Does anyone here have experience with eye floaters?
I have always had perfect vision but about a year ago I started noticing a little blurred vision and a few floaters (clear or gray dots or lines that move around your field of vision, if you try to look at them they move away) I went to my eye doctor and got an eye exam. She said floaters are just a normal sign of aging (I’m 38) and are not harmful. I did not let her dialate my eyes because that scares me, but she said I was fine.... I did need a small prescription for reading.
I felt better after the eye exam but still don’t like seeing floating spots in my vision! It scares me and really triggers my anxiety! Now I’m starting to think it might be something worse then my eyes... maybe my brain, but I know that’s my anxiety talking!
Just wondering if anyone else has these annoying floaters!!
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Kmangan
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I am 61 and have had floaters for over 30 years. They are 99 percent of the time nothing and as your dr said are a sign of aging eyes...nothing more. If you see flashes of light, that’s a different story.
Thanks for this iv been worried to death, I have regular eye checks as I have a blood relative with glaucoma, I haven’t got it, the thing was when they started last night I spent 10 mins in the bathroom trying to swat them thinking it was an annoying fly
Hi I have floaters and they are normal when you age. They are annoying but nothing to worry about especially as your optician has checked your eyes. They are highly trained in picking up any eye problems after all. x
I have them as well and agree they are normal. If your exam was with an optomotrist who is trained to identify measurements of your vision field, you may want to just ask your primary for a referral to an ophthalmologist, if your insurance allows it. He/she is an MD specializing in all aspects of the eye.
Yes, I started getting floaters in my 30’s. You just learn to ignore them. I’m 66 now and have a new one that I only see off and on in my right side vision. Every time it shows up, looks like a bug or fly coming at me, lol. I finally learned to quit swatting at it😂
I also have them. I have read in a few places that it either be caused or worsened by low sugar. I have noticed sometimes that if I eat something they go away. But, even these sights say they're nothing to worry about and only a minor nuisance.
Yes. I think they're related because I have them bad. And my anxiety is horrible lol. Going to doctors always give us the reassurance we need. But i was given kind of an eye opener last night. The question was "how many times has the things you were scared of actually happened?" That was a good eye opener. But when the symptoms are physical I KNOW it's hard to relax.
Yeah... I hate them so much, but they will become less noticable over time. Eye drops (artificial tears type) help fade them a little for me. Also staying hydrated is meant to help.
Yes, I have them as well. I try to pay them the least amount of attention. I believe it's just some normal break down with age of the eyes. They won't remove the debris unless you're seeing the flashes like Returntonormal7 mentions. Otherwise, yep, just very annoying!
Been dealing with this for the past couple of weeks myself and I've noticed that with my health anxiety - I will stay fixated on a certain part for a little while, then just move on to the next "problem". I have been to the eye doctor twice in the past 9 months - no issues and my eyesight isn't all that bad (-1.25 in both). I remember seeing floaters years ago before my anxiety was insane and thought nothing of them and just went about my day - basically your brain just trains itself to "forgot" about them. Given that my fixation at the moment are my eyes - now I'm in the process of "going blind". I'll even ask my wife (we are the same age of 33), "Do you see any floaters?" She will stare off a few seconds and say "ya, but so what". See, that is the difference between someone like my wife, who has normal anxiety, compared to someone like us who will drive ourselves bat shit crazy over the smallest thing. As long as your vision is normal and there aren't "flashes" - you have to just let it go and your brain will do the rest. Yes, I know - easier said than done. You can do it though. Keeping in mind anxiety messes with vision - a lot!
Thank you for sharing! That’s exactly what I do, fixate on it and tell myself I’m going blind! I have been feeling much better the last few weeks... and what do you know, the floaters haven’t been bothering me as much, I have hardly noticed them! Crazy what anxiety will do!
I’ve had all types of physical symptoms that were just due to anxiety, so I believe it! I once convinced myself I had Parkinson’s because my right hand was slightly twitching (due to anxiety). Sounds insane now, but at the time it was terrifying.
Floaters are normal. Everyone eventually gets them. Like the other replies mentioned, if you see flashes of light, that's when you need to be concerned as that is a sign of retinal detachment. I've had the surgery for retinal detachment in both my eyes roughly twelve years ago and am fine now. Still have floaters despite everything, so you're fine.
I've read they're actually cell structures you're seeing, unless ur hallucinating 😉 Thats why they appear to 'slide' accross the vision/eye. A chemist would recognise the cell structures.
Yes, floaters come and go. Just last night I reaiized they were back as I had some stomach issues, but today they are gone. I honestly have been told same as you but it makes sense that they just might be "anxiety and depression" sxs. I have had them periodically for decades. For some reaon, never was told it was due to anxiety. I realized just today this is the cause for my eye invasions.
The nervous system is the cause of many problems. Our body speaks volumes if we would just pay attention. This example was just of one of my final proof of direct correlation. Once I dealt with that fear, finally relaxed, I noticed they were still dancing as the eyes moved, but by the time I was going to bed, they had dwindled. This morning, Gone.
If I can keep calming down my system, I hope this no longer surfaces again but now I know to not get upset by it, relax as they dissipate, giving it time away from worry.
The first time I noticed them was also under stress doing a group 20 years ago and then they were like branches as I directed folks to the topic of the group. If I go back in my life, I see direct correlations in my body to something that was putting undue stress on my body.
The eye doctor told me the same thing 20 years ago it was due to aging and I beieved it. I am not a doctor but I do know I have spent a lifetime ignoring my body subtle warnings. Our nervous system needs to be honored and calmed if possible. Long deep breaths help, breathing deep into my abdomen. Not overdoing or believing in aging as always the answer is a suble way to ignor the wisdom within the body. Our nervous system is connected to the entire body.
Wish I had been taught to not ignor it but taught methods to relax in my breathing, calming movements that center me, nurturing the needs of that nervous system.
- "Our nervous system is connected to the entire body..."
Yes, especially our gut, there are literal neurotransmitter receptors in our gut. "Butterflies", inability to 'go' or 'going' too much to the bathroom due too depression (often constipation), and anxiety, especially anticipatory anxiety (diarrhea) are all too common. Both are also common side effects of meds.
Did I read once that there are more serotonin receptors in our gut than in our brains?
Yes! loads of them. I can see them sometimes moving across my line of vision. I have the start of some cataracts, I've noticed them too. All a sign of aging I'm afraid....but all totally normal. Don't worry love,, all is well.❤️👍🏻😘
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