Floaters

[Codaz]

I had floaters as a teenager. They really annoyed me for several years. Then in my twenties I ceased to notice them. They didñ't cross my mind until youtube suggested a video on laser treatment of floaters. For some reason I watched this 8 minute video. The minute the video ended I noticed a big floater sink down through my line of sight....and that was it. I now see big floaters in both eyes after 30 years of clear sight. That said I would take serious floaters in a heartbeat over the tinnitus I have now. At least floaters don't keep me awake at night.

That is true. I remind myself of your line when they bug me again.

 

[william adams]

Had to stop duck hunting shoot a whole box of shells and havent hit a duck yet for all the floaters out there !!!!!!LOL

 

[JonDAH]

Anyone familiar with FEMTOSECOND laser?

Very Interesting.

"The vitreous humor is homogenised with the femtosecond laser and the eye floaters are pulverised by this method. This physical interaction will liquefy the vitreous humor which will be similar to a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). The aim is to modify the viscosity of the vitreous and induce a PVD so that all the floaters can be treated, including the floaters in the premacular bursa. If more floaters appear after the PVD (including a weiss ring), then a subsequent treatment with the femtolaser will be performed to pulverize them all."

http://floatertalk.yuku.com/topic/4159/Making-cure-happen-femtosecond-laser-solution#.V-QcVzoVD4g

http://floatertalk.yuku.com/topic/6239/NEW-RESEARCH-for-floaters-by-Prof-Dr-Tassignon#.V-QcgzoVD4g

 

[Foncky]

The poll result is impressive : 82 % of people who answered have floaters. Unfortunately, I'm sure most people who don't have floaters did not even open the thread. It's not reliable but still interesting to see it's a fairly common condition.

 

[Codaz]

The poll result is impressive : 82 % of people who answered have floaters. Unfortunately, I'm sure most people who don't have floaters did not even open the thread. It's not reliable but still interesting to see it's a fairly common condition.

It's fairly common, but no such treatment. It's like T. You have to live with it, go home. Unbelievable.

 

[Ecip]

I've had floaters before tinnitus though.. but I'm not sure if I've had as many or noticed them as much.

 

[MrBonk]

I am in the same boat. I noticed them years and years ago.

I don't know if I notice them more or they have gotten any worse.

Apparently the laser treatment can work. I don't consider them too much of an issue.

 

[nimx]

The poll result is impressive : 82 % of people who answered have floaters. Unfortunately, I'm sure most people who don't have floaters did not even open the thread. It's not reliable but still interesting to see it's a fairly common condition.

It is not far from researches on general population (No t sufferers) which stated that , if I recall correctly, 76% (depends on the research , i've read a pair and all of them had a % of over 70) of the interviewed reported floaters.
I do have them too, no link to T anyway. Keep in mind that anxiety and fear make you focus on anything "not normal" (although floaters are "normal", sure there are severe cases that interfere with daily activities, like reading or driving, and mild ones) making that normal thing a huge problem, while anyone else's brain will learn to ignore them or accept them. This means that if you are neurotic (most T sufferers are, who "suffers" from T often suffer other problems, often related to health , sometime obsessing) or if T helped you to raise neurotic traits (which means you developed anxiety or mood swings mostly because of T, thought both these scenarios are the same problem really, strongly biologically linked) you will have a hard time acceptin anything and you will probably notice floaters way much more than anyone else, looking at it like a burden. Just like T, getting rid or lowering your neurotic traits (hard and long road) is the best choice ones can ever make in his whole life, independently from looking for a cure, which is still your right.

Keep in mind that you can't just go around asking people if they have floaters, their brain probably ignore them, some of the research I mentioned above used some light boxes to let non neurotic people recognize floaters which were in fact there, some other don't.

 

[Foncky]

Very interesting nimx, thanks.

When I got my floaters T was already there but not a problem. But I was very distressed by these floaters at first. Now they got worse but I can't say they are a real problem, I just fear they become a huge problem one day. Just like T > for 12 years it was ok, I thought it would be like that all my life, and boum, now they are plain torture.

I guess working on the neurotic traits refers to a psychological treatment ? Is there something specific to consider ?

 

[nimx]

Very interesting nimx, thanks.

When I got my floaters T was already there but not a problem. But I was very distressed by these floaters at first. Now they got worse but I can't say they are a real problem, I just fear they become a huge problem one day. Just like T > for 12 years it was ok, I thought it would be like that all my life, and boum, now they are plain torture.

I guess working on the neurotic traits refers to a psychological treatment ? Is there something specific to consider ?

All personality traits are both the result of personal predispostion (genetic, they say), which is about 30-40%, and the rest is mediated by life events and especially developmental stages (early events, in particular chilhood and teenagehood). In adulthood it is clearly harder to change what you only know, that means your reality, you will react to events in the only way you know is possible, and worst it is automated. Neurotic, as the other traits, is just a result of different cofactors, so the route is not always the same, for some could be enough a "simple" comportamental strategy, for others it may often need much more effort. Psychological treatment is, like other strategies, just a tool. Working on a psychological level will have an influence at neurological level of course, it's a top down approach, but recently it is even more clear like in many cases a bottom up approach (neurological -> psychological) is necessary as a stand alone or in addition. A bottom up involves mainly sensory input, physical work, and help re-regulate nervous system (that's the way exercise, but even more ancient practices work, like yoga tai chi and mindfulness[which may "seem" to be mental but you focus on bodily reactions], that's why scientific research has got on them extremely seriously lately, but it's a new field and who is not a researcher usually think it's just placebo or spiritual, it is not, it would take just some minute to look at thousand credited researchs), probably in future they will come up with something more specific and efficient. This last approach is preferred in acute trauma, while in addition the former is usually better for a more profound reframing and can take long time.

 

[volsung37]

I would be very cautious about laser treatment for floaters. Often the laser will simply break up the larger clumps into smaller fragments which may annoy the patient as much if not more than the original clump. There have also been instances where the laser has damaged the retina. Then you could be left with a black blind spot permanently.

 

[nimx]

I would be very cautious about laser treatment for floaters. Often the laser will simply break up the larger clumps into smaller fragments which may annoy the patient as much if not more than the original clump. There have also been instances where the laser has damaged the retina. Then you could be left with a black blind spot permanently.

Yup, I won't consider any treatment for the next 5-10 years. If any progress will be done, then I will evaluate the possibility. But I guess I'm going to adjust to these black squiggly lines that pass in front of my left eye.

 

[Kendall]

I got floaters in both eyes a few years after getting T and its been 20 yrs now but during this past summer i had a spike in my T and then the floaters were more noticeable. it got to the point where i hated to go outside and looking at the sky because i was so fixated on the darn buggers. it was all i could think about,and for years it didnt bother me, T as well. have to retrain my brain again.

 

[Codaz]

I would be very cautious about laser treatment for floaters. Often the laser will simply break up the larger clumps into smaller fragments which may annoy the patient as much if not more than the original clump. There have also been instances where the laser has damaged the retina. Then you could be left with a black blind spot permanently.

Femtolaser (hopefully) is coming. I'm trying to get an appointment with a dr. in Belgium as they are doing the Ellex Ultra-Q floater treatment. First I need much more info other then false or outdated info.

What is quite weird is that if I sleep all day the floaters become much smaller.

 

[Iris]

One month ago, I went to doctor to do pre-surgery inspection before lasik (but i didn't do it in the end), after a mydriasis funduscory, the next day (probablly), two dark dots began to appear in my right eye.

As a really short sighted person, I remenber seeing transparent floaters when I stare at blue sky when i was little but they disapperard really quickly when i looked away and it didn't bother me at all. Yet this time it's different. I see the two dark dots all the time. When the sympotom first appeared, i was only a little bit worried but convinced it will went away soon as long as i take good care of my eyes. But aroud 10 days ago, I realized the floaters in my rigfht eye didn't even go away, but more transparent ones started to appear in both of my eyes!!! I panicked and went to eye dotcor. She perscribed me a type-b ultrasonic inspection for my eyes and the result showed my eyes were fine. She told me eye floaters will be absorbed eventually and there is nothing i need to worry about.

But as you can imagine, it didn't go as she said. My eyefloaters did not back off, in stead more and more transparent ones started to invade my eyesight. I know my symptom is still relatively mild compared to a lot of people, but im so scared it will keep getting worse as i grew older. I regret soooo much i didn't take good care of my eyes as a kid. I should have known things better since both of my parents are really short eyesighted and my eye condition is already not ideal. I know i can not undo what i've done and i can just strart to change now and hope it's not too late.

Im located in China and all the chinsese floaters forum i've visited spread negative opinions,false hope, ads and fear. Thereful im here hoping to get some tips and support from you guys. English is not my native language. I hope i've made myself understood.

Can anyone please tell me will my floaters keep becoming more ? Im only the first month in this, so does it become stable after a longer period (possible 2 month? someone told me this )? I'm luckilty still able to cope with my floaters by now but im serisouly worried (i had nervous tinnitus since last october and a nervous breakdown following that. It took me a lot to finally function again and this stroke me again.I don't want to go back there again.)

Can someone please help me ???

 

[Rubenslash]

One month ago, I went to doctor to do pre-surgery inspection before lasik (but i didn't do it in the end), after a mydriasis funduscory, the next day (probablly), two dark dots began to appear in my right eye.

What was the inspection procedure? Most likely, you did not develop a lot of new floaters recently, you just became more aware of them. That's what happens to many people that suddenly develop floaters/visual snow/... This usually occurs during a period of severe stress/anxiety which makes you oversensitive to everything and your brain becomes unable to filter out the floaters. Together with my eye floaters I also got "blue field entoptic phenomenon" which gives me the gift to see the white blood cells in my eyes when looking at the sky. These white blood cells did not just appear that day, they have been there my whole life but my brain was able to filter them out befo

As a really short sighted person, I remenber seeing transparent floaters when I stare at blue sky when i was little but they disapperard really quickly when i looked away and it didn't bother me at all. Yet this time it's different. I see the two dark dots all the time. When the sympotom first appeared, i was only a little bit worried but convinced it will went away soon as long as i take good care of my eyes.

Taking care of your eyes won't make the floaters disappear. However, the floaters might eventually settle at the bottom of your eye and thus disappear out of your line of sight.

But aroud 10 days ago, I realized the floaters in my rigfht eye didn't even go away, but more transparent ones started to appear in both of my eyes!!! I panicked and went to eye dotcor. She perscribed me a type-b ultrasonic inspection for my eyes and the result showed my eyes were fine. She told me eye floaters will be absorbed eventually and there is nothing i need to worry about.

But as you can imagine, it didn't go as she said. My eyefloaters did not back off, in stead more and more transparent ones started to invade my eyesight. I know my symptom is still relatively mild compared to a lot of people, but im so scared it will keep getting worse as i grew older. I regret soooo much i didn't take good care of my eyes as a kid. I should have known things better since both of my parents are really short eyesighted and my eye condition is already not ideal. I know i can not undo what i've done and i can just strart to change now and hope it's not too late.

Give it time please. You are talking about 10 days, you should wait at least 6-12 months.
Even if you had taken best care of your eyes since your birth, you would most likely have developed the eye floaters as well because you are myopic which is one of the most important risk factors in the development of eye floaters. So believe me, there is no need for regret. You couldn't do much to prevent this. However for the general health of your eyes, it's never a bad idea to take care of them. I for instance reduced the blue light intensity on my laptop as that apparently tends to be bad for the eyes. For more information, see this link: https://essilorusa.com/content/essi...lens-features/lens-technology/blue-light.html

About being scared for it getting worse: there are already some treatments available now (laser & FOV) but the benefits are not outweighing the risks if it doesn't severely affect your quality of life. You are correct that floaters might get worse with ageing (we are speaking about 20-30 years) but I am very confident that by then we will have much better treatments. So don't worry about the far future.

Im located in China and all the chinsese floaters forum i've visited spread negative opinions,false hope, ads and fear. Thereful im here hoping to get some tips and support from you guys. English is not my native language. I hope i've made myself understood.

Stop reading these Chinese forums.

Can anyone please tell me will my floaters keep becoming more ? Im only the first month in this, so does it become stable after a longer period (possible 2 month? someone told me this )? I'm luckilty still able to cope with my floaters by now but im serisouly worried (i had nervous tinnitus since last october and a nervous breakdown following that. It took me a lot to finally function again and this stroke me again.I don't want to go back there again.)

Can someone please help me ???

Yes, it will get stable. You won't see a worsening of the floaters day after day, believe me. When I suddenly became aware of my floaters, it got worse for about 2 weeks but stabilized since then. The fact that you had a nervous breakdown reinforces my theory that you've had your floaters for a long time but the change in brain chemistry due to the anxiety made your brain unable to filter them out. It can get better in the future.

 

[Rasmus]

I can only see floaters when im looking at the sky when there is daylight. But i have VS to, and when i read it goess crazy ;/

 

[Roberth]

Yes i have eye floaters! I have been suffering from those damn shadows, lines and dots for more than ten years. But i did two vitrectomies some years ago. Now i only have a bit left in the corner of my right eye. I'm going for a third one to correct it. I can't live with a black fu***ng snake living in the corner of my eye!

I think only intelligent people are those who really suffer from eye floaters and tinnitus. Intelligence is a handicap. You cannot really enjoy being alive as intelligent because your mind will always be troubled by something.

 

[Foncky]

Yes i have eye floaters! I have been suffering from those damn shadows, lines and dots for more than ten years. But i did two vitrectomies some years ago. Now i only have a bit left in the corner of my right eye. I'm going for a third one to correct it. I can't live with a black fu***ng snake living in the corner of my eye!

I think only intelligent people are those who really suffer from eye floaters and tinnitus. Intelligence is a handicap. You cannot really enjoy being alive as intelligent because your mind will always be troubled by something.

If you're smart you'll accept that hapiness is never perfect and never easy to reach.

A third vitrectomy for "only a bit left in the corner of my right eye" doesn't sound intelligent to me.

(I have big floaters too and suffer from it)

 

[Roberth]

If you're smart you'll accept that hapiness is never perfect and never easy to reach.

A third vitrectomy for "only a bit left in the corner of my right eye" doesn't sound intelligent to me.

(I have big floaters too and suffer from it)

Doing a vitrectomy isn't about being smart or not, but about having enough courage if one is suffering enough. I admit that i'm scared but what are my options? Do you think it's acceptable to be daily offended by floaters for a lifetime?

On average today only about 1 vitrectomy out of about 25 is leading to different severity of permanent vision loss or distortions (excl. cataract). That's not so much compared to the potential gain in quality of life or do you think so?

Why aren't you doing a vit. if you are suffering? Suffering from floaters can be a serious syndrome. Quality of life is all that matters. If i become blind life wouldn't be worth to continue, but then at least i gave it all a try.

 

[Foncky]

I understand you.

I think my floaters are pretty big and I'm gutted. My eyes have been perfect for a long time and now this. Vision is the most precious thing I have : I love visual arts, photography and filmmaking.

But I suffer too much from T to take the vitrectomy risk now. I don't want to add to my burden.

I just had the impression that you were quite ok with your remaining floaters. If it's not the case I totally get why you want to erase them for good.

 

[Roberth]

@Foncky I think i understand you too. Well, i'm much better off now than before. Before my floaters were just straight out overwhelmingly bad. I saw them everywhere i looked and i couldn't do anything about it. What's left now isn't floaters. It's peripheral vitreous disturbances but that can be rather annoying as well. Am i not tired of going back and forth all the time for more vits..? Yes i'm very much exhausted! I hate it, but this is a bloody war now. Either the floater (or whatever it is) or i have to go. I simply don't want floaters or a frill anywhere in my field of vision. Nothing should be there.

I also hesitate and i'm ambivalent. But I cannot let year after year just pass by like this, in depression and total lack of energy. I don't think it would be a burden to get rid of eye floaters just because of one got tinnitus. But as i said i think i understand you. It's a lot of hassle, bullshit, expenses, paperwork etc. going through a vit. And being depressed on top of that can be too much to handle for anybody less than the Superman. But maybe one day you might find the power to cut yourself loose of the mud, we both seem to be stuck in. I hope so.

 

[Rubenslash]

I also want to get rid of them but I might wait until there are better treatments. In fact I saw Stalmans recently for my onset of floaters, didn't know he was that famous among floater sufferers for his FOV treatments.

 

[Foncky]

I think i understand you too. Well, i'm much better off now than before. Before my floaters were just straight out overwhelmingly bad. I saw them everywhere i looked and i couldn't do anything about it. What's left now isn't floaters. It's peripheral vitreous disturbances but that can be rather annoying as well. Am i not tired of going back and forth all the time for more vits..? Yes i'm very much exhausted! I hate it, but this is a bloody war now. Either the floater (or whatever it is) or i have to go. I simply don't want floaters or a frill anywhere in my field of vision. Nothing should be there.

I also hesitate and i'm ambivalent. But I cannot let year after year just pass by like this, in depression and total lack of energy. I don't think it would be a burden to get rid of eye floaters just because of one got tinnitus. But as i said i think i understand you. It's a lot of hassle, bullshit, expenses, paperwork etc. going through a vit. And being depressed on top of that can be too much to handle for anybody less than the Superman. But maybe one day you might find the power to cut yourself loose of the mud, we both seem to be stuck in. I hope so.

I just don't want to risk anything with my eyes, you never know. Right now my T makes the floaters less important in my mind so I'll keep them as long as I can.

The operation could also produce such a stress that my T would be even worse.

 

[devonlee]

I voted No and I'm surprised by the results! I honestly thought it would be a solid 50/50 split or more people who said no. I have experienced floaters but very rarely and was always told it was just dirt in my eyes or something of that sort. Never worried about it since it was so temporary. Definitely not something I would associate with tinnitus.

 

[Rubenslash]

I just don't want to risk anything with my eyes, you never know. Right now my T makes the floaters less important in my mind so I'll keep them as long as I can.

The operation could also produce such a stress that my T would be even worse.

I read that soon a trial will start (first on animals) to treat floaters with femtolasers. Problem with the YAG lasers is that they can't remove floaters close to the retina, these new lasers should be much more precise.

 

[Foncky]

That would be great ! I can wait for that.

 

[NinPhan]

I had so many floaters by the last turn of the decade, the change I made that finally seemed to lessen the amount was 4mg astaxanthin/daily. I took it specifically for that, don't know how much peer-reviewed science there is on it although I expect not much to very little because no-one's making loads of bank off astanxanthin...but it worked for me.

When I do get the odd one or two instrusive floaters, I hold onto something and roll my eyes around 4-5 times as quickly as possible (think spin cycle on a washing machine) and this seems to move them out of my field of vision.

 

[JonDAH]

NEW posts on the Degenerative Vitreous Community forum recently.

http://floatertalk.yuku.com/forums/8/Promotion-and-Raising-Awareness#.WRHCCfkrLcs


EYEFLOATERSCURE.NET - http://eyefloaterscure.net/

and

EYEFLOATERSCURE YOUTUBE CHANNEL, click the floatertalk link above.

 

[volsung37]

There are alot of horror stories about regarding lasers and the eyes. I wouldn't let a laser near my eyes. Hopefully in a few years nanotechnology will allow us to have floater destroying nanobots to remove the little buggers.