Eye floaters (1 Viewer)

Yo Kathy, not only short sight, I have long sight, wear very complex specs and have floaters just in one eye.

Stewart

Stewart J. said:

Yo Kathy, not only short sight, I have long sight, wear very complex specs and have floaters just in one eye.

Stewart

Click to expand...

Hi Stewart,

Oh right, never knew that, so we learn something new everyday. So long sighted has that problem too.

I do not know if one eye is worse than having it in 2 eyes. I was told to shut one eye, when using scopes if this is supposed to help (for other reasons as I have cataracts too)
Though, I have floaters in 2 eyes, been short sighted since 10 years old, and now have long sightedness to boot over the last year - aging process or that thing we all have to take on the chin.

Personally I feel that my floaters have remained the same, and have not got any worse with the long sightedness setting in. :-C

It is interesting how everyone is affected in different ways.

I have had floaters for ages. I tend not to notice them, but I think they do come and go. At one eye examination the optician said that I had more floaters visible in one eye than the other, but that this was probably just a chance effect of the way I had happened to move my eyes. She compared them to those christmas snow scenes you can get where you shake up a transparent plastic bubble full of liquid with white fragments in it. I only notice them if I am driving on a very bright day.

I don't look up at the sky much, even when I am birding. I am usually either gazing at the scenery or , at best, at the skyline.

I conducted an important piece of research on floaters today...(don´t try this, folks....). I went for a long cycle, it´s been one of those balmy blue-sky Indian Summer days here in Ireland. I watched my floaters for ages, using the sky as a backdrop (that´s why you shouldn´t try it on your bicycle, watch the road instead...). My floaters are mostly vague shadowy shapes, longish and only visible against a bright screen. Some, however, are like chains, in quite sharp relief, looking not unlike twisted strands of hair or long chains of cells of some sort under a microscope. And get this....as I think Scampo once noted on another thread, they all drift downwards. I have no idea why. Does this tally with anyone else´s experience? To be honest, they don´t bother me at all, I´ve had them for as long as I can remember.

Sancho said:

I conducted an important piece of research on floaters today...(don´t try this, folks....). I went for a long cycle, it´s been one of those balmy blue-sky Indian Summer days here in Ireland. I watched my floaters for ages, using the sky as a backdrop (that´s why you shouldn´t try it on your bicycle, watch the road instead...). My floaters are mostly vague shadowy shapes, longish and only visible against a bright screen. Some, however, are like chains, in quite sharp relief, looking not unlike twisted strands of hair or long chains of cells of some sort under a microscope. And get this....as I think Scampo once noted on another thread, they all drift downwards. I have no idea why. Does this tally with anyone else´s experience? To be honest, they don´t bother me at all, I´ve had them for as long as I can remember.

Click to expand...

I went for a ride myself today, it was glorious weather here too. Saw a Spotted Flycatcher and the first skein of (80) Pink-footed Geese which I have seen this winter flew over. Only 101 days to Christmas.

My floaters go all over the place, but I suppose if you imagine the glass "snow ball" which others have mentioned, then after the initial shake (in your case bike ride), they will all come down and settle again. You may not be very aware whilst you are riding because you are concenrating on other things, but once you stop and look at the sky, the shaking stops and they all drop down.

I've not noticed them so much recently. The consultant did say that I had dry eyes and told me to use drops. This has cured the hot eye / reluctance to look at the computer screen problem I had. Perhaps it was this problem which caused be to be generally more aware of other problems such as the floaters.

Sancho said:

I conducted an important piece of research on floaters today...(don´t try this, folks....). And get this....as I think Scampo once noted on another thread, they all drift downwards. I have no idea why. Does this tally with anyone else´s experience? To be honest, they don´t bother me at all, I´ve had them for as long as I can remember.

Click to expand...

Hi Sancho

I would watch yourself with those bike rides!!

Yes, I agree that floaters do drift downwards in their quest to catch up with what you want to see. I think what I am learning is to move the eye around a lot less, and move the head around more (like a gloved puppet). :eek!:

I think the quicker the eye movement to more irritating the eye floater becomes to what you are trying to focus on. Yes they vary in all shapes and sizes too. So there is added variety of them. Have you noticed that they over-run each other too? :eek!:

Has anyone notice that you can still them, if you shut the lid of your eye. So they are still there before you go to sleep. :eek!:

Coigach said:

My floaters go all over the place, but I suppose if you imagine the glass "snow ball" which others have mentioned, then after the initial shake (in your case bike ride), they will all come down and settle again. You may not be very aware whilst you are riding because you are concentrating on other things, but once you stop and look at the sky, the shaking stops and they all drop down.

I've not noticed them so much recently. The consultant did say that I had dry eyes and told me to use drops. This has cured the hot eye / reluctance to look at the computer screen problem I had. Perhaps it was this problem which caused be to be generally more aware of other problems such as the floaters.

Click to expand...

Hi Bobby

Sorry to hear that you have to take eye drops. Another hassle that you do not need in your life. I agree that the little blighter's hoover around the PC screen you are trying to look at a subject on the BF. It is part of the course. :-C
So any typing that is done, I make a point not to look at my fingers while I am typing. So the floaters do not bounce around all over the place.

I do know where you are coming from here as floaters come in all shapes, of any description. If you are on some vehicle which takes the bumps in the road (ie a bike). It makes the floaters a bit more excitable and they jiggle about the eyeball out of control as they do, and there is nothing you can do to stop them from doing that. :eek!:

Shutting your eyes does not help. So the slow movement of the eyes get them back in gear again and then they slow down to a quiet pace again.

So the answer from me, is to slow the eye movements as much as possible. Try not to look artificial a the same time (A test of body language here) :king:

Is this possible?

Coigach said:

. The consultant did say that I had dry eyes and told me to use drops. This has cured the hot eye / reluctance to look at the computer screen problem I had.

Click to expand...

Aaargh!!! I´d never noticed them while looking at the computer screen before, until I read this post!!! Seriously though, I´ll go and ask an optician about drops, just to see if they work.

I have been using Viscotears for my dry eyes. Available from chemists.

Henry B said:

I have been using Viscotears for my dry eyes. Available from chemists.

Click to expand...

Yes, that's what I'm using. You don't need a prescription for them, just ask at the chemist.

Sorry to drag this thread out, but maybe it will help others.

Following my visit to the Ophthalmic consultant the other day, I decided to visit the opticians on Saturday, because my old glasses have become a bit scratched over the years, and I decided that it was time to invest in a new pair.

As it happened, my prescription had not changed, and the optician confirmed that as far as he could tell, my eyes were perfectly healthy.

However, he did mention that I was approaching a time in life when I may need to consider reading glasses as well as my normal glasses. I was a bit sceptical, because I could read even the smallest text with my normal glasses, but using various lenses he showed me what a difference they could make.

So taking advantage of a buy one get one half price offer, I bought one pair normal, one pair reading. What a difference the reading glasses have made! Yes I could read quite well with my old normal glasses, but these are considerably sharper, and reading is now a pleasure again. What's more, I can use them when I sit at the computer, and I no longer feel as though I am straining my eyes, so hopefully I'll feel less tired and experience less headaches.

The point of all of this is, even though the initial problem (i.e. the floaters) cannot be cured, I feel 100% better than I did 3 weeks ago, thanks to reassurances from the ophthalmic consultant and my optician, the drops I take for dry eyes, and my new glasses. I feel like I've regained my eye sight, and I hardly even notice the floaters.

So if anybody else has similar problems, I would definately recommend getting them checked out.

I've had them since I was a kid, and have 20-20 vision.

Only yesterday I saw a low flying Peregrine over the river that once again, turned into a floater|8.|

Coigach said:

Sorry to drag this thread out, but maybe it will help others.

Following my visit to the Ophthalmic consultant the other day, I decided to visit the opticians on Saturday, because my old glasses have become a bit scratched over the years, and I decided that it was time to invest in a new pair.

As it happened, my prescription had not changed, and the optician confirmed that as far as he could tell, my eyes were perfectly healthy.

However, he did mention that I was approaching a time in life when I may need to consider reading glasses as well as my normal glasses. I was a bit sceptical, because I could read even the smallest text with my normal glasses, but using various lenses he showed me what a difference they could make.

So taking advantage of a buy one get one half price offer, I bought one pair normal, one pair reading. What a difference the reading glasses have made! Yes I could read quite well with my old normal glasses, but these are considerably sharper, and reading is now a pleasure again. What's more, I can use them when I sit at the computer, and I no longer feel as though I am straining my eyes, so hopefully I'll feel less tired and experience less headaches.

The point of all of this is, even though the initial problem (i.e. the floaters) cannot be cured, I feel 100% better than I did 3 weeks ago, thanks to reassurances from the ophthalmic consultant and my optician, the drops I take for dry eyes, and my new glasses. I feel like I've regained my eye sight, and I hardly even notice the floaters.

So if anybody else has similar problems, I would definately recommend getting them checked out.

Click to expand...

Congratulations, Bobby, I´m glad the optician was able to help you out, and more importantly that you feel happy about your eyesight. I´m in the age-range where one begins to wonder too (I´m 45), the optician this year gave me the option of a pair of reading glasses (they were free), I took them but didn´t use them at all....they were great for reading, but I couldn´t see anything beyond the distance of the book, and my reading sight with my "normal" glasses on is just as good. I still haven´t gotten around to buying the "Viscotears", I´ll report as soon as I do!:t:

danehower said:

I was really intersted reading this thread as in the past I have had alot of problems with floaters myself. I think the idea of vitimins is a really good idea. In addition I have heard that "eyebright" tea is really good for your eyes. I have read that alot of British WW 2 night bombers used to drink it prior to their perilous missions across enemy territory. Also billberry tea. One thing I did notice with my floaters was that after a cup of coffee they got alot worse - dont know what that means, but it was my experience. If nothing else - pretend that the floaters are rare birds - imagine how your life list will grow - lol

Click to expand...

Some stories about WW2 bomber crews were purposefully made up. For example, the British spread the rumour that bomber crews were eating carrots to improve night vision. In reality they were using radar, which was a secret. The eyebright might be another such rumour, though I don't know.