View Full Version : eye floaters
Hi there,
I'm new to posting here, although I have read these forums a fair bit :) ... I'm a 37 old with an ongoing history of unmedicated anxiety. For as long as I can remember I have worried about every. single. thing! Last year I had my third child and my pregnancy was plagued with the most severe anxiety I have had in a long time. Since then we have been through some really stressful stuff (i.e. ongoing large earthquakes, my partner was critically ill and spend 6 months in and out of hospital, partner unable to work resulting in us having to move)... so since everything has calmed down a bit my anxiety is going mental! I feel so overwhelmed and I so scared to see I dr as I freak out they'll find something seriously wrong with me. At present I have these awful floaters in my eyes (particularly my left) and I'm freaking out that I will go blind. I have had them for approx 9 months but they are really getting to me now. I notice them when I'm outside or in bright lighting more, but can find them if I look for them other times. There is a few darker greyish ones that really scare me. If I'm really busy I don't notice them as much but as soon as I stop they're back... I feel like they're haunting me :weep: Does anyone else have this issue?? how do you cope?
Hi Leebee,
There are some other older threads about this which you might find interesting. I'm not sure if these are related to anxiety but I also have them and have for well over 10 years. My optician says they are very common and rarely anything to worry about. I don't notice them most of the time and only see them in bright light or when looking at white surfaces.
I would mention them at your next eye exam and they'll do a thorough check. Chances are they're nothing to worry about.
Take care
Pip xx
Thanks for your response Pip! .... Yeah I didn't really think they were caused by the anxiety but more that the anxiety makes me super aware of them. Although it did seem strange they started after I had a period of extreme anxiety. I wondered if the constant adrenalin of something had an effect of them?
I am scared to have an eye exam - and I know that sounds stupid... but right now the thought of it petrifies me...
BrightPhoenix
06-03-12, 03:55
I'm echoing what Pipkin says. I'm younger than you and I have quite a few floaters. They're irritating as heck, but your health anxiety is probably making you extremely focused on them. I do strongly suggest you see your GP or someone who can help you with your anxiety so that you can cope with your troubles. I know how it feels.
But I do suggest mentioning them - I've had floaters for years, totally forgot to mention them in my eye exams, but I think I caused mines from using the computer a bit too much (and rubbing my eyes when I was a kid).
They're more irritating than anything since they disrupt your concentration. :D
Good point Bright - a chat with your GP about your anxiety would really help you. People assume that GPs are just there to dish out meds but that's not the case. Even just talking to them can help sometimes.
Look after yourself
Pip x
Thank-you Bright :) yeah I am going to talk to the GP soon... just trying to gather courage at present lol... I have allergies and rub my eyes heaps!! do you think that really contributes to them?
paula lynne
07-03-12, 11:31
Hi there, I have a large black floater in my right eye. It falls slowly from top to bottom whenever I look in a different direction. Its annoying, but Im used to it. My GP has said they are simply detatched cells and nothing to worry about. Mine is caused because I used to vomit several times aweek due to my panic attacks, but floaters can be caused by those who have hayfever/allergies etc.....as others have suggested, see your Gp, Im sure will be fine x
Worriedgirl87
08-03-12, 08:12
I hate floaters so much . They scare me
So much :(
Hi worried,
Try just to ignore them. I've had them for years and they don't bother me anymore. They're harmless.
Pip x
Worriedgirl87
08-03-12, 08:18
Hi worried,
Try just to ignore them. I've had them for years and they don't bother me anymore. They're harmless.
Pip x
Yeah but it's not easy to ignore things ;(
Lol. That's my problem :p
Yeah but it's not easy to ignore things ;(
Lol. That's my problem :p
I know what you mean but once I realised they were quite common and harmless, I just accepted them as part of life. They're not going to go away, so try your best to ignore them. Otherwise, you're worrying about things you really can't change and it's such a waste.
Take care
Pip x
stalwartlover
08-03-12, 14:45
Hello, I have the exact same thing and have had since about 4 years ago.
However, it was interesting that you mentioned about ongoing earthquakes in relation to your stress etc. I was in Tokyo when the Magnitude 9 Tohoku earthquake struck, and also the following 6 months as the aftershocks/fukushima incident continued. I really feel this had something to do with my present Health Anxiety fixation on my eyes, as I can track all my worries starting again from that period. Even now when I see images of the earthquake I start to feel as though the ground is moving and sometimes it can cause me to shake. hope all is well.
Hate to say this, but floater are also due to ageing :( nearly slapped my optician when he said that LOL! I too have had them for a long time, they are worse when the sun is out and it is bright, so I wear my sunglasses alot and that helps. They really do seem worse when you focus on them! They are nothing to worry about, but you should mention them when you have an eye test and they willl reassure you x
stalwartlover
08-03-12, 17:56
I understand some may be due to ageing,but im 22 and i have had them since I was 18.
Hate to say this, but floater are also due to ageing :( nearly slapped my optician when he said that LOL! I too have had them for a long time, they are worse when the sun is out and it is bright, so I wear my sunglasses alot and that helps. They really do seem worse when you focus on them! They are nothing to worry about, but you should mention them when you have an eye test and they willl reassure you x
My optician also said they get worse as you get older. I was only in my late 20s at the time and was pretty miffed!
I was convinced I had some awful eye disease but really was reassured by the optician. Definitely worth a mention.
Pip x
Hello, I have the exact same thing and have had since about 4 years ago.
However, it was interesting that you mentioned about ongoing earthquakes in relation to your stress etc. I was in Tokyo when the Magnitude 9 Tohoku earthquake struck, and also the following 6 months as the aftershocks/fukushima incident continued. I really feel this had something to do with my present Health Anxiety fixation on my eyes, as I can track all my worries starting again from that period. Even now when I see images of the earthquake I start to feel as though the ground is moving and sometimes it can cause me to shake. hope all is well.
I have found the earthquakes have completely changed the way I live, so I guess it's not surprising it's effected my anxiety... I'm in New Zealand and we have had ongoing earthquakes since the first big one in Sept 2010. It makes you constantly worry about where everything/ everyone is and aware of any movement or noise eh... it's a stressful way to live... I'm hoping in time, as the aftershocks die down a more normal life will resume.... Is that your experience?
---------- Post added at 09:21 ---------- Previous post was at 09:18 ----------
I know what you mean but once I realised they were quite common and harmless, I just accepted them as part of life. They're not going to go away, so try your best to ignore them. Otherwise, you're worrying about things you really can't change and it's such a waste.
Take care
Pip x
I can ignore them when I'm home and inside... then I'll be out and all of a sudden I get this feeling like, surely this can't be normal and freak out :mad:... I read a lot about people eventually not really noticing them and just can't see that happening as they are just so obvious to me...
MidnightCalm
09-03-12, 03:12
I get a lot and they are especially visible in the daylight, they can be so distracting, they float around, I look right and it follows, they seem to be getting worse, I have a lot of headaches and eye pressure too, tension headaches and sometimes even eye pain.
Hey!!! I have eyes floaters to ive had them for over two years everyday I only see them when I look at bright walls or outside it's so annoying and I've been to three diff eye forceps all my eyes r fine they just said they r normal and there's nothing u can do but I know how u feel they freak me out to!!!
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