Feeling the blues

[Lidia G]

I feel so helpless! A week ago I was minding my own business when suddenly I thought I saw something crawling across my desk. Turns out it wasn't a bug but a floater in my eye. A year ago I got cataract surgery and everything seemed fine but now I have this huge floater and I think I got a small one in my other eye too. Both eyes are extremely dry as well. My opthalmologist is on vacation but I did get an appointment with my optometrist. He confirmed it's a floater and that my retina is not detaching - phew. It's part of the aging process, I'm told. Ugh, I hate this! I've been off of screens all week - no tv and no computer. I check for updates on my phone once or twice a day but that's about it. Getting lots of gardening done and listening to podcasts and music and sitting with my eyes closed as often as possible. When I go to bed all I think about is my eyes. I've been using Systane for hydration and warm compresses as well as taking zinc. Apparently, omega-3 is good too. Anyone have any tips? I see brown threads and if I move my eyes left or right it's like a curtain veiling over my eye and it's driving me nuts!

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

Oh Lidia! That is so frustrating. I know you've seen an optometrist, but would encourage you to see a retinal specialist in your area especially if these floaters continue or change. I worked doing coding and billing for a retina specialist. My mom was one of his patients. He was amazing and on top of her health of her eyes. Her main condition of concern was diabetes. If you have diabetes, you should go ahead and make an appointment now, so you will have a baseline of the current state of your eyes. As you age, you will continue to have changes with your eye, so it's likely that you'll be seeing your eye doctors more frequently.

You are more likely to get floaters if you've had cataract surgery. And while taking a break from screens is good for all of us, know that eye strain doesn't cause floaters. It will certainly help, though, since the floaters are causing you such a problem. And the fact that you are having a veil coming over your vision is another reason I think you should see a specialist.

I'm sharing the Retina Specialty Institute site link as there is a lot of valuable information that might be helpful for you.

Sending loads of ((HUGS)) your way. I'm not sure what retina specialists you have available in Canada in your area, but I'm praying that you get relief soon.

[nietis]

Big hugs to you, Lidia.

[HeatherH]

I feel your pain! I have had floaters in both eyes for a year! First in my right eye last August and then in my left eye a few months later. I don't have the curtain, just like specks of dust in my eye. My eye doctor says mine are due to a vitreous detachment which is apparently pretty common after age 50 and not dangerous (most of the time). He claims it will eventually break up and settle at the bottom of the eye and won't be noticeable unless I turn my head fast, but it's been a year and super annoying! It's considerably more noticeable in bright light so sunglasses are a must outdoors and dimming my screens on my phone and computer helps a bit.

[HavaDrPepper]

I've had chronic dry eye for over 10 years as well as cataracts. I have been lucky that my cataracts are not bad enough for surgery yet though. No progression in 3 years and I have no haze yet.

Make sure your eye drops are preservative free. I have been using Systane for a long time and at my last checkup I told them that I was having to use the eye drops 3 to 4 times a day. She asked what I used and then told me to use the preservative free eye drops instead. She gave me samples (that had a coupon in them) until I could go buy them. I am now only using them in the morning and at night. I still use Systane but they are Systane Complete PF (preservative free).

The other thing that I was told in the beginning is that caffeine also is not good for dry eye. And, antihistamines can dry your eyes out even more. I'm no longer drinking any caffeine but I can't get away from antihistamines because of allergies. So like you I use the eye drops and warm compresses. I have an eye mask that you heat up for 20 seconds in the microwave and I put it on when I go to bed and usually fall asleep with it on.

I was also told that EFA's are good for your eyes. For quite a few years, I took them 3 times a day but have not been able to in the last year. The pills are too big for me to swallow anymore (I've had throat issues in the last 9 months). I hope to be able to start taking those again sometime in the future.

[Lidia G]

Thank you for this information, Cheryl. Thankfully I don't have diabetes and I don't take any prescription medication. I'll be calling my ophthalmologist this week for an appointment. Hopefully, he'll be able to see me quickly and give me a referral to a specialist if he deems it necessary or at least give me something to relieve my symptoms.

[KristinCB]

I have floaters in my eyes, they are not as noticeable as they once were.

There are a couple things I do to reduce how noticeable they are - I wear polarized sunglasses outside to help and inside I notice them less if I keep the blinds/curtains closed. Natural light seems to make them more noticeable for me.

[bcgal00]

I have floaters and it's quite entertaining to have things moving in and out your peripheral vision. I often think I see a bird or person or something going by but nope, it's just my floaters (trying to inject a bit of humor into this convo LOL). I have learned to slightly move my focus and the veil shifts as I have a small black veil in my right eye that becomes more noticeable if I fix my vision intently but with a bit of eye shifting it recedes. I find it all annoying but I seem to have adapted so far.

Polarized sunglasses are a must for me. I use the Systane along with my glaucoma drops. I close my eyes for a few seconds here and there throughout the day and take a few deep breaths to relax. I find I get headaches more often so these quiet moments seem to help a bit.

As we age, things happen but luckily for many things, we adapt and figure out how to best get by. Getting older sucks but haven't figured out how to avoid it yet

[Kiana]

Sending big hugs!!!!!! ♥♥

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

Originally Posted by Lidia G

Thank you for this information, Cheryl. Thankfully I don't have diabetes and I don't take any prescription medication. I'll be calling my ophthalmologist this week for an appointment. Hopefully, he'll be able to see me quickly and give me a referral to a specialist if he deems it necessary or at least give me something to relieve my symptoms.

Sending good vibes to get an appt quickly with your ophthalmologist.

[JillW]

I'm sorry you're going through that Lidia!! So frustrating and I imagine scary as well!! Hoping they improve and that you can find help and advice soon!!

I have floaters (and an aura) before I get a migraine. Thankfully they only happen a few days a month.

[Lidia G]

Originally Posted by HeatherH

I feel your pain! I have had floaters in both eyes for a year! First in my right eye last August and then in my left eye a few months later. I don't have the curtain, just like specks of dust in my eye. My eye doctor says mine are due to a vitreous detachment which is apparently pretty common after age 50 and not dangerous (most of the time). He claims it will eventually break up and settle at the bottom of the eye and won't be noticeable unless I turn my head fast, but it's been a year and super annoying! It's considerably more noticeable in bright light so sunglasses are a must outdoors and dimming my screens on my phone and computer helps a bit.

Heather, dimming the screen on my computer sounds like something I should do because I do find it too bright. Thanks for that tip! Since I've had cataract surgery I wear polarized sunglasses outside, even on cloudy days and it does help.

[Lidia G]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

I have floaters in my eyes, they are not as noticeable as they once were.

There are a couple things I do to reduce how noticeable they are - I wear polarized sunglasses outside to help and inside I notice them less if I keep the blinds/curtains closed. Natural light seems to make them more noticeable for me.

Kristin, yes the polarized glasses are a big help and I have also noticed that I automatically dim the lights right down or close the blinds when I walk into a room. Bright lights are a factor with these floaters. I wish they'd just float away into oblivion.

[Lidia G]

Originally Posted by bcgal00

I have floaters and it's quite entertaining to have things moving in and out your peripheral vision. I often think I see a bird or person or something going by but nope, it's just my floaters (trying to inject a bit of humor into this convo LOL). I have learned to slightly move my focus and the veil shifts as I have a small black veil in my right eye that becomes more noticeable if I fix my vision intently but with a bit of eye shifting it recedes. I find it all annoying but I seem to have adapted so far.

Polarized sunglasses are a must for me. I use the Systane along with my glaucoma drops. I close my eyes for a few seconds here and there throughout the day and take a few deep breaths to relax. I find I get headaches more often so these quiet moments seem to help a bit.

As we age, things happen but luckily for many things, we adapt and figure out how to best get by. Getting older sucks but haven't figured out how to avoid it yet

I agree with you 100 percent, Rae! Humor and staying positive is important and I suppose that with time I will learn to live to adapt. I feel like I'm constantly battling with eye pressure and headaches so closing my eyes or putting on a warm compress helps.

[bienejen]

No advice here but hoping your eye doctor can get you some relief!

[Lidia G]

Originally Posted by HavaDrPepper

I've had chronic dry eye for over 10 years as well as cataracts. I have been lucky that my cataracts are not bad enough for surgery yet though. No progression in 3 years and I have no haze yet.

Make sure your eye drops are preservative free. I have been using Systane for a long time and at my last checkup I told them that I was having to use the eye drops 3 to 4 times a day. She asked what I used and then told me to use the preservative free eye drops instead. She gave me samples (that had a coupon in them) until I could go buy them. I am now only using them in the morning and at night. I still use Systane but they are Systane Complete PF (preservative free).

The other thing that I was told in the beginning is that caffeine also is not good for dry eye. And, antihistamines can dry your eyes out even more. I'm no longer drinking any caffeine but I can't get away from antihistamines because of allergies. So like you I use the eye drops and warm compresses. I have an eye mask that you heat up for 20 seconds in the microwave and I put it on when I go to bed and usually fall asleep with it on.

I was also told that EFA's are good for your eyes. For quite a few years, I took them 3 times a day but have not been able to in the last year. The pills are too big for me to swallow anymore (I've had throat issues in the last 9 months). I hope to be able to start taking those again sometime in the future.

Dry eyes and floaters are just a bummer combination. I checked and my Systane drops aren't preservative-free. Next time I'm at the pharmacy I'll check to see if there are any that are and if they have eye masks. I didn't realize how many people have floaters and dry eyes!

[HavaDrPepper]

Originally Posted by Lidia G

Dry eyes and floaters are just a bummer combination. I checked and my Systane drops aren't preservative-free. Next time I'm at the pharmacy I'll check to see if there are any that are and if they have eye masks. I didn't realize how many people have floaters and dry eyes!

I got my eye mask from Amazon but I did see them in my pharmacy (not Wal-Mart) the other day. The brand name is "ThermalOn". I actually have 2. I keep one in the bedroom and one in my office. During the spring when walnut trees are blooming (one of my allergies), my eyes get really dry because of taking Zyrtec. So I end up using the eye drops 3 times a day and the eye mask at least once during the day as well as at bedtime.

[nesser1981]

This just happened to my co-worker, but she did have a detached retina. She's finally feeling better, but it took her about 8 weeks to get past it.
Hugs!

Originally Posted by Lidia G

I feel so helpless! A week ago I was minding my own business when suddenly I thought I saw something crawling across my desk. Turns out it wasn't a bug but a floater in my eye. A year ago I got cataract surgery and everything seemed fine but now I have this huge floater and I think I got a small one in my other eye too. Both eyes are extremely dry as well. My opthalmologist is on vacation but I did get an appointment with my optometrist. He confirmed it's a floater and that my retina is not detaching - phew. It's part of the aging process, I'm told. Ugh, I hate this! I've been off of screens all week - no tv and no computer. I check for updates on my phone once or twice a day but that's about it. Getting lots of gardening done and listening to podcasts and music and sitting with my eyes closed as often as possible. When I go to bed all I think about is my eyes. I've been using Systane for hydration and warm compresses as well as taking zinc. Apparently, omega-3 is good too. Anyone have any tips? I see brown threads and if I move my eyes left or right it's like a curtain veiling over my eye and it's driving me nuts!

[TraceyM]

I've had small floaters for a few years - they didn't bother me much.
Enter cataracts - I had the type that are dots of blurs - had each eye done with cataract surgery in late spring. Seemed like I was recovering well. But doc noticed signs that the back of the pocket that holds the new lens was sticking to the lens. This can indeed happened and takes a small laser surgery to repair where the laser a little hold through that back material so that all the light goes to the retina.

Enter the problem arena. Suddenly I'm seeing more floaters. Floaters are flashing weird in one eye and I do an emerg trip to the eye doc in case of detaching retina. It wasn't, but he also said it still could. Then back on Monday the floater/flasher issue suddenly got way worse again on the OTHER side of the eye and I was also seeing dots kind of like pepper in the center of that eye's vision. Having already an appt scheduled at eye doc, I was back up in the morning with a NEW purpose for that appt. He suspected the vitreous was pulling off the back of the retina and thought he saw blood cells in there too (the pepper). Sent me right over to the retina specialist down the street. It was agreed that I had a very high chance of the retina tearing for the next 6 weeks. Choices included do some laser repair then and there or wait nervously for the next 6 weeks and hope the vitreous did not pull up more and finally actually rip the retina. While freaking out inside, I told him to do the repair work. I am told floaters and blood dots will be much less in time.

Yes, that first laser surgery was likely what cause the problem. It is simply one of the risks, I had other risks like the cataract surgery itself, my age, and the fact that my sister had already had a retina tear.

As we age the vitreous shrinks a bit and can pull away from the retina cause tears & detachment. If you ever see a bunch of new floaters and weird flashing in the eye, go get checked out immediately. If not fixed quickly, these can cause permanent problems in your eyesight.

[Lidia G]

Oh, Tracey what a nightmare! I can just imagine the scenarios going through your head as you were going through this. I went to see my ophthalmologist last week just to make sure that my optometrist didn't miss anything and he confirmed that my retina is not torn and asked if I saw any flashes, which I didn't. He didn't mention that it could still tear. I'm still having dry eyes and I take eye drops for that and doing warm compresses to try to get some moisture going and it does help. I limit my screen time and rest my eyes often. I do hope that the repair work on your eye has helped resolve some of your issues. We don't realize how important our eyes are until we have a problem with them.

Originally Posted by TraceyM

I've had small floaters for a few years - they didn't bother me much.
Enter cataracts - I had the type that are dots of blurs - had each eye done with cataract surgery in late spring. Seemed like I was recovering well. But doc noticed signs that the back of the pocket that holds the new lens was sticking to the lens. This can indeed happened and takes a small laser surgery to repair where the laser a little hold through that back material so that all the light goes to the retina.

Enter the problem arena. Suddenly I'm seeing more floaters. Floaters are flashing weird in one eye and I do an emerg trip to the eye doc in case of detaching retina. It wasn't, but he also said it still could. Then back on Monday the floater/flasher issue suddenly got way worse again on the OTHER side of the eye and I was also seeing dots kind of like pepper in the center of that eye's vision. Having already an appt scheduled at eye doc, I was back up in the morning with a NEW purpose for that appt. He suspected the vitreous was pulling off the back of the retina and thought he saw blood cells in there too (the pepper). Sent me right over to the retina specialist down the street. It was agreed that I had a very high chance of the retina tearing for the next 6 weeks. Choices included do some laser repair then and there or wait nervously for the next 6 weeks and hope the vitreous did not pull up more and finally actually rip the retina. While freaking out inside, I told him to do the repair work. I am told floaters and blood dots will be much less in time.

Yes, that first laser surgery was likely what cause the problem. It is simply one of the risks, I had other risks like the cataract surgery itself, my age, and the fact that my sister had already had a retina tear.

As we age the vitreous shrinks a bit and can pull away from the retina cause tears & detachment. If you ever see a bunch of new floaters and weird flashing in the eye, go get checked out immediately. If not fixed quickly, these can cause permanent problems in your eyesight.

[MrsPeel]

Oh dear girl, I feel you...aging is frustrating.....
I was diagnosed diabetic 12 years ago.... one of my total terrors is loosing sight, I go to test yearly for diabetic retinopathy...
I know my mum had something like your floater, but it went away with a surgery for something else in the eye, will ask her and get back to you see if she has any tips, hope you are feeling better

[aussiegirl]

I have foaters in one eye. They are more dominate in bright sunlight or lighter images (mostly in the car). Mine looks like a feather floating around. I was told mine are due to stress, but I still mark it on the sheet at each eye doctor appointment.

I recently found out a couple of my daughters have them too, but they didn't know what they were. They thought they were normal and everyone had them. So now I need them to mark that on their eye doctor forms too going forward!

Praying you get some answers and that it isn't anything serious!

[Lidia G]

Originally Posted by MrsPeel

Oh dear girl, I feel you...aging is frustrating.....
I was diagnosed diabetic 12 years ago.... one of my total terrors is loosing sight, I go to test yearly for diabetic retinopathy...
I know my mum had something like your floater, but it went away with a surgery for something else in the eye, will ask her and get back to you see if she has any tips, hope you are feeling better

Thank you, Cynthia. My brain is starting to get used to the floaters and if I don't think about it too much, I don't notice it as much. I have to look in a certain way to sort of move them out of my line of vision. I also developed dry eyes ever since I got the floaters and for that I'm doing warm compresses, taking omega-3 and eye drops as well as limiting my screen time. Some days are better than others and I'm thankful that my retina is not torn or detaching. I'm sorry about your diabetes, I hope it is under control and that it doesn't affect your eyesight. xx

[Lidia G]

Originally Posted by aussiegirl

I have foaters in one eye. They are more dominate in bright sunlight or lighter images (mostly in the car). Mine looks like a feather floating around. I was told mine are due to stress, but I still mark it on the sheet at each eye doctor appointment.

I recently found out a couple of my daughters have them too, but they didn't know what they were. They thought they were normal and everyone had them. So now I need them to mark that on their eye doctor forms too going forward!

Praying you get some answers and that it isn't anything serious!

I have brown squiggles and a sort of...I guess I could describe it a little like you...like something a bit opaque floating around. My opthalmologist and my optometrist both have reassured me that it's just floaters and that maybe eventually they will go to the back of the eye and not be as noticeable. One of my sons also says he's had floaters for years. Gosh, I didn't know! I'm thankful that it isn't anything serious. I go back in December for a follow-up.