View Full Version : Eye Floaters ruining my life :(
wanderer02
04-02-14, 17:33
Hey Friends,
I've had a recent outbreak of eye floaters and now a very visible black line in my left eye. It drives me nuts when I am working on the PC. I don't dare to look down at the keyboard and back up onto the screen because then the line appears. I am adjusting my behavior to suite the floaters which is quite upsetting. I do believe that i am obsessing about them since I am checking them every day when I wake up and throughout the day.
I am interested to know how you guys adjusted to your floaters and if you seeing them now or pay attention to them during your day. I can't believe that life can get back to normal after such experience and I'd love to hear that it can.
How did your floaters look when they were intense? Can you describe them ? Also, did you see them when you were working on your PC? Now do you still see them or did you manage to just blend them out? have you noticed a change in them over time?
Thanks for your help
I think you should visit the ophthalmologist, (s)he will check your eyes and rid you of all worries. :)
wanderer02
04-02-14, 19:27
That's a good tip if it wasn't for the fact that I've already done just that. They are just eye floaters and my eyes are fine. There is nothing that can be done to improve the condition and this is exactly what scares me so much. Those damn things are all over my vision and I can do nothing about it? welcome to hell much?
How do you guys deal with it?
:shrug:
Looking through, not at. Like window screens or rain or dirty glasses.
Can I ask what you think descriptions would do for you? It sounds in your second post like you're aware that there's nothing wrong. It just seems like reading and writing descriptions might be scratching an itch that you should focus on distracting yourself from instead.
Rennie1989
04-02-14, 20:25
I've had eye floaters for years. They are completely harmless, just bits of cells clumped together floating in the fluid in your eye. I can see them quite well when I look at the sky or a large bright object, other than that I don't notice them anymore, I've had them for so long that they become a part of my vision I suppose.
That's a good tip if it wasn't for the fact that I've already done just that. They are just eye floaters and my eyes are fine. There is nothing that can be done to improve the condition and this is exactly what scares me so much. Those damn things are all over my vision and I can do nothing about it? welcome to hell much?
How do you guys deal with it?
:shrug:
Ok, I don't have eye floaters, but I know a lot of people that do, as these are fairly common.
I know, for certain, that stress and anxiety make them worse, so try to ignore them as much as possible, and don't think about them-they should reduce.
I also know that some people take blood floow supplements for them, like Ginkgo Biloba, and they help. You can also try that, but of course in consultation with your ophthalmologist and/or GP.
If they really start interfering with vision surgery is always an option, but no doctor will recommend or even perform it when they're harmless, like in your case.
I have a mild snow eye (think thatsbwhat its called) its highly annoying and even though I known what it is, it still scares me sometimes. I also have black eye floaters which are like worms I amuse myself and try to catch them by trying to look directly at them which I can never do it takes my mind off other things for a while lol... :)
Don't let the floaters ruin your life - they're harmless. As Rennie says, they are just a few breakaway cells floating around in your eye.
I've had them all my life - some times more than others, but pretty much always there. I really only notice them when looking at a blank area like a wall indoors, the sky, a ceiling or computer screen.
The main thing is not to stress out about them. They do change over time, so if one is particularly bothering you, it will go away eventually.
I don't think there is any treatment, as they are part of a natural process.
I have floaters too. They annoy me but I don't pay too much attention to them. I don't think the floaters are your problem it's the fact that your anxiety is causing you to obsess over them. I totally understand your fear because my mind works like this too. I won't tell you my obsessions because I don't want to give you any ideas. But all of these things pass. In time you will look back and say why did I obsess over floaters.
wanderer02
06-02-14, 12:01
Thanks for the posts ! So you guys think that even when I see this string of floaters everywhere I will get over it? It seems impossible to even entertain that thought at the moment. Has anyone felt like this too? I wonder if they will just be less visible or is it really the mind that blocks them out completely?
You will just not care about seeing it anymore. What I do is deliberately stare at them and keep watching them until I get bored with it. I understand how you feel trust me. You think how will I ever be the same? My life is ruined now etc etc... It's your anxiety talking. Pay attention to it and invite the floaters to appear and it will stop. It's part of CBT. You can even record yourself saying this and listen to it over and over again. Your mind gets bored of it, trust me :)
wanderer02
06-02-14, 21:15
Thanks for the positive reinforcement, it really helps. I know myself from past obsessions. Eventually I will get over them but it might take a while.
The problem that I am having with this obsession in paticular is that it has a 'real' element to it. By this I mean that the floaters are infact REAL. This is the main reason why I believe that i might not be able to get over them.
All my past obsessions were things that played out in my head. For example the fear of becoming schizophrenic, fear of the world not being real etc.
I've had some obsessions with semi real elements such as me seeing a spot on my skin that I'd get obsessed about. Or with objects such as my TV where there was a pixel error and I'd just check it many times until i got bored with it.
Do you think that I will get over this floater line even though it is real ?
Please be honest with me... :|
I have lots of floaters aswell which i have had 3 years now. I was the same felt like my life was sooo bad because i had floaters id obsess over them everyday i would wake up and see them on my ceiling and it made me depressed at the time. i was also going through alot of depression and anxiety at the time. Now i really do not obsess about them and ive accepted them i think because my mental health has improved so much thats why i dont notice them or feel upset when i see one.
Im sure as you will get over it aswell just give yourself more time:)
Hi Wanderer,
Yes, the floaters are real, but totally harmless. Almost certainly, they will not get worse. Most definitely, no-one ever went blind from floaters.
However, if you have floaters, they will not go away. Basically, you have to learn to live with them, and not get stressed-out.
For me, I'm really only aware of them when I'm looking at blank areas like computer screens, but I would welcome other people's input.
wanderer02
08-02-14, 15:46
Hey Hanshan,
Yes, its certain that they are not likely to improve. Worse yet, it is expected and scientifically documented that they get worse with age as the liquid in your vitreous will liquefy even more creating more impurities as it happens.
I can't stand them while working on the computer or on a sunny bright day. When you focus I bet that you can also notice them in dim light conditions because they are there.
So a lot of it is down to focus - how much your mind tries to see them.
I have a little theory on my own:
I always had floaters as a child. I'd play around with them on a sunny day sometimes but I would normally not notice them, even on a sunny day. I'd only notice them if I tried. So a few months ago I started noticing them while working on my PC at work. A short time later I kind of forgot about them again. Just a few weeks ago I noticed them again and started focusing on them. Since then I am seeing them everywhere.
So between a few months ago - when I started noticing them - and now, I don't think that the have actually gotten worse. More that my mind now focuses on them way more and even subconsciously. I had a period a few months back where I didn't notice them anymore. So this let's me conclude that my obsession has quite a lot do to with noticing them and getting so bothered by them.
This gives me hope to believe that sometime soon they will fade (as an obsession) and I will be able to continue my life normally even with those floaters arround.
I'd like to hear from you if this theory sounds plausible to you.
Best ,
Thomas
This sounds really valid to me, wanderer; it also sounds like the thought of somebody who is well on the road to getting better.
A lot of HA involves overfocusing on normal body lumps, noises, and twinges, and once the brain grabs something, it's tough to convince it to let go. You've gotten to the point where you know that's the goal and you're working on it. You'll get there.
wanderer02
08-02-14, 16:30
That's quite encouraging. Thank you so much.
It's just so hard to deal with because its really something that you get confronted with every day when you're working. So when I'm not even obsessing, a floater will come along and trigger me again.
I just hope that this is a battle that can be won. Also I am really praying that the medical community will come up with a non-invasive treatment for floaters. I am convinced that there are many people out there (who do not have OCD) and are struggling daily with their floaters.
Best to all of you
Thomas
ShakingSquaddie
08-02-14, 16:53
You must seek medical advice immediately!
Floaters are usual but the black line isn't!
I had the same symptoms and it was a torn (detached) retina!
I had to have emergency surgery!
Do it now!
Gary
wanderer02
08-02-14, 18:07
Hey Gary,
Thanks for your concern but I've already had my eye checked out. It's not a "black line" per se but rather a number of floaters merged together. Each individual Floater looks like a round cell with some transparency. The doc said that we was able to see them under the light and that there is nothing wrong with my eye. Also that there is nothing that can be done about the floaters with current medical technology. The only 2 options are
1. Vitrectomy (considerable risks)
2. YAG Laser treatment (also very risky)
wanderer02
08-02-14, 18:22
Do you also see them when you're working on your PC? Looking at white screens for example like here in the Forum. They're really annoying. I wish there was anything that can be done about them :(
I first starting getting floaters in my 20s (I'm now in my 50s) and yes, they are very annoying at first, but it's amazing how your brain adapts and I very rarely notice them now. Get your eyes checked out, and once you've had the all-clear, I think you'll find that you can live happily with floaters!
wanderer02
08-02-14, 21:00
Gold to my ears. Can you describe your floaters to me ?
:yesyes:
Gold to my ears. Can you describe your floaters to me ?
:yesyes:
Ummmm... uhhh... Ohhh right! Eye floaters!
We all have them to various degrees. If I purposely look for them, I see many, but to be honest, I don't even think about them and even when I do, I have to focus a certain way to see them. I think if you're hyper aware, like many are with HA, they become distracting.
Positive thoughts
wanderer02
10-02-14, 20:53
Hey Folks,
I'm really worried that I might not be able to get used to the floaters. I've been trying to ignore them all day working on the pc but they are always moving into the field of my vision. I am starting to notice avoiding behavior such as not wanting to look down at the keyboard when typing because they will appear in my vision when I look up on the screen. Has anyone of you noticed any such behavior when you're thinking of your floaters?
:shrug:
Hello Thomas,
Yes, I'll agree with you. My floaters have very gradually gotten worse over many years. I'll turn 60 this year. Fifty years ago, when I was ten years old, they were small, clearly-defined cellular objects. Now they are bigger, out-of-focus things.
But hey, at sixty, everything is worse. I need glasses to read. Young kids leap past me up hills and staircases while I'm going as fast as I can (I used to do the same as them when I was their age).
So yes, the floaters may get worse, but only at the rate that everything else does :).
realworrier
14-02-14, 11:49
They need to make this forum not so white lol! I only ever see my black dot floater when im at the computer and cleaning the white tables in the white kitchen at work!! I have had mine a few years now and at first they bugged me and really bought on several anxiety attacks. I'm used it now and yes still annoying but im fine with it :)
I started with floaters at 23 ; I'm now 47.
You really do get used to them but it doesn't stop them being annoying at times.
I don't think mine have got much worse over the years, but they're obviously more noticeable in Spring and Summer when there are longer periods of daylight.
I'm certain that tolerance of these increases as your anxiety decreases. I don't care too much about them when I'm feeling good.
wanderer02
19-02-14, 16:08
Hey Peeps,
I've visited an eye Specialist last week. I had my Pupils dilated again for the eye exam and I've been told the same thing over again. Eyes are fine, floaters are visible and will remain. There is nothing to be done here :(
After the eye exam I stared noticing some (depressing) changes to my floaters. I have the feeling they increased. I've been checking them quite diligently over the past months since they have become a problem so I assume that the changes that I am seeing are real.
This goes to say that there is a possibility that the dilating drops used for the exam cause new floaters or worsen already existing floaters.
I have done some research on the Internet and found that many people are complaining seeing the floaters for the first time after an eye exam with these drops. this is quite depressing.
i'd like to hear from you if anyone had similar experiences.
Guys, those freaking floaters have really impacted my daily life. I don't want to go outside on a sunny day and I hate working on my computer because it makes the floaters ever so visible and omnipresent.
I have a very hard time believing that my brain will even get used to those floaters and that I will somehow get over them. This prospect really makes me sad and gives me a feeling of helplessness.
I don't even think that my floaters are as bad as with others here just that they seem to really impact me severely.
I don't know what to do here. Maybe you guys could give me some good advice?
Best,
Thomas
What about trying to fake it till you make it? Instead of writing about how much they bother you, write that they bother you less. Write that you barely noticed them while you were asleep. Write that it's not a problem and that you've gotten everywhere you need to go.
I see people here using "anxiety" in their user name or reiterating their fearfulness in their .sig, and I wonder if that doesn't hurt them, linking themselves to this anxious pattern every time they post. What we say can be very powerful--I think we've all found that helping other people here can make us stronger. Since you know this isn't harming you, why not try expressing the feelings about it you'd like to have as if you had them?
What is it about the floaters that bother you so much? I think it's not the floaters at all but the feeling of helplessness. Most people see floaters. I went through a brief episode of obsessing about floaters once I saw the eye doctor and knew they were nothing to be concerned with I barely notice them. Think of this instead of thinking your life is ruined because of floaters think thank goodness I'm not blind. That's what I do.
mummyanxious
19-02-14, 19:52
Ive had floaters since I was a little girl and at mid thirties I still have perfect vision x
wanderer02
19-02-14, 20:14
Thanks for the replies everyone:
@ Althea: I see what you mean and I will try to follow your advice and see if I can actually get some improvement this way
@ RoseEve: I can very well understand why you would have this point of view and to be honest I had the same POV before. I've had floaters since I am a little child and I used to play around with them at times. Sometime during my teens I had an episode where I was mildly concerned because I noticed them again, went to the doc and he told me that all is well and I forgot about them for another 12 years. With the recent out break of floaters they have changed into something that cannot be ignored. I see them everytime I glance at my computer screen, when I am driving or when I am waking up. They've become much more visible and that's whats causing me all this distress. If they were just like they were before I would not be posting here :( Now how do you deal with such a new situation?
@ mummyanxious: I also have perfect vision. The only way to get rid of the floaters is to do a vitrectomy. It's a large procedure which has considerable risks of causing me bad vision and cataracts short after. I don't want to trade my perfect vision for something so stupid but yet they have significantly decreased my life quality. It's a tough choice to make. What would you do?
Hi Thomas,
There's always the old story about the person who complained about having no shoes until they met someone who had no feet :) .
I think over time your brain will learn to ignore them. That is what I read about them. My dad had bad floaters in his 30s now he has none. I see them often on the computer. The worst is a bright day. Looking at snow I see them all over. I really think you will get used to it or like I said your brain will learn to ignore it. I'm sorry you are feeling so bad. Every time I get a new physical sensation I think it's going to ruin my life like muscle twitching or a headache. Guess what's ruining my life? Damn anxiety!
wanderer02
25-02-14, 23:00
My Dears,
I've been trying to ignore the floaters for the past weeks but no luck here. They seem to be getting worse after I've had my eyes Dilated. So you all are saying that coming with a lot of floaters is possible, how did you achieve piece of mind? Do you have any ideas how to approach this from a CBT perspective? What did you tell yourself when you woke up back then bothered by your floaters all over the place? What do you tell yourself when a black floater line crosses your path on your screen at work everytime you look at the keyboard and glance back at the screen?
It's hard to believe that anyone could just ignore this without getting upset about it.. :unsure:
Wanderer I am sorry you are having a hard time. In CBT there are dysfunctional thought logs. You can look them up online. I went through a brief period when my floaters bothered me. Ask yourself can you live through it? What I do is I say to myself okay Rose you are seeing floaters they aren't going away. I accept it and don't try to ignore it. Resolve yourself to the fact that floaters are apart of your life. Look at them think about that. Make a recording of yourself saying all if your fears about these floaters and play it over and over again(this is another CBT technique) believe it or not you will get bored with the thoughts.
wanderer02
25-02-14, 23:22
Sounds reasonable. I will try it but I am really afraid that I won't be able to get used to something that is always in the field of my vision. There is plenty of people on various forums that say that these things cannot be ignored if they are very big and in your field of vision and I fear that my floaters are bad enough so that they can't be ignored or accepted.
Thanks for your fast reply. I wonder why I am the only one here who has such long lasting problems with these floaters. Would love to hear from people who also continue to struggle with their floaters everyday.
Thanks to you all for the support. It really means a lot to me. I know I am very repetitive ( I tend to get this way when I am obsessed with something:mad:)
wanderer, would it work for you to try thinking about it like you do sounds? I don't know where you live, but even in my fairly quiet house there's fridge noise and traffic noise and clock noise that go on all the time and I don't even notice until I think about it, and I know people who live in noisier places than that; a lot of people have the television on as background noise that just blends in for them, too. Think also of the sensation of touch--you've got clothing touching your skin all the time but it doesn't stand out to you or become something you notice unless it's particularly irritating. I don't know how to immediately translate that so you don't mind something similar in your visual field, but at least it's a reminder that you do actually push a lot of sensory input into the background already, so you have that capacity.
And remember, the people who aren't bothered by their floaters aren't likely to be posting on forums, so don't assume that just because some people say they haven't gotten used to theirs that it's impossible for you to.
It's okay you would get used to anything. People get used to missing limbs. It will be okay it just takes time :hugs:
Hi Wanderer -
Reading your posts, hearing your thoughts...I hear myself in all of them. 2 years and 3 months ago I started noticing something weird with my vision. Wasn't sure what it was. Weird moving shadows. Weird.
Then one day on a hike, I observed what was going on as floaters. Over the next month or so, I saw more and more floaters. About a month in, I got my first dilated exam. Got the standard reply "nothing wrong here, carry on." Went another month, felt better about it, but then made a connection where I thought I had determined the cause...and that it was something I had done to cause my floaters. Had three more exams, retinal specialists, etc. "Everything's fine, you have floaters."
Everything spiraled out of control: panic attacks, medical leave from work, a total mess. Visited a laser specialist on the East coast but basically had a freak-out about my eyes during the exam and the bright lights. Started CBT, didn't help. Spiraled into a deep depression, went on anti-depressants for a year. Visited another laser specialist, got turned down because the mess of floaters is too close to my retina to be treated.
This shit sucks. How am I doing today, 2+ years into it? I struggle with it all day, every day. I'm no longer....depressed about it. It just sucks. I'm not longer on meds because I decided that they weren't helping anymore. It's hard every day, all day.
The analogy that I use to describe it to people when they have trouble relating is that it's like....someone driving a nail through your hand. And that nail *might* be able to be removed, but the risk that you would lose your whole arm is a real one...and one that prevents any ACTION from being taken to correct the situation. You still have your hand, and you can still use it for the most part, but there are certain things (like looking down at the keyboard and then back up to the screen on a computer) that are hard to do. And like the nail in the hand, it's always there, and it's a real thing. And the thing that makes it harder is that some people say "yeah, I had a splinter in my hand once. You'll get over it or it will go away" while you are sitting there like NO, ****, it hurts all day every day and I can't do the shit I used to be able to do!
For me, floaters as a kid were little translucent worms that I couldn't center in my field of view or really observe directly. I remember trying to when looking at a blue sky. But then never were a thing that bothered me. The floaters I have now are different. I have two large clumps, one in each eye, that hang out in the center of my FOV most of the time. In addition, I have the same type I had as a kid, but I also have large "heat wave" type effects of everything if my eye movement is quick (like looking down at the keyboard and then back up). I see my floaters at night when they distort streetlights and the such. It started off as an annoyance, and now it, at times, is a real situation in which I can't read fine text on PC screens unless I hold my eyes still and let it settle down. It's very real.
What's the point of me telling you all of this depressing shit? It's because I spent a YEAR or more of my life searching for a cause: like you and the dilating drops. It's to the point where you literally couldn't show me a scientific white paper or book or anything that I haven't read about changes to the vitreous and what can cause them. It sounds ridiculous, but in my last appointment with a Mayo-educated retinal specialist, he admitted that I knew a lot more about the structure of the vitreous than he did.
If you haven't had severe impact trauma to your eye, the ONLY potential causes are age and nearsightedness (an elongated eye causing more internal stresses on your vitreous). Don't torture yourself searching for "why." The real answer is that there isn't anything that was done to you, or that you did, that caused your floaters. That took me a YEAR to figure out, and I made no progress toward feeling better about the situation during that year.
I spent a lot of time and money on medicine, psychiatry, and counseling that was all aimed at "making it go away." Today, I'm working with a counselor that comes from a Buddhist background, and we are working on stopping the suffering. The suffering comes from the fact that I can't control the situation, and that I hope it will change. That causes my hell. And the fact is, it isn't going away. It's real, and it's not going away, and there's nothing that I can do about it.
You sound a lot like me in some ways. You sound smart, and informed, and proactive. You got multiple opinions. You know about treatment options and the risk profiles. You formed hypothesis about causality. My guess is that you are of an engineering or science background. And if I'm right about any of that, then it's also the reason that you are suffering *mentally* about this. Because you can't fix it. And you don't know WHY it is. And because it's real, and it's all the time, and people don't appreciate the effect of it.
And to the people on this thread who try to "give perspective" with the "complaining about no shoes until you meet the man with no feet"....its not the same. This is a vicious beast for some people, and it's an ever-changing physical and emotional interplay. It's not like the man with no feet: he can NEVER walk, and it's always like that. And there isn't a treatment that works for SOME people with no feet. It's not a decision weighing on his mind every day of "should I undertake a risky surgery that could give me my life back?"
I can sometimes see perfectly, and sometimes can't see well at all. It changes by the second, with lighting conditions, etc. Having no feet and dealing with vitreous degeneration are not comparable. They are both terrible, but not a direct comparison at all.
This might sound like the most depressing bunch of information, and it's definitely not what you wanted to hear. But I want to save you from the quest for "why." And I want to tell you to stop hoping that it will get better because that hope and the "checking" of the situation feeds a vicious cycle that will drive you to the brink of suicide. Trust me, I was there. Just don't do it. Your eyes have fallen to shit, and that's how it is.
Join me on the journey to inner peace by accepting that you see the world differently, and accepting that the mental anguish comes from a lack of acceptance of the situation and from a hope that it will change. Skip over that year of assessing your vision and searching for why. Nothing will come of it and you will lose your mind. I know I did, and because of that the overall journey is now longer for me.
I'm not there yet. Not even close. But every *once* in a while I see a glimpse of a inner peace. And as time goes on, my vision gets worse, but I get more and more of these moments.
If you ever want to talk in private, PM me.
Oh there's such a thing as a vitrectomy? No way! Do you really think that I've been dealing with this for more than 2 years and I don't know that? Give me a break, seriously. When you've sat in the retinal specialist's chair that performs vitrectomies and had a three hour consult like I have, let's talk again.
Oh, and this actually isn't a bad thing for a health anxiety forum. Did you even read my post? The whole point of it was to abandon the search for why and search for a cure and to move on with life. You're telling me that's a bad piece of information for someone who is anxious?
I've found that people like you...clearly uninformed people who don't have a degree of vitreous degeneration that affects quality of sight OR their day to day life, that say "oh yeah, simple procedure, get a vitrectomy" are actually the problem. You keep the person struggling with anxiety about the desire to FIX it...to do something. Like it's an easy situation that they are making harder on themselves. And frankly, that pisses me off to no end.
It's like my tinnitus. You just have to not....give...a...shit. It's always there, it just doesn't bother me.
I'm light years ahead of you buddy.
Ha! I became anxious reading this post. I have floaters and I thought damn am I going to be this depressed lol.
There are two possibilities here: either you aren't suffering from problems with your eyes, or you are. If you are, then really we should be on the same page. If you aren't, then I can see how offensive what I've written would seem, and this conversation can't progress towards common ground of any sort.
Let's assume that you are having problems with your vision, since you say "I will get rid of these if they get any worse, because I can."
How can you? Have you decided to get an FOV? If you do, I honestly wish you the best possible results. Laser? Not a sure bet. Definitely worth getting a consult though because you're right, for some people it might help.
The truth is, there is no solution. There is only the option to trade one problem (floaters) for others (cataracts, etc.) That is the situation. And the sooner someone who is struggling with this accepts that there isn't a solution, the sooner that the anxiety and suffering ends.
And let's keep this civil and fair, wherever it might go. Telling me, or anyone for that matter (especially on an anxiety forum, as you've said), that if you were in their shoes you'd rather be dead is really quite a destructive move. I would never hope for someone to feel that way.
You sound mad. I can relate.
Dakine,
With all due respect. Obviously you have your demons to deal with as everyone does. That being said, when I read your post, there was some confrontational verbiage and tone....
"And to the people on this thread who try to "give perspective" with the "complaining about no shoes until you meet the man with no feet"....piss off. "
Best both parties re-read before posting further IMO. And FYI... I have floaters too... I'm fortunate that my mind adapted and I don't notice them.
Positive thoughts
Valid feedback. Edited previous post.
Worried 24/7
08-05-14, 00:58
I have them too and they are sooooooo annoying
venusbluejeans
08-05-14, 18:08
please can we just remember that this an anxiety site so think about what you are posting on here that can cause anxiety on posts.......that includes arguing on posts
may I suggest that if discussion with the possibility of disagreement makes you anxious ...then you should not be on a discussion board
Worried 24/7
09-05-14, 03:40
I think sometimes it's necessary to be aware of the mental state off the people you're talking to. I must say this is the first argument I've seen on here
wanderer02
11-05-14, 20:34
wow, what happened here. You guys need to take it easy - seriously. There is no reason to argue about this because it won't help anyone. Any person who has severe floaters knows that there is very little that can be done about them without taking considerable risks.
dakine259, I read your post and it did not heighten my anxiety because I've been through the Yuku Degenerative Vitreous Community Boot camp. Having such severe floaters really does change your life considerably. Things are not as they used to be. You can't enjoy life as you did before because everything you see is tainted, distorted - much like wearing dirty sunglasses, and that is simply hard to accept. This is why I keep searching for solutions and like dakine, I wasn't able to find any where the benefits outweigh the risks - it's a true shame because I believe that the problem is solvable if the scientific community cared more about the condition. Unfortunately there are other, more profitable conditions to focus on. At the end of the day we live in a capitalist society where money is the only thing that matters.
Over the past months I've been trying to accept the floaters but I can't say that i am succeeding. I was hoping that my mind will get used to them and I won't see them anymore. I found myself making subconscious adjustments to my behavior such as wearing sunglasses even when it's clouded and dark outside, trying to type without looking at the keyboard at all, avoiding white walls and bright backgrounds etc. etc. so yeah, it's pretty bad and I wish everyday that my floaters vanish.
I try to stay hopeful for the future, that someday a cure surfaces and I can regain my vision. The way it is I must accept a severe decline in my life quality and stay patient.
Dakine, let me say that I completely understand where you are coming from but I can also tell that you're a pessimist by nature and that it certainly does not help you with your condition. I'd like to claim that my floaters are similar to yours - very severe and visible at any light condition, even with eyes closed. But there are better and worse days. Even weeks where the floaters don't bother me that much even though I can see them constantly. Your attitude towards the floaters really does make a big difference and I understand when you're saying that it's counterproductive to go on the endless quest to find a cure - there is none. The key is accepting the floaters as a condition that cannot be changed AT THE MOMENT. And it's important to stress this because I am hopeful and confident that someday there will be a simple, non-invasive cure for the condition. Until then, keep rocking low brightness screens, sunglasses and keep smiling.
Cheers
Do NOT worry about eye floaters. I have them too. You need to focus on not doing anything that will harm your health. Eye floaters if they become bad enough can likely be dealt with using laser surgery, IF it gets to the point you want to take that risk, but do not do it.
Eye floaters are not super complicated and will likely be treatable if they ever get bad enough with lasers. A few doctors do this, but do NOT rush to have it done because everything has risks.
You need to learn about keeping yourself healthy. Learn about tinnitus and stay away from loud noises, don't take any pain medication opiate or NSAIDs and learn about antibiotics that cause ear damage. Protect your senses.
Do not drink alcohol or drink no more than a little from time to time like a quarter cup of wine mixed with water.
I can hardly ever see the eye floaters except with a computer monitor and seriously I took maybe a while to adjust, but really that is nothing compared to tinnitus, which I also have. Love yourself and take good care of yourself. Remember depression can make you make bad decisions.
Do not take any medication unless a doctor prescribes it and even then you need to look up all the side effects yourself and learn about it before taking it. Don't rely on just the included literature.
wanderer02
05-06-16, 13:48
Hey everyone,
I am back about the same topic.
In a gradual process I must have gotten used to the floaters that I had and for over 2 years now I wasn't writing on here wich must have meant that I was okay with the floaters as they were.
Now that I have a problem with them again I am not sure anymore if I ever got over them but this is just the irrational mind speaking I guess.
I had to take antibiotics for an infection 2 weeks ago and since I tied the development of my initial floaters to the antibiotics I took back then I have the feeling that my floaters worsened after taking the antibiotics now.
So I am having a really bad time right now with all the floaters and the same problems that I mentioned in my initial message in this Thread.
Suddenly they are all there again and I am having a hard time focusing on my work (working with a computer screen) and I feel more depressed than ever before.
I like to think that I am only imagining that the floaters have worsened by me taking antibiotics again and most likely the antibiotics did nothing but If I inspect my floaters I seem to see now ones now and I am so worried that I would have to quit my job because I simply can't take being confronted by these damn things everytime I look at a screen. I see the same string of floaters in my left eye that I have seen back in 2014 when I initially started the thread and now suddenly it bothers me again. Its just as evident and disturbing and I can't even imagine being able to block it out. On the other hand I got over the same string of floaters before.....
In Theory I should be able to get over them just like I did the last time even if they got worse right? I can't remember feeling bad about them or even actively noticing them in in the last year or so but they must have been there all along.
How is it possible that my brain is no longer able to block them out? Do you think that the antibiotics made them worse and that I won't be able to be happy anymore because I will notice them for the rest of my life?
What are the chances that I will be able to get over them this time again? Do you really believe that the mind is able to block these things out eventually to the point that one can lead a happy life that is not affected by floaters? What if the floaters now are worse this means that my mind won't be ale to do the same trick ?
I feel really down right now, thanks so much for listening to my rant; i know how stupid all of this sounds to you..
Hi Wanderer,
I think that the chances that you will get over this bout are good. The floaters are there, and people have had them for thousands of years, but they are so much more noticeable through looking at computer screens, white pages and plain walls. Go into a forest and you won't see any floaters, unless you look up at the sky.
I also have tinnitus - ringing, whistling, and so on. It never goes away, but most of the time I can concentrate on something else. Otherwise, I just accept it as part of me. Everyone has to deal with something, and I can think of far worse things.
wanderer02
05-06-16, 17:17
Thanks so much for your encouraging words!
I also have tinnitus and I got used to it. sometimes it bothers me but then my brain manages to tune it out after a while and i live like it's never been there.
The same goes for the previous bout of floaters it's just that taking antibiotics made me fear that it might retrigger or make them worse somehow.
The floater that bothers me the most has been there for 3 years and I was okay even working infront of my 3 very bright screens but now I can't help but to see it everytime I look down at my keyboard and up on the screen again.
How is it possible that my brain managed to block out such a big floater and how can I rely on my brain doing the same for me this time around again?
ahhhh.... so confused..
Hi Wanderer,
My understanding of floaters is that an individual floater doesn't last a particularly long time. It eventually breaks down and is absorbed, but new floaters are created and take its place. If this is true, it may not be the same floater that is bothering you. Possibly, it could be a new floater breaking off in the same place that looks the same - I'm not an expert in these affairs.
I've had floaters for as long as I can remember. Generally, it's when I'm by myself with a plain surface like a computer screen, wall or page of a book that I notice them most. Being alone, I'm also more prone to negative thoughts, so it's something to watch out for.
Hey folks,
I have a question about floaters - I'm noticing my floaters more and more since I've had anxiety about my vision at the start of this year. I think I have about 20 small dot ones and about 2 or 3 stringy ones.
My question is: do they always look the same every day? I can't tell on a daily basis if I'm looking at the same set or if I have a bunch of new ones I need to worry about. I'm noticing a pretty circular string floater in my right eye at the moment which wasn't there yesterday - I'm just wondering is it a new string floater out of the blue or is it yesterday's just taking a different shape?
And sometimes my dot floaters seem to be a tight cluster, other days (and even at different times of the same day) they're pretty spaced out. Is this anything to worry about or have I been needlessly panicking for the last couple of weeks - would I have noticed something serious with my vision by now?
Many thanks.
wanderer02
06-06-16, 19:29
Hi Wanderer,
My understanding of floaters is that an individual floater doesn't last a particularly long time. It eventually breaks down and is absorbed, but new floaters are created and take its place. If this is true, it may not be the same floater that is bothering you. Possibly, it could be a new floater breaking off in the same place that looks the same - I'm not an expert in these affairs.
I've had floaters for as long as I can remember. Generally, it's when I'm by myself with a plain surface like a computer screen, wall or page of a book that I notice them most. Being alone, I'm also more prone to negative thoughts, so it's something to watch out for.
I don't know if that is true. As far as I know the eye is a closed system and there is no way of getting anything out. Once you have a floater it will stay there. It might change position or cluster up with other floaters but it will be there.
In my own experience the floater that I noticed 2 years ago is still the same one (shape, size) down to the clustering as a drew an exact image of it (this is how obsessed I was with these things)
What i am wondering about is how i was able to block them out to the point where I didn't notice them at all anymore and if I can do the same again?!
---------- Post added at 16:07 ---------- Previous post was at 16:02 ----------
Hey folks,
I have a question about floaters - I'm noticing my floaters more and more since I've had anxiety about my vision at the start of this year. I think I have about 20 small dot ones and about 2 or 3 stringy ones.
My question is: do they always look the same every day? I can't tell on a daily basis if I'm looking at the same set or if I have a bunch of new ones I need to worry about. I'm noticing a pretty circular string floater in my right eye at the moment which wasn't there yesterday - I'm just wondering is it a new string floater out of the blue or is it yesterday's just taking a different shape?
And sometimes my dot floaters seem to be a tight cluster, other days (and even at different times of the same day) they're pretty spaced out. Is this anything to worry about or have I been needlessly panicking for the last couple of weeks - would I have noticed something serious with my vision by now?
Many thanks.
My floaters always look the same (if I look hard enough) sometimes i have better days where I don't notice them as much and depending on the level of your hydration in general you will notice them less or more.
Single floaters might change location from time to time but the strings pretty much consist of many single floaters and remain the same over time.
New floaters could indicate a problem with your eye and if they occur in large numbers I think you should go see the eye specialist.
However anxiety plays a big role as it increases your awareness and focus towards them which in turn makes you notice more and more.
If i look really hard for them I would probably notice 50+ floaters.
Under normal light conditions there is only one big string that has a tight cluster attached to it that drives me nuts.
---------- Post added at 18:29 ---------- Previous post was at 16:07 ----------
Honestly I don't know what to do. I feel so incredibly depressed and worried that I won't be able to work anymore since my job requires me to sit in front of a computer the whole day.
I'm trying to keep it together but I'm breaking under the prospect of having to endure this Floater torture for the rest of my life.
Do you think the antibiotics made them reappear again. Or is it maybe the screen of my new phone that I just got a few weeks ago?
I want my life back and I'm so scared I won't cope with this.
I mean I got over it already once before why am I so worried I won't do it this time around?
Do you think this is mostly my obsessing over them that is making it so bad?
Any soothing words are appreciated.
Sorry for being so selfish and asking for help while everyone else has their problems.
I mean I got over it already once before why am I so worried I won't do it this time around?
Do you think this is mostly my obsessing over them that is making it so bad?
I posted this on another floater thread.
We all have floaters and normal anomalies with our eyes. Most people naturally adapt and don't notice them. Only in very, very rare cases is it an actual physical condition that requires medical intervention or treatment.
IMO, you're just hyper-focused on this. Why? If you have the patience to purposely focus your eyes, concentrate to see them and count them? Yeah.... that's hyper-focusing.
So to answer your questions? I think you're more worried due to the anxiety spiral you're currently in. Most definitely you're obsessing over it and add to that the irrational fear of being unable to overcome it as you did before and you're pouring gasoline on the anxiety fire.
You've pulled yourself out of the flames before so there's no reason you won't again. I equate it to looking for love. When you're pushing for a relationship it just never seems to happen but when you stop pushing, that's when it happens right? Same thing here. Stop trying so hard, relax, distract yourself and the fire will eventually die down ;)
Positive thoughts
If your eyes are fine, then your floaters are most likely caused by anxiety. Anxiety wont make them worse. They will get worse maybe a little by 50 years because that's how our eyes work. However, you wont notice this change as your body can and will ignore them. They've always been there. Anxiety just made you notice them, so the opposite, non anxiety, will make you un notice them.
If your eyes are fine, then your floaters are most likely caused by anxiety. Anxiety wont make them worse.
Actually it's quite the opposite. Anxiety does not cause floaters. Floaters and eye anomalies are a natural part of being human. We all have them in various degrees. Anxiety and hyper focusing on this makes it worse. Most people adapt and don't notice them. With anxiety, one tends to latch onto a benign natural occurrence and this hyper-sensitivity makes it worse.
Positive thoughts
Hi Wanderer,
Yes, I have to stress that I'm not an expert in any way. My own floaters seem to vary considerably from day to day. Also, when I was young (say six or seven years old) the images were quite small and sharp, like cells under a microscope. Now, several decades on, they are grey, fuzzy, cobwebby things.
The information on the internet doesn't seem particularly enlightening. I suspect until there is some decent cure available (apart from really scary-sounding operations to replace the vitreous, which I wouldn't contemplate), not much research will go on because the potential for financial reward for doctors is low. The statement that commonly occurs on websites that floaters are part of the aging process, while perhaps true, ignores that fact that children also can have them.
Anyway, you are not alone. Anxiety about anything else will also transfer over to the floaters (and vice versa), so take care.
wanderer02
07-06-16, 16:39
Hi Wanderer,
Yes, I have to stress that I'm not an expert in any way. My own floaters seem to vary considerably from day to day. Also, when I was young (say six or seven years old) the images were quite small and sharp, like cells under a microscope. Now, several decades on, they are grey, fuzzy, cobwebby things.
The information on the internet doesn't seem particularly enlightening. I suspect until there is some decent cure available (apart from really scary-sounding operations to replace the vitreous, which I wouldn't contemplate), not much research will go on because the potential for financial reward for doctors is low. The statement that commonly occurs on websites that floaters are part of the aging process, while perhaps true, ignores that fact that children also can have them.
Anyway, you are not alone. Anxiety about anything else will also transfer over to the floaters (and vice versa), so take care.
I want to really thank you all for your posts from the bottom of my heart.
This thing seems minor to people who are worried about true health problems but as you all know how anxiety works; even the smallest of problems can be amplified hundredfold by the anxious brain so I am having a really bad time over these floaters and I am so worried I won't ever be able to "unsee" them.
Can I ask you for a small experiment?
Right now while you're looking at the screen, please look down at the keyboard hold your vision on the keyboard for about 2 secs and then quickly look up on the screen. Do you actually see the floaters then? How visible are they for you and were you able to "so far" block them out to the point where you don't even register them throghout a normal working day?
Can you also describe the floaters you are having?
Are you seeing them under dim light conditions if you pay attention?
Cowebs or single floaters? Dark, Translucent?
Thanks so much for your encouragement, you give me hope that I will not have to quit my job and be miserable in a dark room for the rest of my life (I know, totally unreasonable thought)....
Hi
I've had floaters for many years, I'm so used to them now I'd probably be lost with out them!
I have a variety, some small specks, larger dots, cobwebs, lines. If I look really close and pay close attention I can see what actually looks like clear cells floating around and I've been told that they are cells.
They move in the jelly like substance called the vitreous humor when you move your eyes, they usually settle back to their same old spot.
Hope this helps.
Mugs
wanderer02
08-06-16, 02:03
Thanks for the info. It helps to hear that others have them as well.
What bothers me is that I can see them every time I look down at the keyboard and up on the screen again. There is one string or worm that is more "greyish" than others so it's more visible.
Would love to hear more descriptions from others.
Feels good not to be alone with this.
Maybe I am just making a bigger deal out of them than they really are... :scared15:
Yep, you are.
I've had them for about 25 years, you will get used to them:)
Hi Wanderer,
I don't notice them so much if I'm just looking at one point on the screen, but as soon as I move my eyes, I notice them, mostly because they move more slowly than my point of vision, but keep moving for a moment or two once my eyes stop. Bizarrely, one seems to be moving in the opposite direction to the others. They are not very strong - just ghostly, foggy dots or strings.
I think if the movement of the eyes makes them more apparent, then rapidly reading lines of text on a bright screen would be most noticeable. It is possible to change screen colours - eg white text on a blue background. I don't know if that would be helpful.
wanderer02
08-06-16, 13:42
Thank you all for your input! This community is priceless and I am so happy that you are there to help. @mugs I really hope so and I think you are right :)
@ hanshan this is my experience as well. I have one that is more visible than others but in the end it's all about the hyperfocus. I will keep you posted on my progress. Also it would be interesting to know if there is anyone here who once struggeled with them a lot and got over them.
Quick related question: how obvious is is when there is a change in your floaters to be concerned about? I've read about a jet/shower of floaters but my regular floaters I guess could be described as a shower when I flick them up and let them fall.
I find it hard to tell which floaters are new vs old because of lighting conditions, which way they look when the floaters in me left are seen beside those in my right: basically my question is how obvious is it when something isn't right?
I thought I noticed a change a few weeks ago after focusing hard but I'm guessing it's nothing serious if there has been no change or deterioration in my vision since then.
EDIT: just to clarify: my floaters have always been transparent circles and a couple of worm-like ones. No dark ones or shadows.
Nicholebear
08-06-16, 20:15
Yep I got them two years ago during the worst of my anxiety. I'm really not sure if they've always been there and my anxiety caused me to notice them or they're new. I got them in both eyes during the same time. I used to notice them a lot outside but now I can't really see them unless I'm outside and squinting. Sometimes one small one will swim across my vision while I'm looking at my phone or computer. One will glow sometimes after I blink while looking at phone and computer too. I think it's somehow reflecting light back into my eye in this case.
I have one that I can see with my eyes wide open, but only when I'm outside or looking out a car window during the day. It's a very small dark spot that appears when I move my eyes and then quickly faded away.
I also see small random dark spots in indoor lighting that disappear as quickly at the appear. Those caused me the most anxiety. But having them for two years now, I've gotten used to them and I think they're just a shadow being cast from a floater.
wanderer02
10-06-16, 11:15
Thanks again for posting.
I am still having a very hard time with my floaters (it's been a week now)
When i close my eyes and there is a strong light shining on my eyelids I even see them with closed eyes.
They are especially hard to bear when I am working on my computer making me not want to work anymore :(
I just don't get it.. I had the exact same floater for 3 years now and I got over it before. How is it that even when I am not trying to notice it I am still bothered by it?
I am just too worried that I won't be able to move on and be stuck with this struggle for the rest of my life
wanderer02
11-06-16, 13:38
what I also noticed is that I am constanly checking for floaters.
When I watch a movie for example I am picturing myself being at the beach (as shown in the movie) thinking that I won't enjoy it because I have these floaters.
I find myself thinking like that with all my obsessions. Do you think it's fair to say that I obsessed with floaters just like all my other obsessions?
wanderer02
14-06-16, 23:47
Did anyone obsess over floaters in the past and got over them?
I am feeling increasingly anxious about the prospect of having these things for the rest of my life
i haven't had that experience with floaters but if it's any help i have had it with tinnitus. i've always had it but when i was 20 it got REALLY bad, to the point where i could hear it all the time. i thought my life was over, was in a total black hole for three or four months. couldn't go more than 5 seconds without focusing on it.
then one day i noticed i hadn't thought about it for an hour or so. then half a day. within a period of about three weeks it had totally stopped bothering me. now, if i listen for it right now it's actually super loud, but my brain has learned to forget about it. i imagine the same thing would happen with floaters.
wanderer02
17-06-16, 22:43
I was wondering about something.
Could my eye floaters be caused or triggered by PWM that is used to regulate the brightness of a cellphone I purchased a few weeks ago?
Here is more on PWM: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/pulse_width_modulation.htm
Or is it just coincidence that my floaters came "back" after buying a new phone?
Wanderer,
There are no coincidences. You've always had floaters. You just happened to adapt and learned how to ignore them. Whatever the trigger was, you're just hyper-focusing on them again. What did you do before to overcome this?
Positive thoughts
wanderer02
20-06-16, 21:41
Fishmanpa, thank you so much for answering!
I think at the core you are correct about hyperfocusing. I am really trying not to pay attention to the floaters but nevertheless they are still there and they are bothering me. Even in moments where I "Forgot" about them they reappear and make me anxious again which reinforces the whole cycle.
Before that I had the exact same floaters (at least I think) It took me about 6 months to "forget" them and now I am back at square one.. how stupid can the human brain be?? it is beyond me that something that I already got over will come back and trigger the same feelings of anxiety and hopelessness....
It gives me hope that you could get used to them wanderer! I have constantly a dark brown floater in my central vision. It is there when I look up and then it sinks. It is quite dark, because I can see the floater even with almost no light. I hope I can get used to it. I have them for 7 months now.
I am in a group who tried to find a doctor willing to do research on eye floaters (possible treatment). Prof. Dr. Tassignon is doing research on these floaters. There is a site to support this research!
Anxietyman2016
27-07-16, 00:29
Lol the old eye floaters, i hate really sunny days are toe worst! Sorry for the lol, i just remembered the family guy peter griffin bit about the eye floater haha..
I have had exactly the same problem as described here. It is most annoying when I am working with the computer. I have one big floater, a round worm, going from one side to the other.
It started one week ago, after having an eye exam. The floater came after the examination with dilating drops. I made the examination since I had an vitreous detachment that had to be checked. The doctor gave me a folder that stated that floaters are normal if you've had an vitreous detachment...
Now I don't know how to cope with this thing. But it is interesting to read that you actually did get over yours for two years.
I really struggled with multiple floaters for around 2 months. I know now that there weren't anymore than usual, I was just focusing on them.
Once you get past the whole anxiety thing, you will stop seeing them.
OP, I have had my eye floater for 7 months now (since March) and I have the exact same issue as you regarding the keyboard at work and looking back up at the screen. In fact, I have '3' floaters which I see in all lighting conditions. There is a black speck in my right eye which I see in my peripheral and is largely stationary (the least bothersome), and there is a translucent worm usually fixed in the middle of my vision in my right eye (this can be very bothersome on the PC when reading, as it bounces along with the words) and finally, the most bothersome floater is a large black one in my left eye which, as you describe, whizzes up whenever I look down and look up. This makes working very irritating especially, as I have to watch it slowly fall down and usually through my central vision in order for it to go back to the bottom of my line of sight, only for the same thing to happen when I look down at the keyboard/my file and back up at the screen! It's not small either, the size of a fly buzzing about 15cm away.
I am indeed struggling like you are. Please drop me a PM if you want to chat. 7 months on none of them are any fainter. I also see dozens of them when I go outside (the worm one has a huge head, like a tadpole, and dozens of little bubbles around it) and my large dark one is attached to a bundle of worm shaped floaters. There are too many to count when I am outside or in a very bright room. In my office though, and in my flat, it's only the three I described above that cause me aggravation. I see them in all lighting conditions, the dark one I even see with my eyes shut. It's irritating to see this worm sliding down a person's face when I talk to them in a bright room or outside (I see the worm all the time outside, even against dark walls).
It's pretty frustrating that the medical community fails to make a distinction between mild, moderate and severe floaters. I know the frustration of meeting people who suffer mildly and say 'don't worry you will just block it out after a few weeks like I did!' because these people simply never had bad ones to begin with, they had the type of floaters I see when I am outside and searching the sky, which are much easier to block out.
Facebook has a great support group with 30k+ members if you search 'eye floaters', so that may be of some use to you. It's all about raising awareness with the medical community and showing them simulations of eye floaters with videos (search 'floater torture' on youtube to see what I mean) so they can finally understand this is not a condition our brains will just learn to ignore.
Odds are my floaters will never change, as they have not become fainter whatsoever in the last 7 months. But I like to think that eventually I will become emotionally used to them and that they will not elicit any anxiety in me. I am finding it incredibly hard right now, mainly because I am having to finally accept them, whereas the first 4/5 months I was still wishing they would eventually fade. I go through bouts of anxiety, depression, hope, happiness and then anxiety again. It's a rollercoaster. It amuses me to think that if they did suddenly disappear one day, they would make for one hell of a nightmare and I imagine I'd constantly dream about having them again, only to wake up thinking 'thank God'.
I have had exactly the same problem as described here. It is most annoying when I am working with the computer. I have one big floater, a round worm, going from one side to the other.
It started one week ago, after having an eye exam. The floater came after the examination with dilating drops. I made the examination since I had an vitreous detachment that had to be checked. The doctor gave me a folder that stated that floaters are normal if you've had an vitreous detachment...
Now I don't know how to cope with this thing. But it is interesting to read that you actually did get over yours for two years.
You can't get eye floaters from dilating drops. You will have simply only noticed it because you were looking for new ones afterwards and can't 'unnotice' it now. So don't worry about that.
You can't get eye floaters from dilating drops. You will have simply only noticed it because you were looking for new ones afterwards and can't 'unnotice' it now. So don't worry about that.[/QUOTE]
I did get them after having an eye exam but not because of it or the drops. It was the vitreous detachment that caused the floaters, not the exam itself. Floaters that are caused by VD are much more severe that floaters that you have when your young and have otherwise healthy eyes.
Now, after a few month, my floaters are the same, but they don't bother me as much as they did in the beginning. However, I will consider a laser treatment within a year or so. But I have to wait to see if it gets better.
J
luke 987 > Exact my story. Your story could be mine. I only have them for 10 months. Doctor said I could get used to them after 6 months. But it became worse. I have a dark spot that I see all the time. Then there are strings attachted to that dot with also darker areas.
I have to quit my job I think because it is no longer bearable. The extreme anxiety is gone, but the irritation doesn't change.
I can't believe that doctors are so ignorant for this!
luke 987 > Exact my story. Your story could be mine. I only have them for 10 months. Doctor said I could get used to them after 6 months. But it became worse. I have a dark spot that I see all the time. Then there are strings attachted to that dot with also darker areas.
I have to quit my job I think because it is no longer bearable. The extreme anxiety is gone, but the irritation doesn't change.
I can't believe that doctors are so ignorant for this!
Hi Nadm
May I ask, are you on any medications? I got my eye floaters from a drug called 'clomid' (which I took for weightlifting purposes). I now no longer take drugs for weightlifting and have given up PEDs all together (any rational or sane person would do the same with the amount of sides that I had).
I assume the eye doctor has given you the all clear with regards to a torn retina, or PVD etc. The question is, are any drugs to blame? If not, then how is your diet? Are you eating any particularly unusual food[s]? Allergies? Besides all that, the only other explanation would be that your vitreous is undergoing accelerated degeneration naturally (causing formation of floaters by collagen clumping together), or that your visual cortex/other parts of your brain are a little bit different to the normal person's and making you hypersensitive to stimuli that you would otherwise block out. I myself think the drug I took changed my brain, as I got blurry vision, tracers at night (which cleared up after I stopped the drug) and a very strong blue field entoptic phenomenon. Every month that passes I notice my vision getting a little bit sharper and less blurry, but my floaters remain unchanged. Ideally I am hoping my brain will get back to the position it was in and block out the floaters, but realistically I deem that unlikely given how dark one of them is (as I say, I can see it against a black wall and my black keyboard at work).
The improvement I am seeing in my vision regarding blurriness could be attributable to my visual cortex recovering or alternatively it could be due to the supplementation I am taking (bilberry tablets, VisionAce pills, Ginkgho Biloba and Cod Liver Oil tabs) - not sure. Even though there is no evidence that these help, there are absolutely a lot of anecdotes from people on various forums (who are not trying to sell, and are not scammers) claiming the pills I am taking helped them, so I believe it's worth a shot. It will take many months to see change though, and I've only been on them for 1.5 months.
Drop me a PM if you need a chat.
Luke
I am myopic and once in a month I saw a speck in my vision but this went away after a few seconds. This is the floater I see now, so I think it moved more in central vision. The doctor says there is nothing wrong with my eyes.
These are the causes I think of. But not sure it has something to do with it
- For a period of time I had B12 and iron deficiency. But I took supplements and the levels were okay when I got floaters.
- 4 months before I got floaters I fell on my head by an accident.
- 4 days before I got floaters I had a very stressful day at work. I almost had a panic attack at work.
- 2 days before I got floaters I spilled shampoo in my left eye (the one with almost no floaters). I washed both eyes under the shower. Maybe the pressure was too much for my eyes?
- I cried a lot in the months before I got a floater (for other reasons)
I am myopic and once in a month I saw a speck in my vision but this went away after a few seconds. This is the floater I see now, so I think it moved more in central vision. The doctor says there is nothing wrong with my eyes.
These are the causes I think of. But not sure it has something to do with it
- For a period of time I had B12 and iron deficiency. But I took supplements and the levels were okay when I got floaters.
- 4 months before I got floaters I fell on my head by an accident.
- 4 days before I got floaters I had a very stressful day at work. I almost had a panic attack at work.
- 2 days before I got floaters I spilled shampoo in my left eye (the one with almost no floaters). I washed both eyes under the shower. Maybe the pressure was too much for my eyes?
- I cried a lot in the months before I got a floater (for other reasons)
Try and not overthink it too much, it could have been the shampoo but I doubt it. Also 4 months pre-floater is a long time so I do not think it's the head injury. It may just be a natural cause, but that will be confirmed if you get more in the future.
You describe it just as a speck so try your best to forget about it. Mine is a large black one, about the size of a large house fly right up by my face, I'd trade it for a speck as I think I could forget about that much more easily.
Second opinion? I got floaters at only age 13. PVD in both eyes. Floaters don't bother me so much but they're been there for 8 months+
Second opinion? I got floaters at only age 13. PVD in both eyes. Floaters don't bother me so much but they're been there for 8 months+
If they don't bother you then don't worry about it. The vast majority with floaters don't notice them 90% of the time so shouldn't give it a second thought. My life is pretty ruined due to my floaters but that's because I see my huge black one in every lighting condition. As it's not the same for you just relax and enjoy life.
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