Serious question on eyesight and "floaters"
Discussion
Serious thread:
For many years I have had "floaters" in my vision (nothing to do with brown fish). They are fragments of protein and dead cells from the eye's lining that float about in the vitreous humour of the eye. As they move around, they cast a shadow onto the retina.
Although for most of the time they don't cause a problem, they can when it comes to reading becuase they are really distracting.
Conversations with GPs and opticians over the years has led to comments along the lines of "They are really common", "Don't worry about them", "Lots of people have them, its normal". Unfortunately there seems to be nothing available in the form of treatment. Some searched on the net reveal that some people are using laser surgery for them in the USA, and others (tho' unscientific) claim that diet can have an effect on the condition.
So question to the PH community - does anyone else suffer from "floaters" and have you been able to find anything that helps you? It's driving me mad!
For many years I have had "floaters" in my vision (nothing to do with brown fish). They are fragments of protein and dead cells from the eye's lining that float about in the vitreous humour of the eye. As they move around, they cast a shadow onto the retina.
Although for most of the time they don't cause a problem, they can when it comes to reading becuase they are really distracting.
Conversations with GPs and opticians over the years has led to comments along the lines of "They are really common", "Don't worry about them", "Lots of people have them, its normal". Unfortunately there seems to be nothing available in the form of treatment. Some searched on the net reveal that some people are using laser surgery for them in the USA, and others (tho' unscientific) claim that diet can have an effect on the condition.
So question to the PH community - does anyone else suffer from "floaters" and have you been able to find anything that helps you? It's driving me mad!
I'd long since stopped noticing mine, but now thanks to the power of this thread - there it is again! 
I have lots of them and at times I do find them very distracting, I think I notice them more because I have to look at a computer screen all day.
From what I've read most of the treatments are fairly risky (I've heard you can have a vitreous transplant!
), and I certainly wouldn't risk blindness for the sake of a few annoying blotches in my vision.
From what I've read most of the treatments are fairly risky (I've heard you can have a vitreous transplant!
), and I certainly wouldn't risk blindness for the sake of a few annoying blotches in my vision.Sorry to introduce an element of concern but i have had floaters in both eyes for about 20 years. Whilst you are all spot on that they are usually harmless (but annoying) there is an issue to be aware of: if they become more noticeable go see an optician IMMEDIATELY. This is a first sign of a detached retina.
Happened to me 4 years ago. No cause whatsoever (i.e. don't play rugby or box) - but my left retina completely detached and my right partly detached in the space of 2-3 days. Very scary indeed. After 8 operations I regained good vision in my right but unfortunately permanently lost 80% of vision in my left. For a while I thought I'd have to give up driving!! But it turns out there's a lot of one-eyed drivers out there (a phrase normally used to describe BMW drivers...)
Oh - and i've still got floaters...
Happened to me 4 years ago. No cause whatsoever (i.e. don't play rugby or box) - but my left retina completely detached and my right partly detached in the space of 2-3 days. Very scary indeed. After 8 operations I regained good vision in my right but unfortunately permanently lost 80% of vision in my left. For a while I thought I'd have to give up driving!! But it turns out there's a lot of one-eyed drivers out there (a phrase normally used to describe BMW drivers...)
Oh - and i've still got floaters...
I get 'em too - have had the same advice as you too. Tried the eye wash route though but must have really sensitive eyes as I cant see for hours after using even the mildest of washes!!! Given up and just live with it now..... currently have two corkers on one eye at the moment, but I just put my glasses on instead and concentrate on the crud on the lenses!!!
Know what you mean though - annoying and distracting...
Know what you mean though - annoying and distracting...
shadowninja said:
Um i thought they were dust particles. maybe what you see is a lot bigger, but i do see stuff floating around
Me too - but thinking about it, they'd have to be on or very close to the centre of the iris to be seen, and even then I think they'd be so out of focus as to be invisible. So the internal shadow-throwing verison mamkes sense.
(Glad it wasn't the sort of floater I thought you meant!)
Yep, I've had them for years. At one point one of them became far more prominent very quickly.
I had heard somewhere that there is a higher proportional incidence of eye cancer in people with grey/chameleon eyes*, like mine, and being a grapghic artist by trade prompty sh@ myself...
The optician said that I had a couple of "floaters", but was otherwise 20:20.:Phew!:
Apparently "Floaters" are little cystaline bodies that nucliate on the previously mentioned bits and bobs that naturally occur inside eye. As cystals they can grow and shrink as the concentration of salts in this fluid rises and falls.
If you become dehydrated, they grow.
The best way to "shrink" them is to drink plenty of water regulary and avoid Tea and Coffee as they are both diretic. Most people in the west are chronically dehydrated, which explains why "Floaters" are so common.
Mouse
*probably due to lower levels of light filtering pigmentation, allowing the eye to be bombarded by a higher levl of UV light, by that is just a guess.
I had heard somewhere that there is a higher proportional incidence of eye cancer in people with grey/chameleon eyes*, like mine, and being a grapghic artist by trade prompty sh@ myself...
The optician said that I had a couple of "floaters", but was otherwise 20:20.:Phew!:
Apparently "Floaters" are little cystaline bodies that nucliate on the previously mentioned bits and bobs that naturally occur inside eye. As cystals they can grow and shrink as the concentration of salts in this fluid rises and falls.
If you become dehydrated, they grow.
The best way to "shrink" them is to drink plenty of water regulary and avoid Tea and Coffee as they are both diretic. Most people in the west are chronically dehydrated, which explains why "Floaters" are so common.
Mouse
*probably due to lower levels of light filtering pigmentation, allowing the eye to be bombarded by a higher levl of UV light, by that is just a guess.
i agree with everything which has been said. i have them quite badly so went to the opticians, they did all the checks for detached retinas, but found nothing. i find different levels of light change it a lot. for example, in a white room its quite bad and also when the skys overcast oddly, but they seem to disappear in a room with the lights on. i have got used to them slowly and now i dont even notice them very often (although they are still there). its easy to get in a panic over thing like this but the best thing to do is just try and forget about them 
Ohhhh theres a lot of Rhubarb talked on here. 
There is no connection between floaters and detached retina. One does not in any way herald or cause the other.
There are two main types of floaters that people experience.
opaque tissue, scars, clots in the vitreous body which is the jelly substance within the eye. They form, usually stay in a constant part of the visual field and disperse slowly with time, giving rise to a slow change.
blood, these are pseudo floaters. Not actually floating at all but are thought to be blood cells in blood vessels that are sitting at the back of the eye in the very small capillaries that supply the face of retina. These usually look like long/short segmented strings which move far faster, and dont stay in one position. They are actually supposed to consist of queued masses of blood cells waiting to past down the capillary rather like me on the M25 in the morning.
Both of these are completely harmless and I have yet to find a patient with any reason for them. Some doctors try to treat with aspirin cos its thought the aspirin breaks up the clots but nothing apart from time really works and no one has ever gone blind with floaters.
BBBUUUUUTTTTT
A detached retina is where the lining of the retina pulls away from the surface of the eye. The poor old nerves lose their blood supply and can die. As they are pulling away, patient describe bright flashy lights usually at the periphery of their vision where the nerves are getting upset and firing randomly.
This is a serious condition because if not treated early those nerves in trouble with eventually die as the retina continues to pull away. People DO go blind with this but only from neglect. Lasers are used to staple the retina to the back of the eye and everything is okay. ANY nerves that died before this process stay dead with a therefore perminent effect on vision. The sooner the laser the less vision you lose.
Moral of this story. Do not assign flashy lights to a likely diagnosis of floaters.
Go to GP, where the wisdom of GODs great plan for your body will be generally messed with for your benefit.
And the cost of all this to you, nowt but a friendly smile and half your income in taxes.
There is no connection between floaters and detached retina. One does not in any way herald or cause the other.
There are two main types of floaters that people experience.
opaque tissue, scars, clots in the vitreous body which is the jelly substance within the eye. They form, usually stay in a constant part of the visual field and disperse slowly with time, giving rise to a slow change.
blood, these are pseudo floaters. Not actually floating at all but are thought to be blood cells in blood vessels that are sitting at the back of the eye in the very small capillaries that supply the face of retina. These usually look like long/short segmented strings which move far faster, and dont stay in one position. They are actually supposed to consist of queued masses of blood cells waiting to past down the capillary rather like me on the M25 in the morning.
Both of these are completely harmless and I have yet to find a patient with any reason for them. Some doctors try to treat with aspirin cos its thought the aspirin breaks up the clots but nothing apart from time really works and no one has ever gone blind with floaters.
BBBUUUUUTTTTT
A detached retina is where the lining of the retina pulls away from the surface of the eye. The poor old nerves lose their blood supply and can die. As they are pulling away, patient describe bright flashy lights usually at the periphery of their vision where the nerves are getting upset and firing randomly.
This is a serious condition because if not treated early those nerves in trouble with eventually die as the retina continues to pull away. People DO go blind with this but only from neglect. Lasers are used to staple the retina to the back of the eye and everything is okay. ANY nerves that died before this process stay dead with a therefore perminent effect on vision. The sooner the laser the less vision you lose.
Moral of this story. Do not assign flashy lights to a likely diagnosis of floaters.
Go to GP, where the wisdom of GODs great plan for your body will be generally messed with for your benefit.
And the cost of all this to you, nowt but a friendly smile and half your income in taxes.
Julian64 said:
Go to GP, where the wisdom of GODs great plan for your body will be generally messed with for your benefit.
And the cost of all this to you, nowt but a friendly smile and half your income in taxes.
Awww, aren't we lucky to have you?
What are you charging for private e-mail consultations?
rude girl said:
Go to GP, where the wisdom of GODs great plan for your body will be generally messed with for your benefit.
And the cost of all this to you, nowt but a friendly smile and half your income in taxes.
Awww, aren't we lucky to have you?
What are you charging for private e-mail consultations?
Well, lets see.
Sitting here in my not so posh office only half way through the forty to fifty patients I get to see in a day, and musing on the fact that its now half past three and yet again I havn't managed lunch today, and my accountant who tells me that despite the governments assurances over the last three years When they talk about a 10% pay rise they actually mean a 10% pay cut this year.
I think almost any offer you make me is going to end in you losing your arm.
Wow. So I'm not alone then. Floaters really do seem to be common.
The problem is, I have loads of 'em. Its a great swirling mass of them pootling around in my vision. It is making reading really very tedious.
I recently sat an accountacy exam - it was a nightmare. I found it very hard to read all the info I was presented with in the 90 minutes due these little blighters swimming around. In other exams, they are not a problem because generally questions are only a couple of lines long so most of the exam is spent writing (no problem) rather than reading.
So best advice is drink a huge quantity of water then? Nothing else can be done without putting my vision at risk? Bugger.
The problem is, I have loads of 'em. Its a great swirling mass of them pootling around in my vision. It is making reading really very tedious.
I recently sat an accountacy exam - it was a nightmare. I found it very hard to read all the info I was presented with in the 90 minutes due these little blighters swimming around. In other exams, they are not a problem because generally questions are only a couple of lines long so most of the exam is spent writing (no problem) rather than reading.
So best advice is drink a huge quantity of water then? Nothing else can be done without putting my vision at risk? Bugger.
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