i'm a 25 years old guy with morbid obesity, weeks ago out of no where i had eye floaters it annoys the hell out of me then i read about them in the internet some said anxiety can give them to you! i'm afraid of going to hospitals because i alwayse feel like i have something dangerous and it's better to leave it alone whenever i go face the light or clear places i see these floaters and then automatically get in a fearful state i don't know what to do! doctors over the internet says it's better to ignore them unless you experience flashes with them and i'm alwayse afraid of developing these flashes sometimes i hallucinate and start imagining having these goddamn flashes and the idea of going blind is killing me. Please help me i don't know what to do! Thank you all
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Wyle
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Wyle, Let me try to calm your fears. Floaters are very common. Many people have them including myself. I've had them for years. Yes, they are annoying and do tend to come out when you face the light or clear places. The more you concentrate on them, the more the anxiety builds. Try to ignore them as best as you can. They tend to come and go. I also get flashing lights occasionally. Mine were considered a Migraine Aura. They last about 10 minutes. It doesn't make you go blind. My suggestion to you is not to read what the internet says but rather see an eye doctor. Let him give you an exam and relieve your fears. I know you are afraid but it is better to take that step and go or continue being so frightened. I think once you hear that your eyes are okay from the doctor, your anxiety level will go down immensely. Good Luck...
Hi Wyle. I have floaters all the time it all started when my anxiety developed when I was 14. Floaters are common a lot of people have them mines most worst when I'm in bright light but my anxiety doesn't help.
Please don't worry floaters are so common I have them but I only get them as I look in the light Don't worry
Please please stop looking on the internet you will scare yourself to death You need a proper consultation with a professional who will put your mind at rest
Anxiety can make you feel all kinds of horrible things it can play tricks on your vision but it's not harmful
I have migraines where I see flashing swirling bright zig zag lights I tell you the first time I had them I was petrified and for a while I worried each time Now I accept it I know it won't last long I relax let it pass
You say you are obese that is putting a strain on your body why not concentrate on losing weight and enjoy the feeling of losing it It will be a challenge for you to embrace
Take good care look on the internet for fight or flight and panic attack symptoms that should put your mind at rest that that is all it is and nothing sinister
I go to a therapist twice a week and it does help and he is working with my dr to get me on the right meds. I have had anxiety probably 20 yrs this is the worst I have had it since about Feb of this year, them said if you have had it awhile sometimes something can just make it really bad. I have depression. Severe anxiety daily and panic attacks. I am working with my docs to help control it. My doctor is going to be trying me on celexas next. Also get the book called The anxiety and phobia workbook, very helpful, get it used on Amazon or bookstore. They say depression and anxiety work hand and hand. Do some meditation even if it's 15:minutes, breathing, stress relief music anytime you can and I bought a adult coloring book and a word search keeps your mind busy doing other things. My therapist told me it's alot about self image and we have to change our minds to think differently, just takes time. I am also morbidly obese, eating healthy and exercise is doing something for both yourself. He advise looking up Overeaters Anonymous it's free and should be available in your town. Hope this helps, its good for me to talk to someone so thanks for the therapy. One other thing tell yourself everything will be ok and I'm not going to die it's just my anxiety.
I get it really bad when i feel the anxiety and me head feels like its heavy and i cant breath its totally normal to not want to go to the dr cuz i dont go to the dr cuz im terrified theyre going to tell me something bad thats why i face my anxiety on my own no pills just tell my self its just anxiety and it goes away
Don't forget to look up the panic fight or flight symptoms it will make you feel so much better that it's nothing to worry about Its adrenaline rushing through your body that's all
Hiya, sorry to hears your anxiety is bad wyle, remember it's your anxiety that's really the issue here and you know your anxiety and how it feels, so keep using the tactics you know works to ease your symptoms. For me it's breathing exercises and mantras which I repeat in my head, by focusing on the repetition instead of whatever crazy notion my brains dreamed up for me It divert my attention. Don't feed your anxiety by letting it run unchecked. Hope your feel better soon
Take care friend
Ps I get floaters too and have regular eye checks with no problems
The floaters are so annoying, you probably know they are shadows of cells which have broken down and are floating around in the jelly inside your eye. They do drain away in time but you could notice more on and off over time. It ls like the same way your skin sheds cells and replaced them.
I was plagued with 'normal' floaters for years.. But i was also terrified of going to get eyes checked for about 2 years.
After finally going for a thorough eye exam in 2007 I was completely relieved!
Unfortunately I developed a problem more recently with my eyes (a symptom of an autoimmune disease) the retinas become inflamed and I get these different kind of floaters now, flashes other visual probs but has nothing to do with the floaters I had in late teens and 20's.
Funnily enough, once I started moaning about floaters EVERYONE I know had or has had them too! I thought I was the only one.
I can't recommend going for an exam enough! Because the relief will be immense and you need that right now.
Hi!! Ive experienced floaters and eye symptoms only since my first panic attack 5 months ago. I see hundreds of little dots whenever I look at something bright or white it drives me mad and feel like there's something wrong. You don't know how relieved i am to have found your post this morning and reading all the comments makes me feel like I'm not going crazy!! Thanks xx
PS. I find that wearing sunglasses most of the time outside makes me feel a lot better (not the best or most practical solution) but most definitely helps me.
I went through that last year--the floater explosion :(. I was driving and started swatting imaginary flies...even rolled the window down for them😖! Since I'm on Plaquinyl for lupus I had an eye exam and the retina is ok (the concern with that med). The dr said it was "vitreous floaters"--a condition where the vitreum slightly detaches but is not dangerous. It usually happens in people late fifties and over though. He said it would calm down but it didn't. I saw one retina specialist who said they can remove the vitreum but that creates cataract problems forever and it's also not done in younger folks. There is a controversial lasar procedure--of course not covered by any insurance. Only 3 Drs perform it in the United States and one was near enough so I visited. He can't see the main offenders--unfortunately none of the doctors can see the two most troubling ones, directly in the center of my field of vision. That drives me almost more crazy than the floaters!! He did an experimental zap--the dr was competent and explained every possible danger and that he would not be in the danger zone. The zap helped some of the peripheral floaters but not the biggies and he said to go further would be a complete gamble--he'd be shooting in the dark. I do think stress and my underlying health conditions make it worse. My meimobian gland doesn't function to make protective tears and my eyes are dry dry dry no matter how many drops I use or how much fish oil I take. I think if you do your best to work on your health in general you will be headed in the right direction. But I certainly understand the anxiety--I can't tolerate much light and live in sunglasses too. I also had floaters all of my life, but just a couple. At first I panicked every time I focused on them but it did get better...until this incident, many years later. I'm still wrestling with it but hopefully you will feel some relief after hearing from your fellow floater sufferers! People don't understand how frightening it is until (or if) it happens to them. It's our eyes...we want them intact!! Best of luck.
Sorry you were laughed at. Doesn't surprise me unfortunately. I was told I'd be "hard pressed to find any dr to consider it" (although an eye doc suggested it in the first place!) but I also don't want cataract surgery for the rest of my life--guaranteed with victrectomy. I was also told it's better to have that gel as long as possible but maybe they figure the older we are the more likely we'll have to deal with cataracts anyway. But I wasn't diagnosed with retinal vasculitis so you'd have to research the pros and cons should you find a dr to agree to it. Mine are "vitreous floaters" but one dr didn't even agree with that...
The zap was a mini trial of the laser procedure I talked about-- only performed by a handful of physicians in the US and still controversial. There is fear about retinal tears but if the doc is good he will only do it if you're a good candidate and that wouldn't likely be an issue. Plus--it doesn't always work. In my case the dr could not see the floaters that bother me most and it would cost me $2,000 out of pocket to try again with probably no good result 😖. Today my eyes are so dry they feel like they're on fire and the floaters are really bugging me. Hopefully we'll both find some help!! Best of luck to you.
Thank you. I had a feeling the vitrectomy might be too risky going by my prof's reaction. I suppose if they're trying to save my sight theyre not going to be doing something which will cause more problems.
Retinal vasc happens with each flare (Ive Neuro behcets) so the floaters won't ease up until the whole condition does- that would mean lots of vitrectomy's too. It leaves floaters and all the debris so dense I can't see at all but like normal floaters they do break down and clear up.it depends on how soon the next flare is I might have a good 6-8 weeks straight of clearer vision
Ah well when he said "make friends with your floaters", he wasn't joking. But I do look out for any eye floater procedure mentioned just in case! thanks again!
I understand your concern but seriously you have nothing to worry about when it comes to eye floaters. Everyone has them, some more than others. I have a lot. It's more common with short sighted people.
Yes Anxiety can cause more but don't worry about them they are harmless.
If you ever see little flashes like I do sometimes it's just because the floater sometimes hits the retina.
One more thing it's unlikely you you do see flashes like lightning it's a retinal tear and the eye doctor and fix it right away in their office room.
I really hope this makes you feel abit better.
Wyle you will be okay, I have had floaters most of my life I have been to many Dr's and my daughter work for some good eye Dr's thay told me we all have themm but we don't notice them. I started noticing them after my father died. stress and anxiety will help you notice them. Go to an eye Dr and let him tell you but I promise you aren't going to die or go blind.
Floaters aren't a sign of going blind. Most floaters are specs of protein called collagen. They cast shadows on the retina causing you to see the floaters. some people swear by natural remedies like relieving stress through yoga, cutting out caffeine, and maintaining a magnesium-rich diet to get rid of the floaters. Relax, they are common.
Hello, we're in the same field! I've been suffering anxiety (OCD) since 2012 and believe me I had all kinds of the horrible intrusive thoughts... (losing control, going crazy, harming others...), but I've never been to therapy nor meds.
And this late one which beated them all is the illogical fear of going suddenly blind without any reasons!
Started from about mid last June but i'm not sure what was the main trigger for it (I'm suspecting a media-news)...
At first the fear was a little bit weak but after it started getting stronger & stronger
which is now killing me and destroying my life, I have dozens of illogical crazy fears and I'm now 24/7 googling about the same fear experiences, and related subject-diseases... I simply can't enjoy my life anymore...
I've also started getting floaters after the fear was build and got more strong... and i try the maximum to ignore them and I also hallucinate the flashes which is the same as you do...
I've become very sensitive to anything... for example the last night I was watching TV in the house and suddenly an electrical spark happened outside (a few yards from our house) that made a big loud sound and bright light which scared me a lot... and here we go I have some other new scary thoughts about it...
I now started thinking about the necessarity of therapy and meds for my case because I can't stand this fear anymore...
(Sorry for my English because it's not my mother tongue...)
(I'm not here to trigger you or make you feel more scared but just to tell you that you're not alone! hope we can overcome this fear very soon)
Eye floaters are common. I get flashes sometime; they're optical migraines.
I have lots of floaters and flashes. All the flashes are when the floater gently pull on the retina. When I stopped fearing the flashes they disappeared.
Hi guys i have anxiety real bad and alotnof the day also im worried that ill lost my eye sight had check ups all good but a couple weeks ago i stood up to quickly and went dizzy and my eye sight went dark i know this is due to pressure when getting up as my sister had the same thing and shes fine ,i keep thinking me brains gonna turn my sight off which is so scary as ive convinced my self this will happern stupid i know but its taking over me,i hope when and if my anxiety clears my thoughts will get better im stuck in a horrible rut not worked for weeks and struggle to get out now any advice please
No its not better to ignore them, especially if you don't know why you are getting them. Make sure to see an eye doctor and a regular doctor before you ignore them. I have them also, and a feeling of a needle sticking me in my eyes, I have cataracts. It's never best to ignore any symptoms.
First of all....like my Precious & WISE Grandmother used to tell me, "Len, sugar...don't borrow worry. There'splenty enough, REAL STUFF to worry over, without creating things or imagining things that may NEVER HAPPEN!" 😆😉😉😉
So...with that said, I imagine more than 80% of us walking around....have Floaters! Don't worry about them, bud!
H O W E V E R, I too, have an unimagineable, and yes...."A Borrowed Worry," about going blind, due to diabetes. This fear sends me flat into a PANIC ATTACK if I think about it for more than a minute or so!
My fear comes from....A Fear of being trapped!!! Say, in a coffin and buried six feet under! Okay...now the heart rate is elevated along with breathing!!!
I'm Afraid...if I went blind...with absolutely NO WAY tosimply flip on my lamp....and see that Beautiful, soothing light!
Sooo...I get tfear of the dreaded floater! I used to be just like you, buddy.
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Severe anxiety about getting blind :(
I don't know what to do anymore... It's getting worse.... Or I'm thinking it is... 
Please help! 
More fears of going crazy. 
