Eye Floaters - Frightening Floaters...

[ClassicNerd]

How many of you have eye floaters? (Eye floaters are those weird little worm-y shapes you see sometimes when you look at a bright sky or white background). And how many of you suffering from said eye floaters developed them before the age of 25?

The reason I'm asking is because I am moderately myopic (I wear glasses all the time and I have since 3rd grade - gotta love genetics) and I've started taking a real interest in my eye floaters. I go for eye exams once every 2 years (as recommended by my eye doctor) and my eyes are apparently very healthy. I can't remember when I started seeing these floaters, but I have become obsessed with them recently. The last time I was at my eye doctor's office in a panic (I swore I was having a retinal detachment, or that I was suffering from diabetic retinopathy despite not having diabetes) he said he couldn't see the floaters in my eyes and was actually surprised, since most myopic young adults my age experience at least one or two of them, though I did have a fair amount of eye mucus (euch...grody!). I used to search for info on floaters on Google, and each and every site I recall reading said that floaters were common in people over 50 years old, but very rare in individuals younger than 50. How true is that?

Also, apparently I have what is called "tear film debris" and it happens due to my ocular allergies. "Tear film debris" can mimic floaters. It is quite alarming but only seems to happen when I wear face make-up or eye make-up. My doctor and optomertrist say this is because I am allergic and mucus is building up in my tear film, but I'm not too sure. I have an appointment with an allergist in October of this year. I flipped once because I thought my vision was blurrier than normal but apparently that was due to mild dry eye related to ocular allergies too. I am absolutely petrified of developing diabetes (my doctor tells me I'm being silly, since I am young, of a healthy weight, have no family history, perfect vitals and blood work, as well as healthy eating habits and I engage in 30+ minutes of exercise daily. I am also a fiber junkie). And yet still...this fear persists. I have been told I have ocular allergies, and when I don't wear any make up the "floaters" and dry eye are greatly diminished - dare I say, completely vanquished? But something is still telling me something is up... is this just HA's flawed intuition?

So...yeah... this is kind of a lengthy post but I'm curious if anyone else who doesn't have diabetes suffers from "floaters" and what is up with my intuition? I thought women were supposed to have awesome intuition but mine seems to be in hyper-drive to the point where it's faulty. Everything makes my spidey-senses tingle!

[woodenheart]

I do! I try to trick them and move my eyes about quickly but they're so darn fast! I too wear glasses and have eye tests so if there were a problem with my eyes causing these, they would have detected it. I think they are just dead cells.

[Amberjake12]

Classic... Yup it's me again!!! I've been noticing, what I think are floaters... Not sure, but I'm curious about this tear film debris and occullar allergies... Do you by chance get (this is gross) like long stringy eye discharge??? I've been having that, and I'm wondering if it's due to my allergies. Let me know, classic. I hope you are doing well...

P.S. Everytime I see a new post from you I get all excited!!! It seems like I relate to all of your stuff in some way or another... :)

[ClassicNerd]

Hi Amber! We seem to be HA twins! I do get long stringy eye discharge - it's so nasty and totally different from the regular "sleep" that you get in your eyes. Since we both get it it is more than likely due to allergies. My doctor said allergies can be a worst nightmare for people with HA since their symptoms are often strange and non-specific - like so many other dieases! During ragweed season (August - November) and of course, whenever I wear cosmetics I get what I have been told are "allergy shiners." They are dark circles under my eyes - I know, attractive! I'm kinda glad all of the goth/vampire hype going on recently is making dark eye circles much more acceptable 'cause I can't even use make-up to cover them up! lol! I've had these allergies since childhood, so you'd think I would be much more comfortable with them, but I'm not. Hope you are doing well!

woodenheart - mine disappear, move or "morph" whenever I blink. I think I might start naming them...lol! I've heard from my optomertrist that a lot of people are more sensitive to floaters than others, and that some floaters are with us from birth. Some are from dead cells, or posterior virtuous detachment. He also said anyone with moderate or high myopia (especially since childhood) can expect to see floaters as early as their teens and twenties. I've had my eyes examined many times and I have my google list of eye diseases each time I go. And each time I whip out that list, he sighs and says: "before we go through 'the list' let me assure you your eyes are in perfect health. I'll let you know if that ever changes."

Thanks for your responses guys!

[JupiterSound]

I have also been getting a lot of floaters and pinhole size light flashes in my eyes lately. It's really scaring me and I obsess over them because I am in the middle of a recurring brain tumor anxiety.

I really wish I knew what to tell you..But I am going through the same thing and just know that you are not alone!!

[kittenmittons]

This post is serendipitous, b/c I was just being really annoyed with my floaters!  I'm 37, and I think I've had them since my teens, and I'm not diabetic.  Today my left eye seemed to have lots more floaters than usual, but when I took out my contacts, there are far fewer, so it looks like most of what I thought were floaters were actually tear film debris.  Thanks! 

My fears lie in MS.  I've been taking a muscle relaxant for tight upper back and neck muscles, and one of the side effects is blurry vision, but vision problems are a part of MS, too, so of course I thought the worst, until I verified that muscle relaxants can cause blurry vision.  I'm just going to tell myself it's the medication and the tear film...

[LindaRK]

I'm 54 and I've had eye floaters since I was in my early 20's.  Maybe even earlier, because like ClassicNerd, I have those long stringy things. Ugh, sounds gross, doesn't it? LOL  I started wearing progressive lens glasses about 3 years ago, but have graduated to contacts and find that it's worse, because I'm always cleaning out my eyes with my fingers and I probably end up getting dirt in them that way.  GRR!

Anyway, I go in one a year for an eye exam and everything is always normal.  The doc always asks about my floaters, saying "there are so many!" and I really don't notice them except for when I look up at a white ceiling or something.

[mommabear]

I have them too! Mine are black and look like something you'd see under a microscope. I am 31, don't wear glasses, don't have diabetes,nor allergies,just good old anxiety!

[theanxiousone]

I'm 15 and I see them from time to time.

I have also been getting a lot of floaters and pinhole size light flashes in my eyes lately.

Me too! Just for the past few days. I've seen a blue one and a black one, but being that I had all these scans done on my brain/neck about a month ago, I'm hoping its nothing and that it will pass. I know anxiety can cause vision problems.

[mantooth]

I get them super bad looking into the sky, and I'm 19. My eyes are perfectly fine according to my eye doctor.

[marc]

I am 55 and have had floaters for many years. I went to see an alternative health practitioner
and he said there are natural supplements that may help. I believe he said it was Hyaluronic acid.
I have not tried it yet.

[LindaRK]

I've heard that, too, marc.  Although, unless the floaters are really an annoyance, I wouldn't bother taking a supplement.  I feel like I'm already taking enough vitamins and minerals! LOL

[olvus]

There are natural ways to treat this problem. See signature below:

http://tiny.cc/eyefloaters

[ClassicNerd]

Thanks for all of the awesome replies! I heard from my eye doctor that people with any type of anxiety (but more specifically health anxiety) tend to be more in tune with their bodily sensiations (I think we ALL know this! It's kind of a no brainer) and unfortunately that means noticing things like floaters more often. I mentioned floaters to a few friends of mine and they all denied ever seeing them. A week later every one of them has come back and told me they, in fact, do have floaters. Their response is: "Damn you! If it weren't for your constant health paranoia, I wouldn't even know I had these floaters!" 

[evwifey]

i have had eye floaters for years.  i, too, have had my eyes checked and they are perfectly fine.  i do have these pinpoint flashes of light occasionally which really freak me out, but have had them for a while and the eye doc. doesn't seem too concerned.  they either are a sharp pinpoint of light, or like a camera flash that lasts for a minute or two.  most likely anxiety related.  darn anxiety!!