this moment for 4 and 1/2 months. My, and surely our, only hope is to get in a positive process to forget them. I want to give this strategy a try, well we don’t have the choice. Only tips:
1- Get confirmation for your doctor that your eye is healthy, that will reinsure you that you don’t have a unique decease that nobody else has in the world !
2- When yo think of them, straight away think of a positive situation (for me it’s bodyboarding)
3- Don’t search for them (even if you want to check if they are there, They are ! and you’ll find them !)
Give this strategy a try (and do it very seriously) for at least one week and tell me if yo have had moments where you forget them. I’ll be doing it this week and will keep you informed soon.
Take care and don’t forget “it’s mind of matter”
Hi Ed,
My floaters are basically very large squiggles. I have only one in my right eye which i could probably live with if it wasn’t for the 15 – 20 odd that i have in my left eye, one of which is like a giant tick in my central line of vision. My opthamologist stated that my floaters were probably the worst he had come across which is why he has been so helpful, there are two types, malignant and benign and although my eyes are extremely healthy my floaters are definately malignant. He has assured me that the floaters will have no detrimental affect on my health but is happy to help where he can as he can sympathise with me.
To add to that my vision has always been 20/20 and my eyetest is done to jaeger1/N4 requirements (better than standard eye test) as i am an aircraft engineer by trade and i have to meet them requirements to fulfill my duties, in fact at my last eye test i was told that although i had floaters my eyes where to quote a phrase ‘discustingly perfect’. This is why i was so bemused when i got these damn things.
I hope for your sake that your floaters disappear on there own but for me i have just about given up living at the moment so i am really considering taking the plunge and having my left eye done, i have read only good things about the surgery and have spoken to and read stories about many people that have had a Floater only vitrectomy and again only good news! ☺ Thanks for the link to that website, i have visited it many times before, that is where i got a lot of my info from on my previous posts.
I shall keep everyone informed about my surgery if i decide to have it, whether it be good news or bad, i believe the more we can educate each other the more confident we become.
Hi Gregory,
When you mention ignoring the floaters, i have tried this but mine are always there they are very large and very real, i can’t advise people what to do as everyone’s situation is different but for me surgery may be the last resort. If you can leave them and wait for them to go on there own then you are a stronger person than me but again everyone is different and i want my life back now. I get married in 6 months and i certainly don’t want them getting me down on my wedding day, my fiancee says that she has noticed a huge change in my personality and that i don’t ever want to go out anymore on a nice day, this is another reason why i must get things sorted.
I wish you well with yours and hope you can learn to ignore them but for me it just isn’t an option.
All the best
Mark
girl problem huh?
same here…….I think one of these day, she will leave me because of floaters…..everytime i think about it…it gets me even more down…….i hate my life. I am sure mine is not as bad as yours…..mark
which is why i think i should live with them for the rest of my life….i hate this “boundary” situation. Sometimes I wish i had a HUGE floater so i have no choice but to take the plunge
Mark, I fully understand you, all situations are different. My life has been affected professionally and personally. Professionally my concentration has plummeted and that has put me in awkward situations. Personally I have changed, my girlfriend has noticed and it has impacted our couple. I find it tough to go outside and take advantage of the sunny weather. However, I hope to get everything back on track.
Just a quick word on my eyesight, it was perfect till the age of 27 then has gone done to -1 on both eyes. So I can live without glasses but need them to drive.
I understand you need for surgery,with the products we mentioned in precedant conversation this type of surgery will be improved in the near future. Where will you be having surgery ? Has the surgeon already done FOV ?
Take care
Gregory,
If i have the surgery i shall be going to moorfield eye hospital in london (England), it is one of the most recognised eye hospitals in the world. My surgeon has carried out many FOV’s in his time and is a highly educated cambridge univerity scholar with years of experience, his profesionalism actually makes you feel more confident about the whole thing. I still havn’t decided for sure if i want surgery but i’m pretty sure i will, it’s the toughest decision i’ve ever had to make i hope i make the right choice.
Ed,
I look at things like this – worst case is that i go blind and my understanding from my surgeon is there is less than 0.5% chance of that. whatever else happens it has to be better than these damn things. I understand that retinal detatchment is a possibility but should any complications occur they would operate immediately. If your floaters are really driving you mad and ruining your life than there is only one answer (it doesn’t matter how big they are).
One last thing, of all the research i have done, i have only ever found one case where a person lost his sight (back in 2002) and that is because he had an infection which he didn’t get sorted quick enough, if the operation was that risky surely someone would have started a potition against FOV’s by now, i know if i lost my sight because of it i would inform everyone of the risks.
I guess i’m trying to talk myself into it again, what do you think?
I am just wondering…..how did you have such massive floaters…….I am slightly/moderately nearsighted….but my floaters are probably not nearly as bad as yours. Did you got hit in the eye? Mine are mostly transparent (even though i have numerous)and sometimes a few black dots. My undersanding is that you have a huge BLACK insect-like blob at CENTER of your vision? DOES that mean you see them ALL THE TIME, including indoor? Honestly, I do not see mine much indoor under normal lighting. But I hate the feeling that you can somewhat see them but not really……….
it just the outdoors that makes me feel depressed
Hello, i’m 21 and 2 weeks ago, I noticed a little black dot in the corner of of my right eye. I could only see them if I go or look outside. However, these past couple of days, it has gotten gradually worse. There is still only 1 dot, but it appears more often, most of the time when i’m looking outside or at a white background such as this blog here. It’s minor compared to what some of you others are experiancing. I feel bad for you. My worry is that it will get worse. I don’t have any flashes yet. Does everyone who experiances floaters get flashes? I also hope that more floaters don’t show up. Have any of you had more floaters show up after you first got one? I am going to an eye doctor in a few hours. In all likelyhood, the floater will probably remain but at least I will probably know what the problem is.
my advise is “avoid the temptation to look for them”…..because it is likely that you will find more….pre-exxcisting one or new ones. Remember this, everybody will get them to some extent, even if you have more, if they do not interfere with your daily actively…………fuk them
Okay. I just came back from the eye exam and just like I figured, it’s just a floater, nothing too serious, just an annoyance. Other than that, my eye sight is good. I think I might buy some sunglases to wear outside, as the floater is more noticeable out there. Have any of you found that methold helpful?
Hi all,
Just a quick question to all, have any of you tried hypnosis to help them forget floaters?
I’ll keep you updated if i find any information,
Cheers,
Hi David,
I too suffer from floaters for the last 13 yrs and in the last 6 months the floaters hv rapidly increased.At times I go mad thinking of this floaters.
GOd only hv to help us..
God have forgotten us………
I noticed something floating in my eye about a month ago, and mentioned it to my mom. And she said shes had a hairlike one in her right eye for years. I do not wanna have this thing in my eye for years. I just found out today (while browsing online) that I have what is called a floater. Awesome deal……and it’s pretty darn annoying. I know the surgery is not a very good idea, but is there ANYTHING I can do to get rid of them. I’d really hate to have them all my life…I can see it on the computer screen right now. Yuck. Any ideas pllllllleaseeeee reply. Thanks:)
Simran,I could understand you problem.Even I am suffering from this over the last 13 yrs.Well, learn to ignore it.DO not try to watch it.I am having around 100 numbers which moves in front of my eyes.Do not concentrate on them.
Yeah, thats my only option:). But it works, its an awesome way to get around them. Since the last time I left that reply I’ve almost forgotten them. Thanks:D
hey all.. i’m 24/m with floaters for maybe a couple years but didn’t nail em’ down till last year. similar story to the rest of you… annoying as hell.. both eyes, gradually worsening over the last year.
it’s certainly relieving to hear of other people experiencing the same thing.. it’s real easy to think we’re suffering alone in this big world.
my only input to the many great things that have been said is that we can always be thankful it’s nothing worse! many people are afflicted with all sorts of conditions that are far more debilitating than floaters and flashers. let’s remember not to let this get us down too much, and go out there and live the best life we can..
peace…
Hi. I’m new here.
I’ve been aware of very very faint floaters in my eyes all my life. They were so transparent that they never bothered me. I knew they were there, but they weren’t an issue.
A couple of weeks after my 27th birthday, I noticed a prominent floater in my right eye. It looks like a long U shaped hair with a dark dot at one end. For the past 2 weeks it has been driving me mad, and totally messed up my life. I have now also noticed a very long hair like floater in my left eye.
Going outside in daylight is now a nightmare, I am totally overwhelmed by this crap whizzing around in front of me. It’s horrible. At night, when the sun goes down, the floaters are much fainter and don’t really bother me. So, if I stay inside with the curtains drawn, I’m fine. But it’s terribly depressing. I feel trapped, that I’m doomed to spend the rest of my life in darkness.
I’m trying to work out what caused these floaters to appear. Perhaps it was just a natural part of ageing? Perhaps it was the Vitamin tablets I take? Perhaps it was caused by my lack of not eating enough fruit and vegetables? A lack of exercise?
Tomorrow I’m seeing my optician, who will hopefully give me some help.
I am a repeat visitor to your website. I had a rash of new floaters after being very dehydrated as well as taking cold medication. While my eye specialist did not bat an eyelid at my suggestion that dehydration has something to do with creating floaters, a good friend of ours who is a hematologist, confirmed it as a very possible and plausible cause.
Some time ago, when I first got the floaters last February, I stumbled upon a website in which a chap in either Washington or Oregon State was peddling a book that allegedly told you how to get rid of floaters. It seems his mother had had them and her GP had given her advice which more or less cured her. I was leary of sending money over the internet thinking that it may be a scam. Also, I felt it selfish of that person not to share the info if there was something to it. Now I can’t even find that website any more. Has anybody bought the booklet, it was somewhere in the $20 to $40 range.
Would hot compresses, for instance, help the gel to stay better mixed? I cant help but think that the answer may be quite simple if only we knew about it.
Please share your thoughts.
gudrun
Hi all,
I havn’t repied for a while as the white background put me off, but anyway i thought i would let you all know that i went ahead and had the surgery that i talked about in previous posts and it was a complete success. I came back from hospital yesterday and have about a week or two until my vision is completely normal again, at the moment my vision is very blurred in the operated eye as they used a gas bubble which takes time to settle out of your vision, but if there’s one thing i know it’s that the floaters are gone for good!! In 2 weeks time my vision will be as it was before the op but floater free!! I am so pleased that i went ahead with it, the biggest decision i have ever made in my life. Please take note that i don’t believe this is the right thing for everyone but my surgeon and opthamologist both told me that what they saw at the back of my eye was well worth trying to remove – they could actually sympathise! Of course they didn’t have to tell me as they had been driving me mad for some time. Anyway i will reply in a week or so to keep everyone informed of how things are going but for me it’s time to start living again, I can’t wait!
All the best to all floater sufferers and i hope you find a suitable solution to yours and hopefully don’t have to resort to surgery like i did.
Best Regards,
Mark P
I am 32 and last february I underwent bilateral LASIK for moderate nearsightedness. Towards the end of June, I began seing a large number of floaters, some large enough to momentarily obscure my vision until “shaken off”. Its too early to tell if they will clear up or if I will get used to them.
But its interesting that the week I began seing the floaters I ALSO was taking 500mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day for a very painful sore throat with migranes. I also flew to sweden, taking 3 different flights on the way there and 2 flights on the way back….
I somehow tried to link the floates to the pressure changes during flight, but this seems unlikely. I thought of my dietary changes while I was in sweden but nothing obvious seems to jump out. Then I considered whether LASIK directly caused them or weakened my vitreous enough to make me more likely to get them….
However, the ibuprofen link is one I never considered. Could it be the drug itself, or could it be the condition that led me to take it? A tooth ache as well as a sore throat can both cause very high feevers (and I had a high feever) Maybe all the factors together combined? who knows.
Hope that the information about my experience helps someone.
-arr
My eyesight was perfect untill i saw a doctor at age 29.
Once he dialated my eyes and started poking it with all kinds of
crap that is when i got floaters in bot m eyes. I also find
it hard to believe how anyone can get floaters all of a sudden, it has
something to do with infections from objects etc… i.e your eye doctors
so called clean intruments.
After a long discussion with my surgeon he confirmed that he had done a lot of studies regarding floaters and can sympathise with people that see them all the time. He informed me that everyone has a degree of floaters, some more than others and they are caused by various different means – basically anything that may inflame or directly affect the vitreous. I got my floaters after taking a drug called Diclofenac sodium; this drug was an anti-inflamotary drug that was prescribed to me by my doctor, after discussing this with my surgeon he stated that it is highly possible that these were the cause of my floaters. However the problem i and many others have is not with the eye but with the Brain, It doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with the Brain only that most people have a processing system in the brain that eliminates any insignificant objects from your vision (a bit like when you are driving and you don’t see the bugs on your windscreen unless you really focus on them) so they don’t see the floaters unless they look into the sky and really look for them. This is why i reorted to surgery as i know that afetr a year i would never have got used to these damn things and now thankfully my life is back on track.
My advise would be to stop worrying about how you got the floaters (afetr you can’t turn back the clock) and to try and find a way of ridding them from your vision (that does not necessarily mean surgery). Good luck to all.
Virendra,
I think you are probably right about the eye doctors instruments affecting the vitreous, after all they are prodding around in an area within close proximity to it. You will probably find that the jelly has been disturbed slightly and some debris has broken away causing shadows in your vision (floaters). I am not any eye specialist but have spoken to many Opthamologists and Surgeons and have done lots of my own research on floaters. Trust me the more research you do the more depressing it gets, that’s why i had to resort to surgery. Good luck
Mark P
I (26 years old, nearsighted) am having floaters for three months now. Both my eyes are affected, but my right eye has most of them. Luckily they tend to sink out of my field of vision when I stare right in front of me, so watching the television is still not a problem…
I started getting floaters during spring. I made a ride with my bike and when I got back home, my eyes were quite irritated. I think this was due to the massive amount of pollen that was in the air (normally I am not allergic to pollen or whatsoever). A few hour later I saw my first spot… Later, my ophthalmologist, who indeed gave me the feeling that I was wasting his time, told me that that could not be the cause. Anaway, he assured me that I would get used to it. The first weeks, it was going to be a minor annoyance, but later on I would not notice them anymore, just like you do not hear the sound of a ventilator or the air-conditioning any more after a while. I think he underestimated the severeness (in terms of annoyance) of this condition, because they are still not gone.
So I also felt pretty down for a few weeks. I went to my MD and he told me that he also had floaters, but that they had dissappeared. According to him, the visual cortex of the brain filters away this impurities in your field of vision. Well, if this is true, than I believe that most of the people suffering from floaters have a malfunctioning visual cortex (no offence), because I have read testimonies of people seeing these things for 10 or more years…
This is what I think of it:
– floaters (seeing them) get worse when the light intensity increases, because in this condition they can project a shadow on your retina. I work in a lab with a lot of light and white walls everywhere…fun assured!
-For the outdoors, wearing sunglasses helps a lot in my case, as they become more vague and easier to ignore. I even wear them when the sun is not shining, but the sky is very bright.
-Last but not least: ignore them as h*ll, every time you notice them, even if it is the 100.000th time. It really helps. Do not try to let them control your life. Go outdoors, have fun. It will only get worse if you start changing your normal doings just to try to avoid them. My mother, who has a very strong mind, got rid of her floaters in 2 months just by ignoring them and by thinking positive thoughts.
-You are NOT alone…
[Comment edited by David W. Boles]
Hi. I posted here last week.
I have since been to my opticians (Specsavers). I had the regular eye test, and told the optician about my floaters. She said that they’re a normal part of ageing and that they take some time to get used to. She couldn’t actually see any floaters inside my eyes, and said my eye health was fine.
My floaters still bother me. At night, indoors or outdoors, they’re so faint that I can ignore them. But during the day, inside (unless the curtains are drawn) or out, they’re very prominent and make me depressed.
I’ve thought of a few ways to avoid seeing floaters, which I thought I’d share with you:
– If you’re using a computer, try turning the backlight down on the LCD display, to a point where the floaters aren’t too noticeable. Also, avoid computers with large displays. The smaller the display, the less you will have to move your eyes around! 20″ widescreens are a big no no. Try a 13″ laptop, or even a PDA!
– In your home, avoid the current fashion of having white walls! Either paint your walls deep dark colours, or put up some high contrast wallpaper.
– I’ve found that light sources that cast sharp shadows make my floaters more noticeable. Heavily diffused lighting, on the other hand, barely creates any shadows, making my floaters softer and fainter. So avoid using sharp spot lighting in your home.
– What about when you go outdoors? Well the best solution seems to be sunglasses, to limit the light getting into your eyes, and to create a darker background on which the floaters are less visible. Hopefully (one day soon) you will be able to buy tinted/dark contact lenses, so that you can wear sunglasses all the time, without anyone knowing.
Hi All
I am so pleased to have found this web site. I started last Tuesday with both floaters and flashers in my left eye and after having convinced myself something dreadful was going to happen went to the optician, then to the doctors. (Within 3 days of the onset)
Both were great. The optician did a thorough examination using dilating drops and a slit lamp. She told me she could see nothing wrong. ( detachment or holes in the retina) My GP was also great and has done a referral for me to see an ophthalmologist but has reassured me that this is part of the aging process for some people. I can live with the floaters,(in bright sunlight its like watching a mini universe going round) I can look past them and they dont worry me, the flasers on the otherhand are very disturbing especially at night and worse when I am in a car. One night I swear I had a disco going on in there.
If the specialist tells me that I have to get on with it and that it is not serious then I will just have to do that. After a week of not sleeping and imagining all sorts of things that could be wrong with me, as long as I am here (alive) and I can see (with both eyes) then I know I will be ok. Best Wishes to all and keep up the good work Ed.
Well,
I varely noticed mine, they’re pretty annoying, they’re lots ofthem and i play sports so I have to be outside most of the time, I tgry to ignore them but sometimes i just can’t, however i’m glad to hear that they won’t cause any demage to my regular vision, at least that’s what my ophtalmologist said, I’m also kinda missing a spot in my right eye’s vision the doctor said it ws normal in some cases,
Does that happen to anyone else????
Hi,
This is a message for Mark P. Can you please answer a few questions for me:
– Where did you get your Vitrectomy done in London? What is the name of the hospital? Do they have a website?
– Were your floaters actually visible to your optician? I’ve had a couple of opticians look into my eyes, but neither of them could see any floaters. I’ve also had an Optomap retinal scan, but again no floaters were found.
– Do you think the hospital would have performed a Vitrectomy on you if they couldn’t actually see your floaters?
Mark,
Thanks for your reply. So how long did you wait between noticing your floaters and then getting a vitrectomy? I’ve had mine for 7 weeks now. Is that a while? Every morning I wake up, hoping they will have dissapeared, but they’re still there.
How did the doctor see your floaters? Did he just use a regular opthalmoscope, or something more thorough? Like I said, mine can’t be seen by anyone except me, so perhaps they’re not that severe. They’re very annoying to me though and distract nd disturb me in all daylight.
I’ve done some research into laser treatment. Everyone knows of the 2 doctors in America. But did you know there’s a guy in London that does it? His name is Steven Bailey. He’s definitely worth checking out if you live in Europe. I think I’ll go to him before considering a vitrectomy.
It’s great to hear that your operation went well though. It gives us all hope that there is a cure; a permanent solution to the problem.
Alan
Thank you for the interesting website. I have had mild floaters for years, but about two weeks ago I developed a major floater in my left eye. After two days I went to the Optometrist to look for a detached retina. There was no signs of it. He told me eventually it will settle. My major problem is that I am a professional photographer and I shoot with my left eye. I’ve tried shooting with my right eye, but I just can’t do it.
I shoot about 50 weddings a year and 100s of portrait sessions, so I can’t afford to be down with a surgical procedure. I will be looking often for a non-invasive alternative.
Steve
Alan,
I waited over a year before I even contemplated having surgery (don’t know how, but I did). My Surgeon used a regular Ophthalmoscope and told me my floaters were very big and prominent.
I did a lot of research on Laser surgery myself which I discussed with my Ophthalmologist, he told me that it is not a recognised way of ridding of floaters and that having Laser treatment on a Healthy Eye could do more damage than good. I took this on board but still found Mr Bailey in London anyway and I am afraid that there are a lot of variables that depend on whether this procedure will work for you and even if you meet the right criteria there is no certainty that it will completely evaporate your floaters.
The procedure basically breaks up the floaters making them so small that they become insignificant however being able to see the floaters is an absolute MUST. They can’t aim the laser at something they can’t see. The variables I mentioned are Age, Vision, How close are they to the Retina (It is too dangerous if they are positioned in line with the Retina) and many more.
I guess the only way to know for sure is to book an appointment yourself and see what Mr Bailey says. Keep me informed of how you get on.
Best of Luck,
Mark P
I did some research and found an interesting video on YouTube.com about eye floaters. In it, Dr. Brent Reed explains what floaters are. He talks about what gets rid of them. Here’s a quote:
“I wish Paul Harman’s vitamin would get rid of that, but it’s not gonna, ok? But what does get rid of it is one of the things that’s usually our enemy and that’s gravity. Gravity will pull those floating pieces of debris eventually to the bottom of our eye. They sediment out like sediment to the bottom of a pond. And if you doubt that, wake up laying on your back one morning and gently and slowly look at the ceiling before you move them around. And you’ll see this tangled web of yuck, floating in over your centre of vision because on your back, that’s where it’s settled. As you stand up it all sloshes to the bottom.”
What does anyone make of that?
Dear All
I thought I would put an update on the web site. I have been to see my ophthalmologist who gave me a thorough emanination and confirmed that the problems I have been experiencing are a natural part of becoming middle aged. He reassured me that the floaters and flashers would settle down. Since then he was right, the flashers have nearly stopped and the floaters are not as noticable, although I now have a few in my right eye too. I find trying to ignore them helps as I think worrying about them not only makes them worse but gives me mild headaches as well. Does anyone see/feel a pulsating sensation in their eye in the morning when the floaters seem to be worse? Reading the latest comments, I personally would not have surgery as I think even the slightest risk of damaging my vision is not worth it although I can really sympathise with Steve. Best Wishes to all.
Yes I do feel the pulsating sensation in my eye, and then it becomes a headache
Hello,
I just wanted to post my experiences with you all. I’m 21, have had floaters since I was 18. I went to DC at the age of 20 to visit Dr. Karickoff. I spent 6 months scraping together the $3,000 i needed, and only 15 minutes for him to tell me that i was too young. Apparently the younger one is, the further in the back of the eye the floaters become. In any case, i was horribly disappointed for a few months. My opthomalogist here in Cincinnati came up with a compromise: He has been precribing me “Tropicamide Opthimalite .5%”, which are eye dialating drops. If anyone has been to the eye doctor and has been dialated, then you know when you leave the doctors office, the floaters are temporarily gone. This has given me my life back. To be sure, it is annoying to have to wear sunglasses all the time, but ive learned to deal and its a hell of a lot better than option B. I have done this, with very careful regiment of my contracts, for 2 years and my eyes are perfectly healthy. He also said that if my floaters were not more tolerable by 25, he would do the FOV by using something called “vitrase”, which apparently causing the vitreous to liquify in conjuction with removing it. Hope this helps any and everyone! Feel free to ask any questions you may have about my “system”.
Regards,
Joshua Votaw
I’ve had floaters for two years now. I have one large one in my left eye that is very bad because it’s stuck in my field of vision. This means that my left eye is basically blurred all the time. The ones in the right eye tend to float around. My eyes apart from this are “perfect” and glasses wouldn’t help.
I was 37 when it happened and doing some research on the web at the time seemed to indicate that I was not the morm, as in it’s supposed to be an older persons problem. However, reading this blog it seems to be affecting younger people these days. I am certain it’s caused by computer screens even though my opthalmologist says this isn’t a cause. In my own case I can’t think what else would cause it, it isn’t in my family and I’ve never needed glasses. Makes you think.
Dan, you mentioned floaters might be caused by computer screens. Perhaps the increased amount of near-work on computer screens is causing more people to develop Myopic eyes, which increases the chances of the vitreous gel liquifying. Perhaps.
What I think IS true is that the Internet has brought all the floater sufferers together, and allowed us to be aware of each other. If you didn’t have the Internet, you’d probably just believe the doctor’s “you’ll get used to it” line, and get on with your life. But because of the Internet, we know that floaters are a real problem, and that other people have them too. So it’s only really within these last 10 years, since the Internet was “born”, that we’ve had the opportunity to connect, and find other floater sufferers.
Thank Goodness for this blog! David W.Boles – I found myself giggle at your cheery approach to floaters.
Here is my story. I am 23 and feel terribly incompetent when I read that floaters/flashes are something you get with age. I don’t consider myself to be aged yet! And from reading on here, there are other young ‘sufferers’ so perhaps the eye academics out there reading this could perhaps change that myth.
At first I thought it was a sliver of my contact lense that was left over my eye. No amount of flushing water ‘open-eye’ worked.
Then I became totally paranoid about it thinking it was some small paracitical worm that had found a nice home to live in. (Did any one google ‘Worm eye’ and read about the lady in South America *I think* who actually had a worm in living in her eye, gross! But hey, least they could remove that!)
I was diagnosed with floaters earler this year by the optomisist. I have yet to have further checkups, really, what is the point if they are going to tell me ‘to live with them, and theres nothing we can do’ like they did the first time?
I can totally sympathise with another blogger who wrote on here, that if they don’t think of them for an hour, then they are happy. The same goes for me, only if I go a day without thinking about them.
The fact of the matter is, floaters effect some people worse than others. I work in an office and I feel so upset sometimes because I just can’t concentrate on my work, because of the floaters. Also, outdoors, I will follow the shapes around on the floor and was terribly embarassed when someone asked me, ‘Have you lost something.’
I will try anything. In fact, I will try those eyedrops and start taking more vitamins. But mostly I want them to go. They to me, provide some mental detress and feel my work life is suffering as a result.
Thank goodness there is a place to vent our frustrations and stories – at last someone is listening to us.
Welcome to Urban Semiotic Carly and thank you for sharing your story. You have a great attitude and a wonderful sense of humor and your terrific personality will get you through this.
I’ve had floaters in both eyes for about 12 years. It’s been something of a roller coaster ride, with the condition initially very annoying if not devastating emotionally, then gradual improving as the initial floaters moved farther from the retina (presumably), until 2 years ago when new floaters began to appear, initially at the edges of my vision, then becoming more mobile and noticeable. Presumably these too are moving farther from the retina now, and are temporarily in a position of greatest annoyance.
In any case, I finally felt prompted to search for a solution (again… doctors of 12 years ago prescribed perseverence alone), discovered laser treatment, and had the procedure performed last week by Dr Karikhoff in Falls Church VA. While he was able to treat a few of the floaters, which are now entirely gone, the majority were either not apparent to the doctor, too peripheral, or too near the retina for safe treatment. My sense is that the procedure was worth a try, but quite possibly not worth the cost. The only side effect in my case has been a change in the behavior of the vitreous in the one eye that was treated, which seems to move more freely now, along with the remaining floaters. Apparently this is common, as the laser dissects the vitreous body, allowing portions of it to move independently rather than as a continuous mass. Only time will tell if these changes are beneficial to the overall floater condition.
Dr Karikhoff assured me that, although certainly problematic for me, my condition is far from the worst he’s seen. (The worst cases are generally the most treatable, and usually affect older patients with some degree of posterior vitreous detachment, which I at 34 do not have.) He held out hope that my condition could well improve, or at least change in ways that would improve the efficacy of laser treatment. He suggested that I visit him again for a follow-up exam before even thinking about having a vitrectomy performed. This is sound advice, in my opinion. Vitrectomy for floaters-only is an option of absolute last resort.
Someone on this wonderful bulletin board highlighted the use of dilation drops as a coping mechanism for floaters. I, too, have found relief in this way, but have not tried it in many years. Basically the side-effects (large pupils, inability to focus, sensitivity to light) began to outweigh the condition itself. But this equation is certainly in flux, and dilation drops are a very effective temporary solution for when you “just can’t stand it anymore!”
I’m curious to know if Josh (Oct 10 2006 post) has experienced any problems in using dilation drops on a continuing basis. Apparently there is a slight risk profile associated with long-term use of these products, though it may be negligable for folks with otherwise healthy eyes. What is the regimen he follows for applying these drops (once daily, every few hours, etc.)? And is there a way to overcome the problem of loss of visual focus associated with dilation drops?
Josh wrote:
He has been prescribing me “Tropicamide Opthimalite .5%”, which are eye dialating drops. If anyone has been to the eye doctor and has been dialated, then you know when you leave the doctors office, the floaters are temporarily gone. This has given me my life back. To be sure, it is annoying to have to wear sunglasses all the time, but ive learned to deal and its a hell of a lot better than option B. I have done this, with very careful regiment of my contracts, for 2 years and my eyes are perfectly healthy.
Someone above mentioned turning the brightness down on your monitor to reduce appearance of floaters while using your PC. I also change the windows background colours to a darker shade which definitely helps. With internet explorer you need to go into “tools”, “internet options” then click “Accessibility” button. Then check “ignore background colour on web pages”. This means you can surf without the bright web background.
Bruce, it was me that mentioned the brightness tip. Certainly reducing the strength of the backlight on an LCD display makes it more comfortable for a floater sufferer to use.
It seems that laptops are better than desktops for floater sufferers. The displays can go dimmer because they need to conserve battery power, which makes the floaters fainter. Also, the smaller screen sizes require less eye movement, which reduces the movement of the floaters, making them less noticeable.
I have had cataract surgery 9-07 and 10-06 and I have white light streaks when entering a room or when I enter a room with overhead lights. Dr’s say this is dry eyes. I do wonder if it could be something else.
Barbara, dry eyes are characterised by a scratchy, gritty, irriatated sensation – like a foreign object is in the eye. White light streaks sound like flashes from something tugging the retina.
Hi everyone,
I’m 30 and have had floaters for about ten years. Over the summer they have slowly got worse and I’m at the stage where I seem to see them everywhere, yes even while I’m typing right now. Problem for me is that they really effect my concentration, I’m in the middle of a degree right now and I can see the little buggers eveywhere, projector board, pc, bright desks, the lot. Seeing as nobody will take it seriously and I’m at my wits end I decided to come up with my own theory of how to get rid of those zooming turds once and for all…Floaters are tiny cellular structures that look to be pretty fragile, I mean there must be some way to break them up…my theory is heat and vibration. The other day I had a warm wheat bag placed over my closed eye lids (quite soothing by the way) and thought that if I passed vibrations (to form shock waves through the fluid of the eye) through my eye lids, would this eventually break the cells down??? Then I thought about the neck of an electric tooth brush resting on the eyelid (I’m not in psychiatric care by the way) Hmm, the problem is that I’m too scared to try this out myself as I might cause more harm than good. Any guinea pigs out there wanna try it out???
hi Jim –
Good job thinking outside the box here! In a general way, I agree with you that future research into floater cures should address the vitreous as a whole, rather than trying to pinpoint individual floaters for treatment. Unfortunately, the laser disruption approach, which I’ve just had done, doesn’t seem to be all that effective for the thin, here-and-there type floaters, but is more of break-the-giant-asteroid-into-a-million-pieces approach.
Our floater symptoms seem to be similar. I’ve had them for 12 years, initially very disturbing, then becoming less noticeable, and now in my early 30’s they’re becoming more numerous and noticeable again. The way I look at it is this – like the rest of human physiology, floaters change over time. And while these changes can be disconcerting, I think they’re also hopeful, in that there’s also the possibility that the floaters may move in such a way as to eventually become less noticeable.
I’m not convinced that they ever go away on their own – ever spontaneously dissolve or flush clear of the vitreous, even though in a just world the vitreous would regenerate itself like skin. Such is the downside of a highly specialized and miraculous organ as the eye. But personal experience has shown me how floaters can and do become less noticeable over time, as they slowly shift further from the retina and away from the central vision. Already this seems to be happening with my new, 2-year-old floaters.
The trick now is to figure out a way to prevent more floaters from forming. Of denying the genetic tendencies, as it were. The answer may be one of diet and lifestyle, with a healthy dose of sheer mental will. I’m still working on it, and in the meantime I’m open to any and all ideas, however creative! Anything outside the box is better than what’s in it at the present time.
What a large board of people! So many individuals who share my frustration with these d*mn floaters.
Question for anyone: Does anyone know what activities in your life cause new floaters to appear? I am really into wrestling and weight lifting. Can sudden and intense muscle tensions cause new floaters to appear?
Thanks!
Hi Yuriy,
To be honest I don’t really know what causes them to come about, I noticed a new batch of them one day in the summer after a party for example. I’ve been wearing contact lenses for the last ten years or so as well and I’m wondering if there is a connection here as well. Hope they disappear for all of us…
Hey Jim,
Thanks for the follow-up. Logically, I think there has to be some form of connetion between sudden appearance of new floaters and your life activity. Eye pressure or inbalance of nutrients may be the cause? There is not enough research in this field =(
Yuriy.
Well it’s been four months now since the Jupiter sized floater appeared and I’m still dealing with it. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am a professional photographer and the floater is in my shooting eye. Here are some of my observations to this point. Both naturally and through the camera, when I’m focused on distant objects, the floaters are not as noticeable. When focused up close, such as looking at a computer screen, they’re much prevelant. Maybe sitting further back from the computer may help. My other issue is that I am a hockey player. I play forward one day a week and it’s not an issue at all. I play goal the other day of the week and it’s a huge issue. The expanse of white ice surface along with following a loater sized puck makes playing very difficult. I gone as far as changing my goalie mask to a wider opening cats eye cage to help with the visibility. Any other hockey players or photographers out there? I am also an avid fisherman, both fly fishing and boating. The open expanse of sky on the boat makes hem noticeable. The detail relief of flyfishing on a river in th woods makes them almost imperceptable. If anyone is stressing out about the floaters emotionally and needs a break, I totally recommened flyfishing. It’s totally relaxing and will give you a break from the floaters.
Steve
I am 32yrs old woman. I have got floaters since last 10 months. And it has only increased for me. I always think as to what may have caused it. Only different thing i did was
1. i took multivitamin
2. Started doing exercises with little weights.
But i think excess dose of vitamins cause this.
Hey guys after reading this ive become really depressed….
If floaters are lines/dots/squigly things floating around your eyes all the time then yes ive had them since i was really small….
I feel like crying right now knowing that i have to put up with them for the rest of my life…… Im only 15…. Ive had them for as long as i remember.
I keep thinking why me….
Any thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated….
Hi Johnson,
I feel for you mate, it can get you down more than people think. I used to really enjoy going for long walks and I’d appreciate the scenery. Now I carry around a really dark set of sunglasses as some of mine are like dark ‘knots’. This helps a bit but doesn’t cure them, I prefer dark rooms now and wait to see how bad they’ll be in summer. Hang in their, I’m not going to let them get me down too much. I was speaking to my brother in law who also has bother with floaters. He just laughs at his and told me to ignore them. I think his good sense of humour allows him to cope well which is a good thing.
In my experience, tropicamide works temporary wonders on floaters, greatly reducing their visibility, but eye doctors seem to be extremely reluctant to prescribe it due to the associated risks, however small. I figure all drugs have side effects; as always it should be a question of whether the benefit to the patient outweighs the risk. Unfortunately most eye doctors don’t understand the benefits, having never themselves experienced severe eye floaters. If anyone knows of a convenient way to obtain tropicamide 0.5% without dealing with overseas websites, I’d be interested to know.
[Private information edited out by David W. Boles]
Hey guys
I had floaters in both eyes since the age of about 12. My eyesight has always been awful due to a condition called Marfans syndrome. I would always have to sit at the front of class in school and even then i struggled to see the whiteboard. In 2001 at the age of 18 just before I went to Uni i had an operation at moorfields eye hospital in London called a lensectomy and this gave me the best sight I have ever had. It was an awesome feeling to be able to see a lot clearer in one eye at least and the operation got rid of all my floaters!!!
unfortunatly last week i got hit in the eye with a football and some of the large floaters are back. My vision is roughly the same bar the floaters.
Remember though guys not to be disheartened by the onset of floaters. I have come to accept them and suggest that the next time you think about your floaters think about how much a blind person would love to see those little black worms!!!!
Hi.
I am 17 years old and I have recently noticed floaters in my eyes. Initially I became very frightened of the posssible health risks they could hold but I have researched them and my fears have been eased.
My floaters are not so bad. I have some in my left eye (although most of them are transparent and hard to see as they are in the corner of my eye) and one in my right. I only started noticing them recently but I think I had some long strands of floaters when I was young – I just never noticed them.
Floaters are extremely annoying and many people do not understand how harmful mentally they can really be. Although specialists will say “You’ll get used to it..” it does not feel that way. I am still in school and have important exams coming up. Instead of worrying about them though, I tend to worry about my floaters!
I mainly notice them when I am writing and also when I am inactive outdoors. I find that when I am busy playing football (soccer – my passion) I hardly notice them. Also when I am in conversation with my mates, I also don’t see them. This really shows that the doctors do have a point. Despite the annoyance of those little buggers, we will gradually get used to them! Just don’t think about them! I also have a good tip for when you are in a sunny part of the world. When I wear sunglasses, I hardly notice them and it relaxes your fears.
However, if floaters really are desperately affecting you, seek help. I know of a friend who tried to kill himself (no joke) because he felt alone and totally helpless. Just remember that there are others much, much worse off. I mean imagine what a blind person would do to get their sight back? I’m sure to them, people who complain about floaters don’t actually realise how lucky they really are.
I suppose I have an underlying fear of whether they will get worse. I have heard of surgical procedures to remove them and os if my vision is greatly affected I will seek help. But it is known that eventually floaters will settle at the bottom of your eye away from your vision and also we WILL get used to them! Just remember how lucky you really are.
I actually have another point I forgot to type before.
A few months before I started noticing my floaters, I had quite a painful neck injury. My dad is a doctor and he said it was probably just a muscle spasm. I have done a lot of weight lifting in the last couple of years and I think the injury was down to that. Once I had recovered, I noticed dots in my eyes a few months later.
When I researched floaters, I read that there is a connection between floaters and muscle strains particularly in the back, neck and shoulders.
Just wondering whether anyone else experienced anything similar.
Hi everyone,
Hope you guys are well. Just to answer a couple of questions, I’m not sure about where to get Tropicamide though would be very interested to know. They work wonders on floaters as I recently had an eye exam. The only side effect was that I couldn’t see clearly close up for a good few hours. This substance would be a blessing if I was going to be somewhere that would highten the symptoms. K-dizzle, I used to do a lot of weight training and pulled many a muscle. Throughout this period floaters where never a problem, however, I can only imagine that if there were pieces of debris ready to break of and enter the fluid of the eye, perhaps muscle strain could be a catalyst?!
Here’s some info on the experiment I proposed in December…For a good while I have had a long clear ropey floater in my right eye which has 2 darker knots along its length. After passing heat and vibrations through the eye on 2 sessions I noticed that the long floater formed a loop on itself and that one of the knots is free (is no longer attached) but still visible. What can I conclude? My floaters are certainly not brittle, they move around, are able to easily change shape and have considerable strength. They seem to resist breaking (through shock waves) contrary to what I thought. The vibes might have changed their shape and orientation a little but they are still there and annoying me as usual. So, I ask myself should I continue with this experiment? What do you guys reckon? I’m gonna sit and think on this.
Hi– I’ve had floaters for about 8 months now, and they are gradully getting worse. I try to ignore them but it’s really difficult. I’ve read that some people think there is a relation between floaters and use of certain medications. I’ve been regularly a pain medication called tramadol for a while now for another health issue I have, and I’m wondering if this is the culprit? Floaters are not listed as a side effect and my eye doctor doesn’t think so, but there seems to be no real consensus or research on these things… if anyone else has heard something similar, I’d love to know…
Hi guys and gals
15 yrs ago I had a retinal detachmenet that wasnt operated on I kept greta vision for years then last autumn the vitreous detached ruining the vision and producing a whopping spider shaped floater that spins like a top at the side of mz eye. Now my other eye has started getting flashes and threads from a pvd. I believe that nutrition is a major factor for years i drank carrot and parsley juice and all that time my sight was way above 20 20 on tests then I left off that reigime that was one hell of an error.
I feel for everyone who has to deal with this, esp. the school goers like me who have to do exams and such. However, I have actually stopped noticing them so much recently. Being happy and positive does help. Don’t stop doing things you love just to avoid seeing them. I also swear that the ones in my left eye are drifting away. The one major floater that I have has become totally transparent and is moving further away from my central vision! Things will get better.
I feel v. much for those with flashers, too. I can’t imagine how disturbing they must be for some of you guys. I haven’t experienced any and I hope I don’t, dealing with floaters is enough! But I suppose you just have to stay positive. Think of them as good things. Fireworks that brighten up your day!….
…or not!
Jim & all –
Anyone thinking of using this for floater relief should acquaint themselves with the side effects and potential risks. This isn’t intended to be a product endorsement. Some eye doctors may be willing to prescribe tropicamide; mine was not. And the phenylephrine he did prescribe is not effective for me.
Jim – I say keep at it with your heat/vibration regimen. How are you applying the vibration?
I’m often able to reduce the opaqueness of my floaters for a while by rolling my eyes every which way for a few minutes at a time. I figure this is “good exercise,” both for my eyes and perhaps for the floaters too. Maybe I’ll eventually wear them out.
[Spam link edited out by David W. Boles]
The floaters, that is! 🙂
Hi I am also a lucky member of this club of annoying floaters. I just started getting floaters a few months ago although I carry on as well as I can I know I have a problem but seems like visiting a doctor won’t really help cuz there are no real solutions outhere… but there is always hope that someone somewhere, will come up with a cure.
On my wildest dreams I was thinking that if someone could come up with some type of bio liquid that could dissolve such tiny particles maybe their annoyance could be decrease greatly . Good luck to every one. Let’s all hope Donald Trump gets them too.
I have had floaters for years, but they have always been smallish and I could follow them around and get a look at them. Now in one eye after a retinal tear and subsequent laser work ( I also just had a retinal dettachment in the left eye with susequent surgery), I have one very large feathery whispy thing that comes sailing in and out..can’t get a look at it and it takes up about 1/4 or 1/5 of the visual field as it flies past. Anybody have one of these? I am supposed to go back in for a checkup in a week or so and am hoping it is just a new big very annoying floater and not some kind of scarring or something.
My floaters never really bothered me until a few months ago when I experienced blurry vision in my right eye which eventually went away, leaving behind a large, dark, donut shaped floater that stayed in my central vision. Because I’m also a medical student, I have to read a lot and lately it has gotten worse than I can bear mentally and emotionally. I’m only 24 and because of this damn floater, I can’t focus nor concentrate well enough to pass my exams. I contemplated suicide after I started failing my tests and my anxiety led way to a deep depression In fact, I had to go to a psychiatrist and take SSRIs in order to control the anxiety that I get from always consciously fighting my tendency to follow my floater instead of studying. I started taking the meds and they haven’t really helped me with my anxiety much and the side effects can be overwhelming at times. I also don’t want to rely on drugs if I don’t have to but this was my last resort before going crazy!
It’s has definitely been a struggle and I am still going through a lot. Everytime I read, my right floater is blocking the letters and I wonder what I could do about it. I’m even starting to notice more the floaters in my left eye, which is making things worse than they really are. I’m sure that in the large scope of things, these floaters aren’t really that bothersome but for someone like me who needs to study and read volumes of text every day, I only pray that one day someone will find a cure to it and save countless numbers of people who are mentally damaged by it. In a way, I’ve already “snapped” because of the anxiety from school and now I don’t know what to do. Any words of encouragement or advice would be greatly appreciated. If I can pass school, I will dedicate my life to doing research on eliminating floaters for everyone but that goal seems so far away. Thanks for hearing out my rant. Take care.
Hi all,
I’ve been reading your blogs and its real clear to see (excuse the pun) that these floaters can get folk down. You would think in this day and age that there would be some kind of liquid you could to scoosh in your eye that could be absorbed and disolve those pescy worms. I’ve managed to get a real good look at mine of late, somehow through the light bouncing of the inside of my specs. They are like clear snakes all curled up on themselves, bendy and twisty. I can actually see them changing shape at times and the buggers just won’t break apart. I’m optimistic though, gonna start experimenting again with the vibe effect (handle of electric shaver) on the eye lid to see if they can be broken up. If I suceed, I’m gonna right a book on the trauma of it all and sell it for millions. the title will be something along the lines of…’how to rid floaters and shave your eyebrows of at the same time’…
You’ll hear from me soon if I havn’t been put away in some locked ward.
Jim.
>>leaving behind a large, dark, donut shaped floater that stayed in my central vision
Drake, this sounds like it could be what’s known as a Weiss Ring. The fact that it was accompanied by blurry vision at the onset is also worth investigating. I’d suggest seeing an opthomalogist (not an optometrist) for diagnosis. If it is a Weiss Ring, then this would suggest a posterior vitreous detachment. The “ring” is actually the edge of the vitreous body which has detached from the retina and is now free-floating. Weiss Rings are more common in older patients, but regardless, they are known to have a high success rate with laser disruption.
[Spam link edited out by David W. Boles]
Me again with perhaps some useful info,
This morning the floaters were driving me crazy, so I went out for a ciggy. Looking up at the sky I could see the usual one in my right eye, a sort of ‘L’ shape upside down with a bubble effect along its length. I decided to try rapid eye movements to see what would happen.
I spent about 30 mins with coffee breaks looking from left to right / up and down very quickly (while trying to keep my head still). The floater appears to have split in half. I can definitely say that I have ruffled it up, no longer is it straight along both parts of the ‘L’, the bit that stands out the most now has zig-zags and, and burring on the edges. My thinking is that this could encourage it to dissolve but I’ll have to wait and see. It did not seem to effect the other ‘knot’ like floater however. Look, I know I’m jumping to conclusion’s here but the exercise did seem to reduce their visibility. I would really appreciate if someone else could try this too just to get opinions. I looked up at the sky every now and then and could actually see the floater change shape.
For those of you who have read my other entry’s I’m not so sure if its a good idea to pass vibes through the eye. I did this yesterday and it took my eye several minutes to be able to focus properly, besides it might jog new ones to appear.
I’ll be in touch soon. Jim.
Can someone please describe what flashers look like? I am paranid and I keep thinking I have them. Are they meant to be quite big flashes of light, or what?
Brett,
I did go to an ophthalmologist and he told me that there wasn’t anything that he could “see” even though it was probably there considering my high myopia. In fact, he dismissed it as something that was trivial and was more worried about a retinal tear. I was definitely concerned as well about the retinal tear but was more interested in treatment for the floater-which there was none of course. In any case, I’m currently battling my anxiety and studying for my exams so it’s not like the floater helps at all. It is probably because of the fact that I am already anxious that made these floaters appear much more bothersome and apparent, thus perpetuating a vicious cycle of panic and despair. I have no idea what my future plans are going to be, and I may well have to drop out of medical school if I can’t control my anxiety due to my problem with reading. Either way, it’s going to be a long journey to the psychiatrist and I hope the meds can alleviate my anxiety and put my mind at peace. Thanks to all for listening. Peace.
I got my floaters in right eye a year back. Now I have them in left as well. And after thinking over it for so many months and surfing through many sites, I strongly feel that the cause of floaters is somewhere related to taking extra doses of vitamins, especially Vitamin A. I have heard hundreds of people mentioning that they got floaters after taking Centrum.
Though it may sound weired, but that is what I have observed in many other patients. I myself got floaters after I started taking heavy vitamins for my hair fall. My neighbour recently has started seeing floater after she finished a bottle of vitamins. One of my friends got retinal tear after he took vitamins for a month as a possible treatment to reduce his already existing floaters.
So everyone, be careful on taking vitamins. I feel those with already having floaters are at high risk of getting more floaters or getting retinal tear.
Pl let me know your thoughts.
Hey all,
Name is Eon and im 23 yo.
I just need to clarify my flashers just to see if people have the same problem or if its just similar.
Mine are like dark spots in random points and if i blink fast i can see where they are more clearly and see what their shape is. They fade after about 2 mins or so but i was worried about them for quite some time. I have floaters also but they tend to bother me alot less then the dark spots.
I have a friend who says he went through hypnosis to help him deal with floaters. He said that after a month or so of treatment, he no longer noticed his floaters and stopped worrying about them. Has anyone else tried this? Apparently it’s expensive.
I have floaters too but i’m only 15 year old. They get in my way while doing pretty much everything. They even mess me up in my schoolwork.
I have floaters in both eyes which are very very annoying is that are directly in my field of vision 24/7. They are particularly bad when I go outdoors, as all I can see are these black and transparent stringy things and dots swimming about. I can also see them when i look at a light background or when I look at the monitor and they just don’t go away.
Hi everyone,
Hope you’s are all well. Not much to say today other than I’ve not had much luck in trying to rid/lessen the symptoms. At the moment one floater seems a real mess, all twisted, bits of it here and there in shadowy glupes that are strung together, what a nightmare. Does/has anyone here worn contact lenses above and beyond the daily recommendations for wear? I was thinking that we may in fact have a commonality, though it might all be down to genes. There is no history of this in my family and but my father is quite short/near sighted. Everyone else doesn’t have a clue what I mean when I tell them about the condition. Take it easy folks, let me know how you’s are.
Jim.
Thank you for your site! I have a huge floater in my left eye, but more recently experiencing zig-zag flashers. I run to the dr, but as these only last 5-20 mins, there’s nothing going on when I get there and I am pronouced fine. I found out from your site they are probably opthamic migranes. I’m so relieved. FINALLY, something makes sense. But I still hate my thready floater. I am trying REALLY HARD to think of it as my built-in relaxation device but I’d love to get rid of it. Cheers!
Floaters: My recent obsession
I remember having floaters since I was a little kid. I’d always see these stringy, clear worms in my vision when looking up at the blue sky when lying on the beach. I made a game of trying to get them to freeze my line of sight, which was difficult because they were always on the move. For some reason I forgot about them, they may have broken up or I had become desensitized and didn’t really see them anymore.
Recently I noticed whole bunch of new ones in my right eye. I try not to think about them, but my vision is so perfect that I notice them every time they pass by. My eyes are so trained and fixated on this that a lot of times I see specks of dust flying around the room, mistaking it for a floater. What an annoying hobby!
The one thing worth mentioning to you guys is that I started taking a Centrum multivitamin everyday for about 5 months. I had never really taken vitamin supplements since I was a kid, so I think (as per the previous post above) that excess Vitamin A may be connected to this new onset of floaters.
I think personality type has a lot to do with the way we handle these annoying little buggers. I freak out and notice every little change in my body. I guess I’m a hypochondriac. I always diagnose myself and think I’m getting some weird disease or something. I guess if you’re the worrying type, then floaters become a real nuisance. If you have no history of eye problems, I think there’s nothing to really worry about. My dad said he also had the same “problem” and he even played the same floater games when he was a kid. He’s in his late 50’s now and his vision is fine. So don’t worry guys.
I’m going to get off the Centrum and see if the floaters start breaking up and go away. Thanks fellas. I feel better knowing I’m not the only one obsessing over something so stupid.
Peace.
Hi. My name is Kyle and I am 21. Now that I think back I remember seeing a floater or two when I was little but not again until I was 18 I just turned 21 and I still see them. Pretty much only outside during the day. I wear contacts and wonder if it affects the situation. I have gone to the eye doctor a couple of times about it and they always assure me that it is fine and natural for some poeple. Especially near sighted people. (me) They said my eyes are healthy and that to go to the doctor if it gets worse. I see the light also outside. Little tiny lights that kind of sparkle and that has kinda been there too… I usually forget about it and I wear sunglasses anytime I walk outside. But it still worries me sometimes… I think I saw someone mention stress and anxiety? I frequiently deal with anxiety and panic and this only makes it worse…. lol. Also I’m not sure if it is the same thing but at night I have trouble focusing or in the dark period. I have heard that that is also a near sighted thing but i also have really dry eyes most of the time. But If I don’t think about it then I really notice it. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INFO!!!
thanks
Hi Greg,
Pl see my comments dated 1st Feb. I have mentioned exactly the same thing which you seem to have experienced. I too had taken heavy vitamins and got this floaters which I never had previously in my life. After reading your notes, I am now very sure that the overdose of vitamin causes onset of floaters. I have read a site where hundreds of people are saying that they got floaters after taking Centrum.
HELLO WORLD, Is there anybody on this earth who is reading this and wants to investigate the realationship between vitamin and the floaters. PLEASE HELP !!
And people – who have got floaters, pl dont take any further vitamins.
I’ve been dealing with this cr*p for almost a year now. I’m 26 and my floaters and flashers are annoying as hell. Someone mentioned anxiety and panic. That’s me all over! These things have been freaking me out.
I feel everyone’s pain!
[Comment edited for content by David W. Boles.]
I am so glad I found this site. I am 34 years old and had a retinal detachment in my left eye Feb2006, and acutally have vision loss in my upper peripheral vision.
I was in my room and looked up at a light to turn it off and when I looked away I could see what I thought was the spots that you see after looking into a light. I remember telling my Husband about 20 minutes later that I was still seeing the spots from looking at the light. Over the next hour, I was in the bath with my kids and started seeing what looked like pepper and this maroon colored waivy
line come across the upper part of my vision. I remember blinking and asking my daughter if should could see anything in my eye, which she couldn’t. Then it went away. I told my husband about it, and he said maybe your eyes are tired, get some sleep. The next day I called my eye doctor and told the receptionist my systems and she scheduled me an appointment 4days away, so I thought, well they know what they are doing, it must not be that serious. Over the next 2 days, I noticed my eye just bothering my, like I needed to blink, I wasn’t seeing clearly in areas, I can’t explain it. That night I decided to cover one eye and compair the vision, that’s when I realized all of the vision was gone in the upper peripheral of my left eye. I went into my eye doctor the next morning, and they found the retinal detachment, and scheduled surgery the next day. By that time the vision was gone in the upper part of my eye, and still has not returned a year later. I guess I did not noticed because my other eye compensated for the vision loss. Now that I know it’s gone, I noticed it. Shortly after that whole thing I noticed floaters in my right and now live in fear that this will happen in my right. I am very nearsighted, but had Lasik’s in 2000, no one ever told me that this could happen because of thin retinas and having miopia, I thought when I got the lazer surgery, I was fixed. The floaters and flashes are hard to live with, plus the fear of losing more vision, it’s all I think about. I’m 34, with the eyes of an 80 year old person on the inside, the retinas. I am constantly checking my peripheral vision like a freak, very consuming. The flashes I get are huge, like when you drop a pebble in water, the rippling all through my eyes, waves of light. Happens alot. I have made so many trips the eye doctor thinking that it has happened again in my right, but they say no tears, no detachments, just the fluid pulling on the retinas. Lots of floaters, swirling around in both eyes. I hate it. I wish I had know about this stuff, I would’ve been in to the eye doctore regulary, no one ever told me that this could happen. My whole life changed in a matter of minutes.
Any advise on getting through the day without obsessing on this stuff. Anyone else loose vision due to a detachment?
Look forward to a response
Michelle
I have used grapeseed extract with some success. You should use it for a couple of months to be aware of its full benefit to you. I am in a financial crunch right now and cannot afford it! When taking it regularly which was also in conjunction with different types of muscular stretching exercises, the results were remarkable! I can’t wait to get back on them. The only question is how much of the supplement each day is enough? Different brands produce varying grades and strengths or quality.
Christ follower
yes, i have floaters too, i’ve done the test, and i really think it’s only in my left eye, they are not that troublesome since they are not that visible. when i have my eyes closed, i don’t see them, it’s like i have to focus on that to see them a bit, other that that, if i focus on something else like a TV or on the desk, i don’t really see them. But yes, it’s annoying to know there’s no clinical cure for that problem… but when i don’t forcus on that, sometimes i can see them as small, faint, see-thru points/blotches. but where i can REALLY see them is on a bright day AND there’s a lot of white snow outside, that freaks me out sometimes…
what kind of “home-made” treatment(s) do you recommend? what kind of vitamins? thanks!
Hello!
I used vitamin C,MSM,MAGNESIUM CARBONATE and VITAMIN E, anb cause the floaters in my eyes..
I called the National Eye Association and they told me that unfortunately there is no clinical research conducted on eye floaters because they are not considered threatening. What about prevention is better than correction…We live in a very unfair world…
That shows people with floaters we are a small minority, therefore not enough people has been studying this disease. I’ll bet you the solution is very simple, the problem is that apparently floaters are caused by debri, my question is what do we do with debri? we get rid of it right we need to extract it right. What happpens when people have extra fat in their bodies they get a liposuction correct well I know it is not the same thing but the idea is the same, something that the body doesn’t need can be extract it and the body will not be missing it because doesn’t need it. Well the challenge is how to extract something so small in such a delicate environment without causing any damage. I know the technology is out there and the smarts are out there so hang in there because I am positive someone sooner ol later ,somewhere will soon break through this clinical
drawback.
I’m 45 and have never been shortsighted or worn glasses. Seeral mnths ago I started getting flashes of light that increase with activity. The eye dos say ive got vitreous synerisis or that the jelly has liquified in my eye, but all the websites ie been to say this only happens in 10 per cent of shortsighted people over 50. Anyone out there got this condition early WITHOUT myopia?
Hi Everyone. A fellow sufferer here, but doing my best to ignore these pests. Out of curiosity, has anyone read Mark Lorne’s book on using psychological techniques to train the brain into blocking out/ignoring the visual stimuli caused by the movement of floaters? I’m a great believer in the power of brain training, and am keen to try this. If anyone here has read it and tried the techniques, please do post your thoughts and experiences here.
Please can anyone share with me the results or their experiences of retinal detachment surgery? I have a longstanding near totalk detahment that I have been offered a scleral buckle for with theb possibility of recovering 10% vision in that eye I’m not sure its worth it
Also does anyone know if vitreous synerisis can be caused by a indirect trauma? I was in a car that changed direction on a roundabout suddenly and this jerked my head and I felt my eye bulge a few days later I experienced flashes of light and now there is a permanent dark hair or line in the corner of my vision. Has anyone else developed flashes after this sort of event?
I have been seeing floaters since I was 15 years old. I am now 26 and Ive learned to ignore them. Recently they have become bothersome and driving me crazy. I am now 7 months pregnant. Could this be the reason why they have become more prevalient? Also, when Im watching TV or on the computer the glare from the light has the floaters in it. Is that normal of floaters? I see clumped together lines or strings and bubble cell looking circles that multiply when I look up, is this normal of floaters? Ive been to a retina specialist and they told me i have 20/20 in my left eye and 20/25 in my right and there is no sign of detatchment or problems. They said there is nothing they can do to help my problem. im so tired of crying and so tired of my skin crawling everytime i see these things. i don\’t know what to do. what makes it worst is i have a panic and OCD disorder so i tend to obsess over things. can you please respond, I don\’t know what else to do.
I desperately want to get rid of my floater. I am 25 and first noticed it a few months ago, now I am starting to see a few more. I want it gone for my wedding next year as I have a horrible feeling that at the end of the aisle I will just see a big black bob over my fiancees face … help! I am shortsighted and don’t always wear my glasses. Do you think if I wore them more frequently the floaters might ease? My optician said he can see 3/4 of them but nothing can be done.
Hi everyone,
Been to see GP recently about the floaters, getting a refferal to eye specialist. I’m not expecting much, but there’s always the chance of a vitrectomy. Heard these are 98% successful, problem is they won’t operate if they think its not severe. As we all know floaters are a real problem, if an op can improve someone’s quality of life them I’m all for it. I’ll let you know how it progresses.
Best wishes to all of you.
Hello All,
I’m 32 and I’ve recently “noticed” floaters and some flashers in both of my eyes two weeks ago. Shortly after that, I experienced a severe sinus infection, not sure they are linked. I would say I’m relatively healthy, I do take some vitamins and supplements, but usually slack off for a couple weeks here and there.
I’ve been to both an optician and opthamologist to get checked, who both said that my condition is not uncommon, everyone has “junk” in their eyes and that my brain will eventually tune it out again. Yes, easier said than done.
Up until 2 weeks ago, I did not know what a floater was. I asked some friends and co-workers and was surprised that they knew exactly what I was talking about! They also said that they have them come and go, and tend to ignore them.
I tend to become self-obsessed over certain things. I wonder if others on this board do the same? I let my anxiety get the best of me and I can’t help but wonder if that’s the root of my problem? I’ve been having trouble sleeping and I haven’t had much of an appetite, so that could be adding to my worry. I spent nearly my first 4 days after noticing them, sitting in my house, thinking of nothing but my floaters and trying to see them. I thought incessantly how they’ve ruined the way I look at the world, my eyes will never be the same…and it’s not true. I’ve tricked myself into believing this is true, hence making it a reality.
I’ve begun to think positive thoughts and it really does help. I’m not against these little annoyances disappearing on their own, in fact, I hope that is the case. I’m slowly coming to accept that only time, attitude and tolerance are the only tools I have in making these go away. My anxiety has slowly, but surely begun to dissolve. I’m getting back into my daily routine and I find it easier to concentrate on what I’m doing and I’m thinking less and less about my floaters.
Question…Has anyone been really bothered by these had them completely disappear? I mean, someone with a moderate to severe case – then bango – nothing? I’ve see on a few sites that say with time, floaters generally fade, or go unnoticed but there are some sufferers on here that have seen them for years and years. I see there are lot’s of us that notice them, but few that report having them go away. It’s so easy to train our eyes/brain to see them, but so difficult to do the opposite. What I’ve been doing the last few days is making myself “look” through my eyes, when I move them, I try to focus on what I’m looking at, rather than trying to see my floaters whiz by. Even if it’s a light colored background, I’ll try to pick out a smudge, speck or spot onto which I can focus my gaze.
Thanks much for listening and good luck to everyone,
Joe
I’m 33 and I just got my first floater a couple of weeks ago after having an incident of my eyes being severly red from an allergic reaction to cats. Its a thread type floater with 2 solid dots in it. I’m pretty sure one end is still attached to the vitreous membrane while the other sort of floats around… very annoying. Logically, it seems like if one end of the strand broke from the membrane, eventually the other end will too? I wonder if this will make it better, or worse if it broke completely….
I went in for a new prescription the other day and the doc couldnt see anything in there. I’m sure there are better visual tools available then the hand scope thing he used.
I’m hoping it will fade over time, especially the solid parts of it. After reading this I now know not to expect anything quickly…. I guess I’m in for the long haul 🙁
There are actually a lot of people that have them and don’t care I guess… After I described my problem to one friend she replied, “floaters… oh! is that what those are?”
Dan
Hello again,
What a difference a week makes. It’s been tough and I know that I have a long way to go still…but these floaters are not bothering me as much as they were. I still don’t like them, but hey, if they are here to stay I suppose I should at least get used to them right?
I’ve gotten over more of the worry and anxiety that I’ve been feeling over these buggers but still have moments here and there – mostly in the morning before a little coffee. I’m positive that all my worry and obsessing made these worse than they are. At certain times of the day, looking past them can be a chore, but I’m sure that one day soon it will be more of an automatic function than a labored one.
The brain is strong and one way or another, we will adapt. Keep thinking positive thoughts, even if you have to force yourself at first and whatever you do, don’t concentrate on the floaters.
Thanks Joe. That means alot. Question??? do you see the floaters when you watch tv or on the computer? if so how do you not look at them?
While on the computer or watching t.v. I do see the floaters fairly well -Bart Simpson will often have a few squiggly lines or blurry blobs floating on his head. If I squint, wowie, I see tons of things floating and squirming before my eyes in the glare of the television. I usually keep a background light on, like a lamp, it seems to make them less noticeable against the glow of a monitor or television, almost to the point that I can forget they are even there. I work as a graphic designer and I’m usually on the computer for 9-10 hours a day so I’ve turned the brightness down on my monitors and that helps me. Unfortunately, I work inside of a big, bright, blue room so I’m put to the test during the weekdays. It’s impossible to not look at them sometimes, but what I don’t have to do is follow them, bring them into focus or concentrate on them being there.
Hey Joe, I see the same thing. It seems like when i look down and then look back up it becomes more bubble looking things and squiggly lines. I hate that, it makes my skin crawl. Im so glad you responded. I feel alot better when I talk about it..you know. Thats a good Idea, i will try that with the tv and computer. How do you survive at work? see my issue is i have anxiety and OCD so i tend to obsess over things. my boyfriend see them but it doesn’t bother him…im jealous..lol. can we please continue to communicate? you really help me alot. thanks again for responding.
Sure, no problem. It’s nice to be able to relate to someone who’s experiencing the same thing that I am and to know that I’m not alone.
Haha, oh yeah, I know exactly what your talking about. Looking down, then looking up and seeing a wall of shadows and spots float up before your eyes. That’s what really got me freaked out at first, the giant “floater wall of death”. I tend to obsess about things as well, I spent the first few days after first noticing the floaters torturing myself by looking at them constantly. And when I saw them, I had the same reaction every time, I panicked. The more I looked at them, the easier it was to see them everywhere, making it impossible to go a minute of the day without thinking about them.
Work is still somewhat of an annoyance. I’m reminded constantly throughout the day that the floaters are there because of the lighting and the wall color in my office, but when I see them I definitely don’t feel the rush of panic that I felt before.
Hey Joe. It so awesome that you understand. I was truly starting to think that nobody sees them how i see them. I did the same thing. Just stare and them and squint my eyes. it would be torture driving because as soon as i would go outside i would look up in the air. I can’t wait for them to not be a problem. I have another question….are they sometimes transparent looking or black depending on your background? mines are and i hate that too.
They all seem to be semi-transparent, but background and what type of light that I’m in effect their appearance. I think that the closer or further away they are to the retina, the harder it is to focus on them. The out of focus one’s seem to be darker blobs while the ones that look very well defined (the amoebas) look more transparent. Even in instances where I can’t make out the outlines or all the dark blobs, I can see small somewhat opaque pools floating in and out my line of sight.
Joe and Whymen,
Thanks for your comments. They parrallel a lot of my experiences. I first noticed floaters about five months ago. Since then it has been a roller coaster ride. At first I was obsessed with them. I though about them all the time. It completely changed my life. It dampened my enthusiasm for life. It made me reach a state of dispair. Even thought I could logically think about them, I could not stop in some cases the emotional responce that they brought on. I knew that at least they were not painful or life threatening, but yet they still bothered me alot.
Over time it has gotten better, but yet at times they still bring me down emotionallt and I still think that I think about them to much.
So it is definitely good to hear from others that are going through the same or similar experiences to me.
Jack
Hey Jack and Joe. It is very hard to cope with these things. Nobody around me understands how hard it actually is. I noticed floaters when I was about 15 and learned to ignore them, all of a sudden they are bothersome. Im currently 7 months pregnant so I don’t know if that is the reason or not. Everytime I see my floater a hot flash runs through my body and I get goose bumps. I think that is my anxiety reacting to it. I pray that it gets better after the baby. It is so hard for me to drive because I see them in my peripherial vision. Does anybody else. Jack, I know what you mean about them being parrallel i see a whole bunch of lines that are vertical and horizontal and if i move my eyes or head they move real fast or change shape. I also see bubble looking things. Those are the worse!!! Im so tired of crying about this but im glad i finally found some people i can talk to.
hey joe what do you mean by opaque pools?
Ummm, I guess saying that they are opaque is a bit misleading. If you’ve ever seen Predator, when the Predator is invisible….he looks like a pool of water. The light is being bent in a particular way so in some light sources they look like little pool shaped blurry blobs that I can see pass in front of my eyes. I usually see them when I turn my head or eyes and am looking at something that is well lit. When I don’t get the shadows, or amoebas, that is typically what I see. It always depends on light source.
I have probably around one hundred clear floaters (a lot of them are joined up in clusters) which I can see if I look at the sky, and two or three dark ones, which are definitely more annoying.
Flashers are definitely more annoying though. They are there constantly in their thousands, very small and not very bright. They are most annoying when I’m in complete dark, sometimes creating big flashes as if from a camera. A few months ago I woke up and these fireflies/sparks were A LOT bigger, and multicoloured. Fortunately it only lasted for a few minutes and I haven’t had them since.
I’m 22 now and I first got the flashers and floaters soon after I was hit in the face with a football (soccer ball) twice in very quick succession when I was around 15. They didn’t come straight away, but rather I developed an unbearable sensitivity to light for a week or so. As soon as the sensitively went away, I was left with these flashers and floaters permenantly. Everything was fine until last year when the sensitivity to light came back again for a week completely out of the blue, and again after the sensitivity subsided I was left with even more flashers than before. I wonder if anyone has had the same experience, although I’m guessing not? I have been to an optician recently and they were baffled by it all. Yet they reported that nothing was wrong… and that’s fine with me.
Wow Aidan, im sorry your going through that. How are you coping with it though? Are you still able to see or its just when you look up in the sky? My floaters are pretty severe as well, and i hate it. You must really be a soldier. Hang in there it should get better. I hope mines do. Only time will tell. I think mine is so bad because I also struggle with anxiety and i fixate on things. This website is really helping me through it so hopefully it will do the same for you. we are all here for each other
my opinion.
I think there is one cause for the majority of them. Possibly dehydration, or vitamins, or whatever. And there probably is one solution. I suggest internet test groups. There certainly seems to be enough people online to do this. For example, 100 people sign up to drink 10 glasses of water/day without changing anything else in their lives. 100 people double the dose of multi-vitamins. 100 people concentrate on reducing stress in their lives. etc.
I know you’re thinking this is stupid, but rather than everyone crying about floaters, I’ve got them too, it’s time to get some bearing on the issue. At least elliminate possible solutions. if the water drinking group gets absolutely no positive results, then we can stop talking about it.
I’m honestly tired of hearing how one person changed something in their life and touts it as a cure for floaters. I don’t know that person. Heck, they could be making it all up or just a wack job. But if a hundred people profess something under semi-controlled conditions, well then maybe I’ll change my multi-vitamin.
I have been searching the internet for the last week for websites on floaters. I have had them most of my life and my Optician told me that they are normal and nothing to worry about. At the time I could only see them against the sky or light surfaces, it makes them very easy to ignore when that is the case.
However all that has changed as about a week ago I noticed a large black floater in my right eye whilst looking at a friends computer screen. I panicked and headed straight to the Optician who told me that yes it was there, he could see it clearly, but it is nothing to worry about as my eyes are ‘healthy’.
I was so pleased to stumble onto this site and read Joe’s comments. It is really nice to know that there is someone else out there that is going through exactly what I am going through. I also tend to become rather self obsessed. And at the moment all I can think about is this annoying floater. It has got me quite down. I see it all the time. Not just against light surfaces, against all surfaces – although very busy backgrounds tend to make it easier to ignore or look past but unfortunately those times are few.
I too have spent the past few days just sitting around and looking at the floater, getting more and more depressed. The silly thing is that in the moments when it is not so prominent I stop and start searching for it.
I feel that it is going to ruin my experiences and how I see the world for the rest of my life. I imagine that all the important things that will hopefully happen in the future e.g. getting married, having a baby etc. will be over shadowed by this annoying black spot.
I only need shift my gaze the smallest fraction and there it is floating past my eye.
Talking to friends and family doesn’t help because they do not understand what it is like. I have been told to just get on with my life, ignore it, it could be worse and so on and so on.
I am 29 years old and I am hoping that my brain will begin to ignore this floater.
What’s worse is that as I have sat here on the computer today I have discovered another floater in the same eye. This new one seems to rest at the top of my eye and I dont know if I have had it the entire time and am only noticing it because I am looking for it or if it is a new development.
I really hope this doesn’t drive me crazy.
It feels so good to get this off my chest and share my worries with people who know what I am going through.
Kristy, I hear you. I completely understand. It seems everyone has experienced floaters to some degree, but no one understands what it’s like to live with a vast array of black spots in your field of vision 24/7. They don’t get how annoying and depressing that is. I actually had an eye doctor tell me, “Now that I’ve told you it’s nothing to worry about, you won’t see it any more.” I curse that doctor every single day. He told me that three years ago. Still see the damned spots. Everywhere, like you said. I even see them with my eyes closed! The only time I don’t see them is in the dark. That’s it. Makes it really hard to do my job, to write, to web surf…just everything. And what someone said about seeing things out of the corner of your eye, and making you jump? Oh, but it’s just the stupid floater, of course. Very disconcerting. Anywho… I had my first real onset of these things three years ago, at the same time I found out I had pre-diabetes that caused nerve damage in my hands and feet. I thought if I treated the diabetes it would get better. It hasn’t. I’ve noticed they changed when I had lasik surgery, but they just moved around a bit; they didn’t go away. Please, if anyone reading this has ever had them gradually sink and disappear the way the doctors say they should, would you tell us? Because after three years, I’m beginning to think that’s not going to happen….
There’s 2 kinds of floaters: the clear ones that are just novelties, and the dark ones that are obstructive. I’m guessing everyone here has the second type since the first type doesn’t really require a support group. And the experiences are the same – a quarter inch brownish, grey circle slowly drifting across your field of vision, tethered within a certain area.
Hey, at least they’re not painful! Think about migraine sufferers. Both my kids have the clear type and don’t think anything of them. I have the darker ones, developed about 4 months ago. One particularly noticable. Will they get worse? Better? Who knows.
Hello everyone I think the best thing we all can do for floaters is be positive, don’t stress.. i read somewhere that stressing makes floaters worse.. its important to do the things you love and not let floaters get the best of you. It is however important to see an eye doctor to make sure that floaters is truly the problem that you have. Its seems that floaters are quite common, if no one is willing to do research for floaters, we should start a foundation ourselves. image all the people we could get to help. just a theroy. who knows a cure could be something simple, something overlooked. 😛
hey dee dee, your right. im with that! count me in. how do we start? i actually be doing good with the floaters by telling myself that they can’t break me, i can’t let them be the boss of my life. however, today when i went outside, i happened to look up in the sky(i don’t know why) and i noticed that they were all clumped together and it looked really nasty. i got that same chill through my body. i was doing so good. im mad at myself all over again.
I have had/noticed floaters for the past 13 years. I have had flashers recently. Normally pin head sized blue that last for a second or two. Over the past weeks I have noticed mostly at night that if I look at a bright light source (rear brake lights etc) I see neon blue/magenta afterimages (normally circular) that hang around for quite a few seconds. Does this sound familiar to anyone. Doesnt always happen but a bit weird.
I started having significant floaters two years ago following an illness and a traffic accident (all within the same month). I’m not sure which caused the floaters.
The floaters are large and dark, nearly always impeding or disrupting my vision. I can’t look at a sunset without a dozen pieces of debris floating across my eyeball; watching TV usually means inadvertently adding my own brand of cast and characters; and typing this message on my computer involves looking quickly to the left or right to temporarily whisk the floaters out of the way.
Still, I know things could be worse (I could be blind, for example). But the constant aggravation really wears a person down. One day, I may take that trip to Washington DC and visit Dr. Karickoff.
Diet isn’t going to help your floaters, I’m afraid. They only two options for removing floaters are laser disruption or vitrectomy (removing the vitreous gel and replacing it with a saline-type solution….VERY RISKY).
TO JOSHUA VOTAW: I’d like to get a hold of you regarding your doctor. If you could post your doc’s name here, I’d appreciate it! He sounds like someone I need to visit. 🙂
I’m 27 and I started noticing my floaters at about 24. They started out as small dots but have recently grown some pretty long tails. About a year ago I started noticing little flashes that look like a bunch of little bastard radioactive ants running around inside my eye. I can only notice the flashes when I’m looking at solid bright skies though. Just like everyone here I went through a pretty rough time with them when they started getting really annoying, especially when you really can’t do much about them. I thought about JOSHUA VOTAW’s solution one day, but it seems pretty unnatural to have your eyes dilated like that for such a long period of time on a frequent basis. I’ve adjusted my lifestyle a bit to help cope with the floaters. I definitely appreciate the night a lot more now. Having dim yellow lights in the apartment helps quite a bit. I’ve also taken up a lot of sporting activities.(Wakeboarding, basketball, scuba-diving, etc) I’ve noticed that if I’m completely distracted I don’t really notice them. Getting drunk really helps because my vision blurs a bit and I really can’t spot them(But I’m pretty sure that being drunk half the time will bring about more serious problems) This is the first “floaters” blog I’ve joined and as corny as it sounds, hearing other people talk about it really helps as well. Hang in there folks, the awareness is growing. There are already quite a few doctors looking into more low-risk treatments.
Hi David,
I’m interested in the subject as I’m affected with floaters for few years. It was interesting to read above reports about this “phenomena”. What was lacking is drawing conclusion as to the cause of new floaters appeariance. I had my first floater more then 15 years ago and was as panicked as some of your youngest guests. Now I’m 37 and recently I noticed new floaters that are bigger then ones before. My visit to 2 doctors exluded retina problem but you never know …
My anallitycal mind searches for some clues as to the cause of it. Bad Diet ? Too heavy exercises. As I’m helping build my new house I often have to pick up or carry some heavy things would this be the cause ? As to the right diet I have seen the page where there was a diet and warning for not eating too much citrus fruits rich in vitamin C … Maybe we could find some solution to what may cause enlargment of already existing floaters.
regards
Darek
My floaters are somewhat worse then they were the last time I posted. I have a few extra blobs and hairs to deal with. Just when I get use to what I have, the whole situation changes. I guess that’s how it’s going to be though – the older we get, the more more floaters we may get as the vitreous shrinks. On some days they are particularly mobile and can be especially annoying while working on the computer. Maybe that’s a good sign – they are breaking up and degenerating. I don’t have any that are really opaque black or sit in my direct line of sight, but they do zip in front of my eye when I move them, which is making them harder to ignore. I’ve since asked co-workers and friends if they had ever experienced floaters and was surprised to hear how many of them have floaters too. They’ve all managed to tune them out and get annoyed with me when I bring them up because then they start seeing them all over again. I think it’s odd that I never heard of these before. A few people I know have them so bad they see them everywhere all the time and think nothing of it. I want to trade brains with them : D
To jarecky – After reading lot’s of information on the internet I think, unfortunately, that there is no way to prevent floaters from becoming larger. But what you say about heavy exercise does make sense. I suppose that the movement could shake things loose from the inside lining of the eye and create more floaters or break existing ones and then those new chunks could stick to existing ones to make a few new, bigger floaters. Come to think of it, I’ve been running alot lately, that may explain the appearance of my new friends.
Hello. I am 18, healthy and fit, and have 20-13 vision (better than normal). I was blessed with eye floaters about 2 years ago. They are quite annoying (although mine aren’t as bothersome as some of the individuals who have shared stories on this blog). I have them in both eyes. I think i got them after i was in a car crash (actually it was 1 AM Christmas morning driving back to home from the bay area, which is a 5 hour car ride and a couple of drunks had the great idea to try and cross the freeway in the dark and rain. Long story short i collided with one of them after seeing him for a split second and slamming on the brakes for a quarter of a second. I wont go into the details.) Anyway soon after this experience i developed eye floaters and they increased in number and have plateaued at about 5 in each for the last year. At first when i only had one i believed that it was some sort of glass or debris that hit my eye (since his body smashed the windshield in about a 1/2 ft. from my face. Now i believe it was caused by the stress and anxiety of the whole ordeal after reading about the how it might be related to stress in this blog. I am a student pilot and am going to become a professional pilot. Luckily I don’t notice the floaters at all when I’m flying a plane (everything moving seems to dampen the effect of the floaters, along with being extremely mentally focused). I’m happy to have found this site it is full of interesting stories and information about eye floaters (which are actually the shadow of the debris in your eye against your retina, which is why they are more prominent in brighter situations).
Thanks for reading this. I am looking forward to any comments or feedback. I am confident now that floaters can be stress related as well as age related. I am definitely going to begin taking multi-vitamins.
Just wondering why David W. Boles is not giving comments anymore?
Hi Nina —
Sometimes the conversation takes on a life of its own and doesn’t require my ongoing governance.
I’m not an MD and I don’t have any advice or experience to offer beyond what has already been posted.
Hi, I started experiencing floaters two years ago after I got punched on my left eye and I had a blowout fracture. These things are really annoying, specially when im studying or doing stuff outdoors. Im going to start taking multivitamins and see if that helps. Last month I started seeing more. i believe that may be related to stress. But i dont know much about it. I wish there was a definate solution for them
It take a quit long time to read all the comments, I am 29 years old male it all started from about 3 years ago, I have floaters on both eyes, very annoying indeed, based on researches that i had made for the past 2 years, I came up with the following…
Floaters are common among people but only a few who compalins from it, why?!!
The brain simply ignores the less important things that you expreince during the day, that you even forget about it, I think this is the core of our problem we -floater sufferers- had identified the Eye Floaters as an important issue to us and begun to worry about it , worry that we will not be able to concentrate or focus on what we are doing and instead we will keep watching the floaters inside our eyes, we feel depressed & anxious
we find our self inside a closed circut….know the barin had identifed this as a critical issue ( as you spent hours & hours thinking about it) and is entered in the system of our belives, so its hard on us to ignore it.
lets just dis-respect our floaters…
Hi everyone,
Following a specialist appointment I have to go to an Uveitis clinic mid august for the floaters that have been troubling me. I was also given eye drops to use which is 4xdaily and i think it has helped reduce the frog spawn type floaters that are in my left eye. I was not prescribed drops for my right eye which has long stringy floaters and wonder why this is the case. Uveitis may be the cause of my floaters but again even the experts seem unsure. I understand that symptoms of uveitis vary, generally a chemical irritant causes it. I had a full examination and seem generally healthy and wonder what will come of my next app with the doc later. Hope you’re all well, looking forward to the day these wee bliters disappear. Out of curiosity, does anyone here suffer/had suffered back or neck problems or muscle tension. Apparantly there may be a link???
I had floaters since i was 12 i still have problems with but ill get over it … im 16 now so i been living with them for 4 years does anybody see them at my age
Hello All.
I have had Floaters now for probably about a month and a half. I have seen a optometrist and they say my eyes are ok expect i am a little bit longsited. My job involves me being sat at a computer screen for 9 hours a day. One question i have is does anyone experience what appears to be flashing dots when (for example) looking at a white background on a website?. They are tiny and usually only 1 at a time, is it possible that light from the screen is reflecting off of a transparent floater giving the illusion of a flash?
Greetings all, I have been scanning web pages looking for information related to floaters and vitreous detachment. I think I have discovered what caused the onset of my floaters about 3 weeks ago and then a sudden increase of floaters 2 days ago….
I’m 38yrs old. I have dry eye issues and Stigmatism. Other than that I had no other eye issues until 3 weeks ago when strangely, one day I had 2 black spots in my left eye that wouldn’t go away. I went to our eye Dr. last week to find out what was causing this sudden problem. One of my floaters was classified by the Dr. as being substantial and in the direct line of my vision and the other 2 were in the low outer edges of my vision. She said I have 2 issues going on…Floaters and vitreous detachment (unusual in younger individuals unless there was trauma to the head or related to some other health issue) I have had neither. Vitreous detachment is when the bag of fluid behind your eye-ball tears away from the eye. This occurrence is normal in people who are 50yrs of age and older. In older individuals, the fluid in the bag behind the eye decreases, causing a shrinking of the bag which in turn pulls at the little attachments that hold to the lining of your eye socket. The pull becomes so stressed that the attachments break away. Sometimes this type of spontaneous detachment will pull the entire lining away and cause a retinal detachment or hole in your macula. This is why sudden appearance of floaters should inspire you to get your eyes checked ASAP.
My Dr. told me the same as many of you have heard. There isn’t anything that they will do about the problem because the cure holds high risk of infection with permanent partial and/or full loss of sight. My Dr. said that she had no explanation for the vitreous detachment because I am considerably young for such an occurrence.
I believe I have found the explanation and I want to share it with you because I am almost 100% sure that I am correct. I recently took up commuting to work by bicycle, 14 miles round trip. I live in a hot dry climate and we have had record temperatures for July this year with an average of 98 degrees. I have biked in temperatures over 100 deg. I have been guilty of not drinking enough water during the day, rather I have pop and coffee. Thinking back three weeks ago I know that I road in extreme and totally know that I over extended myself in a major way having symptoms of dehydration and extreme heat related fatigue. I thought nothing of it till this week, 2 days ago I repeated this ridiculous behavior only I was much much hotter and didn’t drink any water all day, only pop and coffee. Today, rather than 3 floaters in my left eye, I have at least 15 to 20 of them all over in my field of vision. Here is my conclusion after reading several studies on line and reading about similar circumstance in people who have issues with restricted blood flow. I believe the onset of my floaters was caused by dehydration of my body (eyes included) that simulated similar circumstances seen in elderly people when there vitreous shrinks, pulls and then detaches from the eye causing floaters, flashes of light and sometimes retinal detachment. Then 2 days ago I caused more floaters to appear by dehydrating myself again. Some floaters are caused by the vitreous fluid becoming stringy similar to that of a bowl of jell-o that has gotten old. The light shines in your eye and reflects off the back of your eye and past the stringy jell. This causes the floater affect because the floater blocks the light so that the item you are looking at doesn’t project. Example: If you suspend a piece of string or a ball in front of a movie projector it blocks the projection of the movie onto the screen in that particular spot. The rest of the movie can be seen on the screen. Our floaters are actually blocking light and casting a shadow that we see rather than an actual portray of what we are looking at. With that said, don’t you wonder if some people get rid of their floaters because they are better hydrated? The less hydrated you are, the more jelly like your eye fluid will become and the less likely that the stringy floater will dissipate over any amount of time. Remember to think of Jell-O that sits out and become dry. It’s clumpy, stringy and even mixing it would only produce lumpy clumps. However, if you add water and keep the jell wet for a long period of time the clumps will eventually smooth out, become less clumpy and stringy.
My eye Dr. recommended that I take 2000 milligrams of Flaxseed oil or fish oil orally each day for my dry eyes. It took a couple of weeks but I noticed that my nails weren’t so dry, I could wear my contacts without them popping out of my eyes, and my skin wasn’t as dry. I purchase Flax Seed in jell pills and they are not expensive. Fish oil causes people to burp up nasty fish taste. Yuk.
I really hope this helps someone out there. It should help everyone to realize that water is an essential part of our bodies needs and without there are horrible consequences. Makes me wonder about these younger children around age 12…I wonder if they drank a lot of fluids, especially water or if they experienced extreme heat or lack of fluid while in sports or play that could have caused the onset of floaters.
Now there’s a good study for someone with money and nothing better to do with thier time? Oh and how about children on stimulants such as Concerta, this medication can cause dry skin, dry hair, extream thirst that can’t be quenched…I wonder if it has caused an increase in children who have floaters because the jell of their eye is lacking fluid too?
I’ve been a sufferer of this condition for 10-11 years now. I’m 27 years old, and often I feel like I have the eyes of a 77 year old. I’ve read pretty much every comment on this website, and I come away both relieved and confused at the same time. Relieved that other people out there suffer just as I do; confused because everyone has different opinions about this condition. For example, many people wrote about vitamins – and I come away confused regarding is it taking too much of a vitamin or being deficient in vitamins that might play a role w/ floaters? The creator of this website states he takes vitamins on a regular basis, but many people wrote that taking those multi-vitamins might cause more floaters to appear. And ofcourse, we hear NOTHING from the medical community regarding all this. I’m soooo frustrated that no one in the medical community thinks it’s important enough to investigate floaters/flashers of the eye. Sure, there are people dying and suffering of all kinds of conditions, but what makes people think we’re not suffering just the same? We’re not guaranteed we won’t have vitreous detachment. Sometimes I scare myself silly just thinking about “what if?”. I hear ppl with floaters have higher risk of vitreous detachment. Hmmmm….could be a good reason to put a few bucks into research and some preventative measures. I have heard NOTHING about prevention or treatment of condition so it doesn’t either appear or get worse. I’m just so frustrated. If this condition makes the people suffer so much to the point it disrupts their lives – WHY NOT INVESTIGATE?
To the creator of this site – have you investigated whether anyone’s interest from the medical community peaked due to all the comments people write? I mean this is not the only site I’ve seen created by sufferers of floaters.
Also just a comment to the very last commentor (eye daho potato): your theory is nice, but I’m skeptical – just like I’m skeptical to all others’ theories. Don’t go making up your own scientific studies. It just sounds ridiculous.
On the final note – Everyone, please look on the bright side of things. At least you don’t have a terminal illness (G-d forbid) and that you can SEE. It is so wonderful to have a sense of sight – enjoy it all. I’ve heard this somewhere – if you want to ask “Why me?”, ask “Why not me?”. Just think about it. What makes you so special that you don’t get this and someone else does? We all suffer in our lives in one way or another. This just makes us appreciate life so much more.
Hi Milana —
Since I wrote the original article two years ago I now no longer take any supplemental vitamins because I now believe if you eat a right diet you no longer need to take extra vitamins.
My floaters and flashers are still there but they have calmed down a lot — just as my MD said they would — with aging. It’s a natural process of patience and willpower.
Hello Milana,
I am glad you had an opportunity to express your opinion on this blog… I thought expressing ideas and sharing experiences was the purpose of this blog. Just as you did….I read through almost every comment. The strange thing is that not one comment I saw cut anyone down for expressing there opinion or their thoughts until you decided to tell me that my thoughts are ridiculous.
Regardless of how qualified you believe you are on the subject of studies, you will never be qualified enough to tell others that their ideas are ridiculous. Try to be a Knowledgeable Skeptic if you must be one at all. You say your frustrated because no one in the medical community is looking into the floaters but I wonder??? If they did look into it, wouldn’t you also be skeptical of their theory’s? I believe that it’s when we allow others to shoot down ideas, when we shut our ears to the people who suffer from conditions, when we close our eyes to the obvious or even the not so obvious, that is when we qualify as ridiculous. Ridiculous is the person who doesn’t examine their life and actions to try and discover the reason for sudden onset of any medical condition.
Ridiculous: Deserving or inspiring ridicule; absurd, preposterous, or silly.
Unlike you, I was inspired by this blog. I was inspired to share information that I felt relevant to the subject because I knew it was relevant to me and my condition. I had hoped that someone reading this blog may find relief in knowing that dehydration could be what caused the onset of my condition. I was scared when this happened to me because I get my eyes checked and screened for eye disease every year. My annual exam was in April this year and my eyes were perfectly normal other than my stigmatism. I started biking in June when it was still cool and had no problems at all until I was biking in the extreme heat of July (as I mentioned in my previous comments). I certainly didn’t decide to use myself for a scientific study so I could tell you about it. I was only writing of a serious of events that happened in my life and what I have discovered in the process of these events.
I do not understand how you can even rationalize your skepticism regarding the theories involving vitamins’.
#1) I don’t see that you offered any ideas of your own and
#2) If someone did think of a hard and fast scientific study to try and discover relative links between vitamins and floaters~ you would likely tell them they were ridiculous.
#3) There are many vitamins in this world and so many dosage combinations and possible interactions with other drugs, other vitamins, foods, liquids, and metabolism variables of each individual, that it would be impossible to record all the variables. So how can you justify your skepticism??? Why would it not be feasible to think that one person could find relief from floaters and another person could cause the onset of floaters, both by taking vitamins? Vitamins can cause a multitude of symptoms; just as FDA approved medications can cause multitudes of symptoms. I am sure you have heard commercials that say “The most common side affects found while taking this drug are…..” However, you do not hear them say “All patients experience these side effects…..” The reason: because we are all different as God intended.
God, please forbid the day that we stop using our minds to find new ways and new discoveries. Forbid the day that we let others criticize us to the point we no longer want to share. Rather, open the ears of the skeptical and help them to realize that we can grow from the knowledge that we gain from others.
If we listened to the skeptics of this world…there would be no Man on the Moon, no vital organ transplants, premature babies wouldn’t have a chance, airplanes wouldn’t fly and there would be no internet…
Hi,
Tron here. I originally posted back in August 2006, when I got my first significant eye floaters.
In response to eye-daho potato’s post from the 2nd of August 2007, I think or would like to think that there is some truth in your post. In addition to eye floaters, I also have very dry feet, ridges in my finger nails, patches of dry skin on my legs, and also get dry (red) eyes quite often. So, there’s definitely a correlation there. My body is evidentally dehydrated and lacking in water.
So, what I’m going to start doing now is to drink 3 litres of tap water per day, for a month, and look out for changes. My floaters might not change, but at least I’ll be healthier, right? 🙂
I’m in agreement with dehydration theory, I remember the day I awoke to find the floaters that bother me to this day. It was after a party at a friends house, I was really drunk and fell asleep with contact lenses in, my body was dehydrated from all the booze I scooped and my eyes were dried out from the contact lenses being in way too long.
Tron, hope you get some positive results please post what you find on this site.
Good luck everyone.
Eyedaho potato – just because I’m skeptical, doesn’t necessaraly mean I straight out disagree with your or any one else’s theory. I believe we all want to be smart consumers, therefore jumping blindly on the bandwagon so to speak does not sound smart to me. Look, people on this site wrote about vitamins – some think too much of them is bad, others think not enough is also bad (for the floaters). Well which way do you go? Take vitamins one week and not take vitamins the other week, and drive yourself crazy in the process? Look, I’m just as frustrated and upset about these floaters as you are, but I don’t want to lose my head in the process.
I do agree however that I shouldn’t have referred to you or others as “rdiciculous”. We should all be able to speak our minds and be heard. And I hope you, Eyedaho potato, find some relief with your condition. I hope everyone does.
Hi David,
Thanks for your response to my previous post (8/03). So you wrote you no longer take vitamins and I guess you are eating right. Is there anything you want to write in this whole big vitamin debate we have going here?
You wrote that your condition improved as you got older. Isn’t it funny though that they say that floaters are associated with the aging process? So if you got your floaters young, they will improve with age; and if you’re getting older you are more likely to get floaters. Hmmmm 🙂
Milana —
I have no vote on the vitamins issue.
I do take Flax Oil supplements every day. My eyes are less dry and it makes my skin feel a lot better. I don’t take Flax Oil to fight floaters, though.
My MD told me as I aged my floaters and flashers would “calm down” and they did and they have so, for me anyway, the key was to make peace with the condition as they began to fade over the last 20 years.
Hey David – I read somewhere on your site that you practice some type of yoga. Does this help you to better focus your attention to the important things and UNfocus attention to these annoying floaters? I find that exercise in general tends to calm my nerves and helps me to stay more positive in the face of negativity.
Yoga and meditation are a big part of my life, Milana, but to separate them and their effect/non-effect on floaters is difficult for me to quantify.
I wonder if people in Big Cities tend to do better than those in rural areas when it comes to floaters because they are better able to ignore annoying things and while finding their own private space within for peace and shelter.
Living in NYC you need a certain amount of “ignorability” to survive and translating that talent to floaters is a good coping skill to master.
does anybody every wake up in the morning and see black spots and then disapear when you are fully awake
Im 45…. and on my right eyes I have several noticable fibre type and webcob floaters, since early August 2007 (just about a month ago). There are also less bothersome strand like floaters in my left eye. Been seeing 4 opthalmologits, the first, using a special lense microscope and slit lamp, diagnosed my condition as having a slight tear in the retina, and a minor cataract. That really scared me and prompted me to seek further medical advice. The other 3 opthamologists (specialization in Retina), diagnosed that my eye as sound (nothing wrong), except the uncomfortable situation of the floaters. All mentioned that if I experienced sudden increase in floaters and seeing flashes, that I should visit them immediately. Because Retinal Tear is usually pre empted by such. With regards to what might have prompted the sudden occurrence of floaters, my personal opinion, one of the reason would be that it has to do the physical biological structural strength of our bodily organ, including the eye. Certain cellular biological structure grows stronger than the other. They also differ between one person and the other. Hence, due to the difference structural strength some cellular structure are more easily torn, as compared to the other. The effect of retina tear which as we know (read) from many reference materials in the net, will cause the sympton of floaters. Some people I knew with floaters for more than 10 years, said they simply learnt how to ignore the floaters. …. The opthalmologists prescribed me eye drop (VITROLENTA), which is made up of Potassiun Iodide and Sodium Iodide. This eye drop supposedly will dim the effect of the floaters moving around the eyes. Though I was prewarned that some people would not noticed such. For me, I was that person. Anybody here, knows anything about the effect of Potassium Iodide and Sodium Iodide on the eye. Other materials I have come across and read on the net mentioned that Billberry and othe berry alike are supposedly good for eye. Is there anybody to share about this.
Thanks for your excellent comment, Samuel and welcome to Urban Semiotic!
Samuel – Vitreolent? Very little on the web about vitreolent for floaters, but an interesting possibility, nonetheless!
Hi everyone,
I posted awhile ago. I am 34 years old and had a retinal detachment in my left eye Feb2006. I have huge floaters in that eye and constant flashes, wave like flashes that start from one side of my eye and travel to other side. Shortly after my Retinal Detachment, I noticed floater in my right eye as well. I of course panicked, went to the retinal specalists thinking I had another detachment, and he told me that I probably have had them for awhile, but now noticed them because I am now super sentive and aware of my eyes since the detachment in my left and vision loss.I understand what you all are going through. It does change the way you feel and look at the world. It’s hard, it definatly gives you aniexty and makes you want to stay in the house. My life has changed dramatically since this happened, it’s a constant worry. I too sit and just look around counting the floaters, checking my vision to make sure I haven’t lost more in the left eye. It’s crazy, crazy. I feel like I’m nuts, like I’m different and I can’t not think about it.
Anyone else have a detachment and vision loss at 34
MM
Glad to have you back, Michelle! I hope you are feeling better and I’m sure someone here will be able to offer you some insight.
Just a quick update. The 3 litres of water per day, for a month, didn’t produce any noticeable improvement in my floaters. Maybe it’s something you need to do for years and years to get any improvement? I don’t know. All I know is, it’s definitely good for your skin.
Hi Tron —
Thanks for the update. All that water might be good for your skin, but is it good for your kidneys?
Hi all,
Nice to see this blog and share all of our floater moments.
I recently (6 wks ag0) got my 1st floater in my right eye. I big grey/black blob, and of course didn’t know what it was! After a dilation test and a confirmation I to have eye floaters.
My vision is 20/20 in both eyes, my retina perfect and lens to???
It’s extremely annoying and makes me feel depressed and has changed my life.
My poor husband has put up with so much.
Anyway I have searched for “cures” and of course this is not life threating so nothing is really there.
I have changed my life style and stopped drinking, and have supplemented carrots, green leafy veg in my diet in a big way.
I also take Mesoplatinum since last week and have seen no change.
I’ve ordered some more vitamins, but I haven’t tried the Vit A, E, C & Zinc idea, but will.
Anyway if it continues it’s YAG laser for me.
I see them all of the time, I live in Thailand where it’s nice and bright 😉
Thank your sharing your experience, Lisa!
The changes you are making in your diet are helping your entire body and not just your eyes.
I am 30 years old and have no idea how long I have had floaters. I assumed everyone had these strange stringy like things until someone told me that they are called floaters and only some of us are unlucky to have them. 1 month ago I had Lasik surgery done. My eyes are dry as a result and I have noticed more floaters on my left eye. I am very frustrated that not enough research has been done to help answer our questions. I am also worried that my lasik surgery will lead to more floaters in the future. Has anyone else had lasik with an increase in floaters?
Hi neerja —
Floaters seem to appear at will and on whims. Once you see them they do not leave — you need to learn how to not see them.
Hi-
My boyfriend has been suffering from floaters for about 7 months. He is taking it really bad. He quite his full time job and his job as a fire fighter because his eyes are horrible. He says his floaters completely block his vision. He has gone to see about 10 doctors. We are from Chicago and have traveled as far as Florida.
Every month something worse seems to keep happening. Now he sees flashes and he is getting more and more depressed everyday. He doesn’t do anything but sit around his house. He wont go out anymore or nothing. Its hurting me to see him like this because its not him. When I see him it seems like all we do is fight because he is soo depressed about his floaters.
Do you have any advice on what he can do to get through his depression from floaters? Do you have any advice for me on how to help him?(other than talking with him and just being there with him?)
My fear, nikki, is that he will have to find a way to live with them.
I enjoyed reading everyones comments about floaters and flashers. I have some floaters. Look like an eyelash. Doesn’t really bother me. What I do have that I hate because I have no control over them are flashers. I had my very first one right after my mother died. It was a very traumatic time for me. It totally freaked me out. That was nine years ago. I have tried to get use to them but each time I have one I just can’t stand it. It makes me so nervous and I have to talk myself out of thinking I am not going to come out of it. I have gone from not having one for almost a year to having one everyday for three straight days to two in one day. I will be looking at something and then all of a sudden it is there. It starts out where I can see half of what I am looking at and the other half is distorted and blurred out. Then the circle opens and the lightening bolt starts. It flashes and the circle breaks and then it becomes zigzag flashing. The circle becomes bigger and bigger until it makes its way to the outside of the eye and then it is gone. If I am lucky, the ones that start off- center don’t seem to bother me as much. But the ones that start in the line of vision I can’t stand. They last approx 15 to 20 mins. Then my vision is fine. Even though it is present in both eyes, open and shut, I can always tell the dominant eye by how it feels. After the flasher, the dominant eye always feels wet, like there is sleep goo in it but there is not. Lately I feel like crying for the rest of the day and sometimes have a slight headache. Anyway, I have been to a great eye speacialist and they have used the latest technology to look in the eye and all the way behind the eye. Great eyes, poor vision since childhood. I thought maybe this year I would get a cat scan. My sister has migraines. Has since childhood. I never get headaches. My husband thinks my moms death triggered these. Anyway, my biggest fear is going blind. I tell myself everytime a flasher starts that Pam, you know it is not going to last, but I just get so scared. More faith needed, I know. So, there you have it. Thank you for reading, and it is nice to know that I am not alone.
nikki4786 —
I know it doesn’t make you feel any better — but your experience is quite common. It is bothersome and nagging, but rarely painful or debilitating. We’ll get through this together!
Hi all, i just joined the club(a month ago). I dont know what it started it but i am sure i have floaters and i know that i must live with them. I got it in both of my eyes, left eye is worse. It had a great impact on my life, i am quite depressed and asking myself why, why did it happen. Am am geologist and i spend a lot of time outdoor walking, thinking, watching nature, clouds, mountains and have plans how i am going to travel around the world and see Andes, Rockies, Volcanoes etc… As i got floaters my dreams where ruined. My worst fear is that all of that spectacular views are going to be ruined because of them(3 in my left eye in different shapes and 1 in right) and i fear if they are going to get worse. I know that my problems are not so hard as other ppl have but i sure know that all of you floaters suffers know what i am talking about because i know that only you can truly understand me. Thank you and let God help us all.
Hi Billy —
We know and see your pain! Don’t worry. Things will get better once you learn to ignore the floaters. Some of us are dealing with three times the number of floaters you have in each eye so in that small way you’re more fortunate than many here.
Hi everyone,
First of all, I apologise for my poor english.
I’m here for the same reason we all are – and that is eye floaters. I am completely paranoid about this, and they are making me nuts. I am desperately seeking some help or advice on how to deal with this, because doctors are no help at all.
Let me tell you my story – when I was three years old, I developed a full retinal detachment in my left eye, which lead to permanent loss of vision in that eye. Doctors weren’t able to tell why it had happened, or even if I had been born like that – one thing I know for sure, it was not due to any trauma or fall, it was a “natural” thing I guess, I heard my mum talk about an uveitis but I’m not sure. Noone could tell for sure.
I’m 24 now.
My right eye always remained “normal”, except for the fact that I have myopia. But last July, which means almost a year ago, I started seeing these floaters, and went to the doctor, he said he was nothing to worry about and I forgot about them for a few months.
But last December I started getting lots of floaters, which are literally impossible to ignore. Went to more that three different doctors and they all told me that it was nothing to worry about, it wasn’t related to any serious condition, and that I should learn to live with them, and only pay attention to flashing lights or a sudden onset of numerous floaters. However, they were all very comforting and told me that it was unlikely that I would develop a more serious condition – floaters are very normal in near sighted people, but I’m not even VERY near sighted, I guess I’m -4 or -5, not sure…
The thing is, I am SCARED TO DEATH that the fact that I had a retinal detachment in my left eye when I was 3 will put me at risk of developing a detachment in my good eye. I’m only 24, and although the doctors told me that these are two different and independent situations, I can’t help but think about it, and worrying all the time that something awful will happen and I will go blind.
I am sorry for the long post but I am so desperate, I only wish someone could inderstand me and my fears, and maybe help me deal with this. For I no longer have a life, I spend my time worrying, worrying, and worrying that I will go blind.
What do you think of this?
Help…
Thank you
Crizz —
Welcome to Urban Semiotic!
Your doctor is right in that you should not worry about your floaters and flashers in general because nothing can be done about them — so why allow them to bother you?
A detached retina is a different thing — they can be dangerous and you should stay in touch with your eye doctor to determine how often you need to be seen and what warning signs you need to watch for that might be indicators of a retinal tear.
I just developed a floater in the last 4 weeks. Visited my optomotrist (sp) and he assures me that this little thing dancing in my eye is normal and that I will get used to it.
I wish I could believe him. Right now it fills me with a crippling fear, especially after reading everyone else’s stories. Maybe I never should have been curious about this thing and learned to live with it, because now I’m worse.
I know a lot of people hear are much younger than me, I’m 34, but it still feels like a curse to have to live with these things and there being nothing to do about them.
Floaters are a curse, but in 10 years you will likely not even be aware of them any longer.
I HATE them. I don’t like to hate but….hate it is….with these floaters. Even as I type right now…the dam things just mosey right on across my laptop and I REALLLLLLLY don’t like it. I mapped them otu and I have about 4 floaters that are big spot-like ones. I try to focus on one of them and follow it but I’m sure I look like a cross-eyed fool.
I really hope these 4 in particular fade away. Or at least TWO of them.
I feel for you, Kathy. The only way to get a little bit of peace is to learn how to ignore them. The floaters will get less noticeable as you age — but I realize that doesn’t help you right now.
anyone have this happening after the use of malaria medication, Chloroquin? While on a mission trip, and taking chloroquin, I began with the floaters and flashing. End result, I have latice degeneration….my vision is worsening….I am young…the dr. is following me…already had laser surgery for a tear from the disturbance to my retina of goop sloshing around in my eye….ideas…dr.’s experienced in retina changes due to meds???
That’s terrible, wendy!
Does your eye doctor blame it on the malaria medication?
I woke up today with a floater in my right eye. It has not gone away yet. At first i got worried and looked it up online to find there are many more people like me. Then i talked to my mom and she told me my dad used to get them in both eyes and she knew exactly what i was talking about. All you guys out there who have them, you are not alone. It is annoying but everyone has health problems in life. *hug
I had floaters a few years ago and was devastated. I have a good history of training the brain, and within one year they either “went away” (fell by gravity) or my brain suppressed them. Whenever I would see the word “Floaters”, I would immediately move to another subject, as if my brain was helping me not to think of them.
A few months ago, 2 floaters reappeared. The left one is huge with tentacles like an insect: very noticeable and ugly. The right one is a small dot, and not as noticeable. At first, I was calm and knew that they would disappear like the others did. (I don’t know if these are “the old ones” which came out of suppression or are newly formed ones. Previously, I had a large one on the left and a smaller one on the right.)
At first, I hardly noticed the floaters. Then, slowly but surely over the last few months, the opposite has happened. Either the new floaters have become much more prominent and larger, or my brain is focusing on them more. I see them almost ALL the time now.
I recently started taking natural relaxation medicines: St John’s Wort, 5HTP, SAM-E, B-Vitamins. They tend to act as a tranquilizer. THAT’S THE CURE that no one has mentioned.
Everyone asks how to train the brain. Well, I don’t advocate Prozac or Paxil, but if you must, perhaps a visit to your doctor and getting it is worth it. I am trying the natural medicines first.
If the medicine helps our brain to accept the floaters (you get an “I see it, but I don’t care” attitude), eventually you won’t need the medicine anymore.
And to those who say keep out of the sun or bright rooms. I DISAGREE. Go out in the sun. Go in the bright room. Take the attitude: “I see them, but I don’t care.” Don’t think you can do it? You can with prescribed or natural medicines.
One last thing: everyone says to IGNORE the floaters. If I tell you to ignore a pink elephant in your mind, YOU WILL THINK OF A PINK ELEPHANT! So, in the words of CLAIRE WEEKES (“Help and Help for your Nerves” … a great book for you to read), ACCEPT the floaters, don’t ignore them. (“ACCEPT, “FLOAT” PAST THEM, AND LET TIME PASS.”)
Since, I started this, my floaters haven’t gone away, but my attitude is usually better. That’s the beginning of brain suppression.
Hope this helps!
David Boles:
I wrote that last comment almost a month ago and have noticed that there are no more commenters.
Does this mean that all of these people have been “cured” and don’t want to talk about it anymore? Isn’t that interesting.
By the way, I bought and read Mark Lorne’s e-book and his thoughts are like mine in the previous post.
Since we moved to an OpenID requirement for commenting, many people choose to lurk and read instead of being “bothered” to appropriately sign in with a verified ID to comment. Most of the comments in this thread were posted when we had an “anything goes” open commenting policy.
Hi all,
I had floaters for some time, and didn’t get too bothered by them. I accepted them as ‘normal’ and sometimes even play with them, for example move them around while driving long stretches on highway. I am myopic -3.75/-4.25 since my early childhood, now 34y old.
I see occasional flasher here and there and they are scary, but sometimes it is just some light source being reflected from inside of the glasses… that just keep anxiety levels high :/
I went to a doctor for a visit, so he can tell me what I already knew from the Internet. I was put on visual field test and diagnosed with increased ocular hypertension (18mm/22mm) and beginning of glaucoma. My brother is doctor too, and he told me visual field test was performed wrong (no patch on the other eye, bright room, had no glasses) and definitely should get second opinion.
I also have bright arc-shaped flash (blink) when I look lower/down on my left eye. It is not a random flasher, but something I can reproduce, also by slight press between top of my nose and the eye. Doctor told me retina is OK (no detachment), but since my eye is “wider than normal” (as being myopic) it may be first sign of problems. As being relatevely young it would be wise to have laser operation to “stitch it”.
And I am like “no way”, since that visual field test was a huge turn off. Also he widen my pupils and then let me go on a sunny day, without any warning.
So, floaters are not really a problem, they are just annoying.
Regards to all,
S.
Hey there, i am 18 years old. it is only 2 days short of a week since floaters developed in my right eye. i went to the nurse at my uni and she said nothing to worry about… the next day the number increased and i panicked a little, so i was taken to my GP, and the next morning i had a retinal exam. (that was the day before yesterday.) i was not experiencing flashers then, but this morning while i was in the shower i started to have flashers, but no new floaters. i walked to work in the rain, without having anything to drink, and went to get my breakfast from the shop across the road. on my way back i noticed this huge blob move into my field of vision. a Weiss ring.. the optometrist said that my retina was fine on wednesday.. today is friday. could something have changed between then and now, because my mum is saying stop being a hypochondriac, and get on with it… this is so distracting i am meant to be building a server for my work and i am instead sitting here typing this blog entry.
i also am affected by glare, i get headaches, etc. and since yesterday have started wearing dark sunglasses at work (even inside) and while using the computer. the sunglasses seem to make the floaters less obvious, but i can still see them.
i dont want to go back to the optometrist to find out that two days later, everything is still normal. as i say i now have a weiss ring in my right eye. should i be calmly making my way back to the optometrist??
Hi Walrus —
My vote would be to return to your eye doctor if you’re worried. If you’re seeing or feeling something new since your last exam, go in and have another look. Let your doctor to diagnose any hypochondria you might have. SMILE!
wow thanks for the fast response. i nearly had a full on panic attack when i realised what the floater was, but now i dont think there is too much to worry about. i agree with the comments that dehydration would cause the problem, i am notorious for not drinking enough during the day, what a wakeup call… i think the weiss ring was caused by me pushing myself yesterday to catch my train, it pulled up to the station and i was still a good 150 meters away. my mum has convinced me to stop worrying, but the optometrist only said that it was not retinal detatchment, and mum takes that to mean i am over reacting. then again, they aren’t her eyes are they… i will keep you posted as to what happens, i hope it is not that bad, although i am left eye dominant in sight anyways, so it doesnt really bother me. the eye that has these floaters is slightly dry, so i am going to try an eye lubricant, and lots of water.
again, thanks for the fast response.
Hi guys 🙂 I’m 13 years old. I think I might be the youngest person here. I started having floaters when I was 12, at the end of my summer. I never truly noticed them, until I saw one and for some reason unknown, I began to feel depressed. As I grew depressed, my floaters became worse & now I see one in my line of vision everyday. So, I have a question. Do they get better as you age? As you can see, I still have a long time to live. 😛 I’m quite fine with them, they’re just annoying.
Btw, I really really need some help in going outside in bright rooms.
A few days ago I went to SeaWorld, but I couldn’t get over my floaters. Please help!? I have a full year of gym to do this year, I don’t know if I can run laps or play basketball while feeling so disappointed and abnormal. 🙁 Please help?
Hi Lily —
I’m afraid you’re going to have to live with the floaters just like the rest of us. Learn to not see them by looking past them.
Good luck.
Hi all, I have had floaters for as long as I can remember. Then about 3 weeks ago, I started having superbrief flashes in my peripheral vision. Went to the ophthalmologist and everything checked out okay, but he said to call him immediately if there is a change in the character of my floaters in association with flashes. So now I’m constantly asking myself, is that different, is THAT different? And I’m making myself a nervous wreck.
Complicating things is that I work as an editor in a cubicle facing floor to ceiling windows. So I’ve got the glare from the windows, and am either staring at a computer screen or reading something on a white background. All of which, for me, seem to exacerbate my awareness of the floaters.
So this is my question. If their were a change that I should be concerned enough about to call my doctor, would it be dramatic enough that I wouldn’t have to question it?
One thing I’ve been doing to try to calm myself is to change my focus. For example, if I start focusing “too much” on my floaters, I’ll look at something with a dark background, which pretty much causes them to fade or disappear altogether.
And contrary to others experiences here, my floaters have been pretty much constant and have not diminished (or gotten worse) with age.
Hi Ann —
Flashers with floaters are a big and annoying nag. It’s good your MD isn’t worried right now and you should not be worried, either. If you experience a change from what you’re seeing now, them make another appointment. You’ll know when things are a scary change. A few flashes are likely nothing to worry about because they do often come and go with floaters.
Your work environment doesn’t help. Can you wear sunglasses when things get really bright and raw? I find that helps, and it looks stupid, and when people ask you why — you can tell them about your foaters and also add a wish to move to a darker workspace corner.
Have you taken the periphery test where you sit in a dark room with a clicker in your hand and you stare into a curved white surface while pinpoints of light are flashed before you on a screen? You’re supposed to click the clicker every time you see the pinpoint flash of light in front of you. When you have flashers, that game/test/procedure is ridiculous! Yes, the ophthalmologists love it for some reason.
Thanks for the quick response. I have not have the clicker test. Something to look forward to, I suppose.
I think with the onset of the flashers and the instruction to watch for change erased my brain’s inclination to ignore the floaters. Hopefully, with time, it will reset. It’s comforting to know that flashers are as common as floaters.
The clicker test is maddening, Ann. I don’t see the point in it, but three ophthalmologists I’ve had over the years swear by it and make me take the test annually. When I asked my latest doctor, “What’s the point of testing my perception of flashing lights when I have flashers? How do I know if I’m clicking a flasher or a pinpoint of light? It’s a false test with a predestined premise.”
Her response was, “Not really.” No explanation. I have yet to take the test this year. I find it a waste of time and money.
I find my flashers act up when I’m under stress — I have to force myself to relax my facial muscle, jaw and eyes — and when I sleep on my stomach or side and my eye is mashed in my pillow. Relax your face and sleep on your back and that might help the flashers some.
As well, stay away from caffeine. It hyphenates your body into tension-states and raises your blood pressure and constricts your inner pipes. Think open. Stay relaxed. Make yourself warm inside with green tea.
well, I have a HUGE jellyfish like floater right in my line of sight (right eye).
I went to the opthalmologist, and he diagnosed Posterior Vitreous Detachment. No involvement of the retina, or flashes of light yet. Wait a month and see if it moves out of my line of sight, or lightens up. If not? this willlllll drive me nuts eventually. I can barely read signs while driving…the computer is ok because the words are big, but books are very difficult.
Oh, gosh, Barb, that sounds serious.
Did your MD tell you just to “deal with it” or is there a way to fix it?
Does it swim around for you, yet?
He pretty much said “watch and wait” for now till the next appointment in 4 weeks. Hopefully, it fades or moves! Just a little to the left right up or down would be helpful lol I go through stages……it isn’t bothering me as much right now as it did when i first got up this morning. Maybe i will eventually adjust. The surgeries sound a little scary to me…..thanks for this place to talk about this…..I can’t believe how fast it happened. fine one day, can’t see out of my right eye, the next…well, I can see, but it’s hard through that floater really…….basically, it’s in one spot and just moves when I’m trying to look at something. it’s just so in the way no matter which direction I look……..
You will definitely adjust, barb, and be able to “look past” the floater. It takes some practice and the key is to try and relax — otherwise you tend to focus on it.
If it’s moving, that’s a good thing. You’ll learn to move your eye “just so” to clear it so you can quickly see something. You’ll have the timing down pat for the vitreous liquid in your eye! Sounds like a sorta gross thing, but it is necessary ability to master.
Keep us posted on your progress and how thing go for you — and I certainly would stay far away from surgery if at all possible.
The trouble I have is when I need to see something really quick (driving) or when someone says “look at ____” It blocks my view…..but, I will practice.
thanks for talking with me, it’s really helped 🙂
I’m happy to help, Barb. I know it’s a frustrating time for you.
Sometimes, early on, it helps to close the affected eye when you need to quickly concentrate on something. You lose depth perception, but you gain clarity.
hi i have had eye floaters and flashes since giving birth nearly 3 ago i have been to my option he told me not to worry and seen two doctors who said my eyes were healthy and not to worry my retina was not detaching but y do i see flashes i sstill get really scared and worry n think oh wot if i go blind how do u stop worrying thanks
Hi deedee —
It’s good to know your doctors say your eyes are fine and healthy. Now the job becomes yours. You need to find a way to “look past” your floaters so they don’t cloud and take over your life.
So….an update! It’s still there in my line of vision lol Not much progress with this moving unfortunately. If I need to read something I will move my eye up and down quickly which gets it to move around. I still can’t see a sign while driving sometimes even with that method. Hopefully, it will eventually move 😀
Thanks for the update, barb! It will continue to get better.
This website is helping me feel better about PVD. I’ve had floaters for a while and never paid attention to them. The flashes and the veil, however, caught my attention. I hope in time my coping skills will get better.
I’m 32 years old. I had Lasik over a year ago and then started to see the floaters. I’ve read that they were there before, it’s just that Lasik sharpens your vision and makes you see them, but if you ask me, that is Grade-A BS. I think the suction they use to slice your cornea creates outward pressure in the eyeball which draws these things out.
I have big, dark weblike floaters, mostly on my right eye but also on my left. I have one particularly distracting tadpole that darts around like it’s alive. Ophtalmologist says my retina has some minor perimetral damage but nothing to get excited about, just keep monitoring it. He told me there are drops called Vitreolent which in some cases got rid of some of the floaters, but it is not sold anywhere anymore as far as I know. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this. My hope is that it will not get worse. Maybe my brain will learn to tune the buggers out, but from what I read here, it won’t. It is what it is, I guess.
I feel for you, Carlos.
Here’s some recent news about the perils of Lasik:
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/10/is-lasik-eye-surgery-safe-fda-scientist-regrets-saying-yes/
David, thank you. Reading your experience and the comments has made me feel better.
I’m glad we could help. Yes, it will take some time. Just don’t let the floaters and flashers upset you. Ignore them by purposefully not seeing them by focusing beyond them.
I have to tell you, that I’ve had floaters (extreme ones)since July of 2010.. I commented here before about this, and was quite upset. Happy to report that even though they are extensive, my brain has totally learned to ignore them, and I barely notice them. Everyone just hang in there, it gets better!
Thanks for that confirmation, Barb! It really does get better as time passes.
Hello everyone,
My name is Grant as you can probably tell. I’m 23 and I started developing floaters 5 months ago. The reason is still evading me which could be head trama or acute stress. Heck it could possibly even be marijuana use.. Since then I have completely sobered in terms of unperscribed drugs. Getting past that though I have to say like many other people who have posted on this board they drive me absolutely crazy. Beside a severe case of floaters I’ve developed a pretty nasty case of light sensitivity. I have one really big one which is very upsetting in my right eye that has two long floaters attached to it that will dart back and fourth through it. Also what I’ve come to find out is called visual snow (small dots that fall downy vision when in bright situations in both eyes.). Many translucent floaters all over in both eyes. In my left eye I have a nasty black web in my upper left centeral visual field that will come down in my central vision amung others that I won’t waste your time by explaining. Since the onset of the floaters I’ve fell into a harsh dark depression with alot of anxiety. I tell myself to constantly ignore them but for me it’s not that easy… I enjoy watching movies and playing video games for my entertainment. I’ve seriously considered FOV or possibly PPV to eradicate them completely. I find it maddening to go outside during the day and find darkness to be comforting. I hope my rant hasn’t brought anyone down but after reading everyone elses comments I thought it would only be right to share my own story. If only our eye doctors could “see” our problems from our perspective.
It would also be nice to see the old members post like they used to. I know I found their stories comforting and im sure others share my opinion. Thank you for reading my rant 🙂 -Grant
Hey guys, I’m 25. I’ve had floaters since probably 18/19 but I rarely notice them now but I have extreme flashers, especially waking up in the morning or in dark rooms. I’m going for more tests next week. I noticed it gets worse when I’m feeling down or depressed. Or if I’m moving my head around a lot. When I’m driving on a really nice sunny day I rarely notice them, or when I’m outside and its nice a bright out, I don’t notice them but I do in dark rooms ex. watching a movie or walking at night time. I’ve been thinking what can I do to change or at least get rid of some of it. Oh, and when I’m dehydrated, like I mean dry mouth/throat my vision gets really bad, I noticed no vision on my right side view
Glad to have you with us, Ryan, and I thank you for sharing your story. Please let us know what happens with your tests next week.
Hey Everyone. I am 35 and I have had floaters for at least 5-6 years, as far I can recall anyway.
I have been nearsighted since I was around 7; both my parents are as well. I got LASIK about 10 years ago, and did not notice any floaters until the first 6 years had gone by, so most likely not the cause. However, they have been getting worst over the last 2-3 years; long translucid squiggles that blur my vision in heavy light and some little black dots. I seem to notice them much more recently due to underlying depression but I am positive that I can get over this. They did not bother me at all 2-3 weeks ago. When looking at them, I don’t seem to see anything new….so my aim is to learn to unfocus from them once more. It’s funny though, because I no longer know how to get back to ignoring them; any advice would help.
I started taking about 1.5mg of Taurine a day, since it’s suppose to clean the eyes, so I’ll keep you posted with the results after a month. I also take some Omega 3-6-9 that was recommended by my MD, as I dislike fish in general and was not getting the required nutrients.
In addition, my ophthalmologist told me this week that even if you get LASIK, you eye still as the myopia shape and that is the type of eye that can get floaters at a younger age. She herself has had them since she was a teen. She also told me that although they never go away, they can shift, fade, move, re-attach to the retina, so there is a world of possibilities in the more annoying than anything cases. Therefore, as much as we hate to hear it, we have to live with them until something happens. She also mentioned that even some babies are born with these, so age his mostly irrelevant and not necessarily a sign that things will get much worse, so hang in there! I have quite a few friends floating around and my retina was in tip-top shape; she was actually surprised how healthy it was for a nearsighted person.
Cheers and keep positive!
[Comment edited by David W. Boles to remove link.]
Thank you for your comment. We removed the last paragraph of your comment because it came across as promotional Spam.
Hi David,
Sorry about the link, I assure you it was not spam. Just wanted to let the others know that there is possible hope for the future.
If ever you think the link is worth it, please share with the others. Sorry for the inconvinience.
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i am so relieve to read these comments, i haven’t heard of anyone else who experiences the same anxiety as I do re: these floaters and flashers. I have had them for 6 months and I started getting really aware of my eyes after i woke up with a really painful red nasty inflamed right eye, for no reason, i was told it was an infection but it didn’t feel like one. drops cleared up the pain and i guess after that i became para/hyper aware of my eyes and then i moved house painted all the walls white (big mistake!) and started seeing faint grey webbing rolling down my vision like a waterfall ripple. i would see them at work in the bright office, driving, at home, daylight! i actually live in my sunglasses now. i went to 2 opticians over appts to seek reassurance and all said the same… my eyes are fine… i had retinal photo/dilation test/usual tests , it is so soul destroying to have medical professionals tell you to “ignore it”. they used to fill me with sheer panic when i’d see them. i have stoppped feeling the panic but i constantly think about them… and if i haven’t thought about them for any period of time, i actually feel happy and normal! i am 27! i have never noticed them prior to 6 months ago, i just wish my vision would return to how it was. i have astigmatism in my left eye and i can’t see things far away, i have floaters in both eyes. and flashers in my left only. i love the way i read in one post, the description “zooming turds” sums them up brilliantly! my friends and fam think i am being a hypochrondriac, but they drive me insane, distract me from my studies/drving/cycling/day to day life. i look nuts cause i follow the floaters. i am going to consider hypnotherapy and possibly a herbal pill called Lutein which helps promote eye health. Vit C is good for eyes too! I hope the medics do some bloody research into it cause it totally f*cks up ur life. i’m past the panic, i now hate them.
Unfortunately, the best advice is to “just ignore them” as best you can. Look past them. Don’t focus on them. By the time you’re 40, they will have settled down a lot. As my doctor recently told me, “you need to keep an eye on floaters and flashers because they are indicative of a series of small retinal tears. They’re fine now, but you need to always watch for changes.”
If your floaters are bothering you too much and you can ignore them after 6-12 months, you have a two options what to do. 1. YAG laser vitrectomy – this have a big success treatment with big, huge floaters mainly in older patients who delevoleped PVD or after surgery. The risks are minimal. There are many doctors, who performed that with success. But for young patients, this method has no success, because in many cases, our vitreous goes liquify mostly without PVD. These floaters are very mobile with perfect shape and structure. There are often more transparents in grey color. 2. Vitrektomy – it completely suck your vitreous. The success is about 98% of the floaters remove. There are more risks than in first option, but after 30 years of performing vitrectomy, the vitrectomies are much more safer then ever. The best vitreoretinal surgical machine Alcon Constellation use perfect instruments, where the vitreous can be suck about 4-8 minutes and the operation takes about 15-20 minutes. If you have healthy retina the risk are almost the same as a cataract surgery at present day. Find a great vitreoretinal surgeon, consult your situation, ask him about the technics he use (23-25-27 gauge) and how much experiences he has. There are thousends vitrectomies in our country every year done. And we are small country in the middle of the Europe. Wish you the best. There is still solution and hope for better eyesight.
Hi David
I hope your floaters have improved. I’d just like to pass on my story as it may help some of your younger readers. I developed floaters when I was 15 in both eyes. There were two major and a few smaller strands. Life was pretty depressing for me as I had no idea what was causing them or if anything could be done about them. They were constantly on my mind. At 17 I visited Moorfields eye hospital in London. A bit of a waste of time. The doctor looked in my eyes for about 3 minutes and said ‘You’ve got floaters. Your eyes are fine’. I went away poorer but no better off mentally. Sometime in the next two years I stopped noticing the floaters. My mind seemed to have blanked them out. I am now 50 years old and have noticed the floaters again. What happened was quite strange. I was surfing through youtube for something or rather and a ‘related video’ option came up. It was a video of a surgeon in Florida treating floaters with YAG laser. I watched the video. From that day and hour I became conscious of many floaters in both eyes including the two original floaters from my youth. I now see many strands and flecks and they do irritate me greatly. I suppose my point is that I don’t believe those masses of floaters suddenly appeared after watching the video. They were there before (most of them at least) and my subconscious mind had blanked them out. The mind is known able to blank out non-moving objects like small veins in the cornea. This leads me to suspect that hypnotism may be an effective treatment for floaters. I hope to try it in the next year if my floaters do not ‘disappear’ of their own accord. Whatever happens my case shows that the mind can blank out floaters (in my case for 30years). What it also suggests is that we have to stop consciously seeking out information on the condition. In the world of hyperinformation this is much more difficult than it was. I hope this gives some sufferers a little bit of comfort. Good Luck!
Thanks for your excellent reply! I like the long scope of your life living with these floaters. You give us all hope! A powerful mind can see anything and not see everything! SMILE!
Hi Lou. I feel your pain. In May of this year I experienced flashes and then, literally overnight, I had huge cobwebby floaters in both eyes. I went from perfect 20/20 vision to muddy, dirty floaters swimming around anytime my eyes make movement. I made 2 visits to get my eyes dilated and both times the opthamologist said there was no tears and the eye was “healthy” but the vitreous may have detached slightly. He seemed puzzled as I was not myopic or had any hereditary problems.
Ever since, they have slowly gotten worse. Using a computer is pretty agonizing, as well as going outside. They are incredibly distracting while driving as they hang in front of the center of my vision; I have to keep “swishing” them away.
I started having flashes just now, which prompted me to go on Google and read stories. I might be on the verge of a retinal tear. I fear I will go blind in the near future, which – as a graphic artist – pretty much does it for me. I really pray for advances in eyesight care.
Seven years ago I was taking large amounts of ibuprofen for back pain and developed my first ‘noticable’ floater. The doctors said it was coincidental. About 2 months ago the back pain flared up an I started on the ibuprofen again. A month later I had several noticible floaters in both eyes and flashes in one eye. The doctor still says its coincidental – I’m not sure. Wish there was some more information on this. Needless to say I am not taking the ibuprofen – or at least large doses of it.
I had developed eyefloaters about 6 years ago (was 44 at the time) soon after a neck problem with accompanying tingling sensations on my arms which may well be coincidental. I haven’t observed any improvements in my condition since then. To the contrary, my eyefloaters got bigger in size and are now blocking most of my view. As probably is the case with most of you folks, my ophthalmologist keeps telling me that there is nothing I (or they) can do and suggests that I learn to ignore them and live on. I am a total failure in ignoring what I see. I don’t mean to let anybody down. Your mileage may vary indeed and my hats off to those who can mentally beat it. Anyways, what I would like to share with you here is something I read off the web today. Some people apparently claim that their floaters significantly decreased by use of a particular vitamin and mineral supplement (sales gimmick?) called “Ocuvite Adult 50 plus”. Basic ingredients are, among other things, zinc, copper, omega-3, lutein and zeaxanthin which are already well known supplements for better eye health. Has anybody tried this or a similar product and experienced an improvement in their conditions? Thank you for all pointers.
Best of luck to all of ya…
Dr. Karickhoff performs a laser treatment to get rid of eye floaters. He’s treated 1,000’s of patients, including my wife, for both of her eyes, with amazing success. I have no idea why more doctors don’t do this.
Can you give us a few more details on how the procedure worked for your wife? What was the cost? Were both eyes done at the same time? What were the risks?
I, too, have floaters. Haven’t noticed ‘flashers’. I am 40 and they just started. I have 20/20 vision and never had any issue with my eyes. When it happens to me, its usually after sitting at the computer for too long and will go away in about 10 minutes. Very frustrating and after they go away, I have a dull headache for the rest of the day.