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Original poster

Floaters causing DH serious distress.

63 replies

Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 20:52

My dh has floaters (detaching vitreous thingy in eye that looks like dots and lines).

They're obstructing his vision: large enough to be a distraction and in the way except in very dim lighting.

He's described them as lines, shapes, brown or now translucent, but big and obstructive enough to be causing him huge problems working and going out in daylight. Crossing roads hard, reading difficult.

It started in August. He went to GP, optician and eye hospital, all checked for anything serious and said he's fine, to wait and they go away/the brain adjusts.

It hasn't got better and he is struggling with work (full time lecturer, marking essays on screen hours a day, struggling to focus, read or type with floaters floating across his vision).

GP rarely contactable, opticians nothing to say except that there's no cure, they will not go away and surgery googled online has too many risks. He feels that because they're not life threatening he's expected just to cope somehow, although he can't see to work properly.

The RNIB helpline has been supportive, but seems to approach it as visual impairment assumed to be permanent. This is distressing for dh as he wants hope that it can get better.

My dh is now so depressed he is really struggling. He's developed insomnia as a result of the stress and hasn't slept for nights in a row.

Any ideas of what on earth to do?

OP posts:
WeepingSomnambulist · 31/01/2023 20:56

Well, you said he googled for himself and surgery is too risky. It doesnt sound like anything can be done, so he will have to live with it and accept it as a visual impairment.
You can have thersog specially directed at accepting a new disability. Would that be worth trying?

HairyKitty · 31/01/2023 21:00

So I have these and looked into it. They are very noticeable and distracting at first.
It takes about 6 months for your brain so screen them out so they are mostly no longer noticeable.
HOWEVER if you focus on then, keep thinking about them, looking for them etc as your husband is doing, instead of becoming unnoticeable they will of appear worse.
So this sounds like it could well be the case for him, especially if optician has said they are in the normal range for size and quantity.

In my estimation the treatment at this point would be CBT to allow him to let go of his overfocus on them so they can disappear. Maybe once you explain all this he will be able to force himself to stop it without CBT

gogohmm · 31/01/2023 21:01

Just be aware that it can be the first stage of retinal detachment. If at any point there's a dark patch in the corner of his eye, even a tiny bit he must go to an eye hospital. Dp had floaters as you describe then 18 months later one then the other retina detached. He's since had 2 surgeries on each eye (one cryo, one cataract) and has perfect vision. They sucked out the vitreous as part of the surgery

HairyKitty · 31/01/2023 21:01

Plus if you can get hold of a few nights sedative or otc sleeping aid this could be helpful

EmmaEmerald · 31/01/2023 21:02

Shouldn't he get signed off from work? A break will help his eyes, surely?

Notjusta · 31/01/2023 21:05

I agree with PP that the reason they are so distracting and distressing is because he is hyper focused on them. I have been the same in the past. It is horrible but it was all in my head essentially. Does he experience other kinds of anxiety/health anxiety/obsessive thinking?

HairyKitty · 31/01/2023 21:06

If this is just floaters then his (over)reaction to them is a known potential issue. No medical reason for time off work except of course the stress/anxiety that he’s now also dealing with.
Screen work is particularly disconcerting as it’s a very white white and your vision is concentrated. Might help to switch to low blue light setting or some kind of sepia or “darks” theme

FoodieToo · 31/01/2023 21:14

I have had them for 25 years years now. I almost had a breakdown when I first got them .
Please reassure your husband he will stop noticing them eventually ! He won't believe it but it's true .

bruffin · 31/01/2023 21:18

I have floaters, and had them for 20 odd years. I had high pressure in my eyes so was seen in the hospital every 6 months and they were never worried about them. I only notice them when i look for them or go out in bright lights .

Goinglocodowninsainsburyslocal · 31/01/2023 21:51

I've had them since an eye operation when I was 7. They were so scary at first but now they don't register too much and I just see past them. Sometimes I watch them if I'm looking out a bright window and they're more apparent. They haven't changed in 30 years though so it may be something your dh will have to accept sadly.

Seaoftroubles · 31/01/2023 22:11

I have had floaters for many years, l am very shortsighted so they were very visible to me initially. As others have said concentrating on them and stressing about them makes you hyper focused and unable to see past them. Eventually though the brain does adapt and allow you to ignore them. Sunglasses (or tinted lenses if your DH wears glasses) can be really helpful too. Please reassure him that although it seems bad now he will learn to screen them out and in time he will find he hardly notices them.

Helenahandkart · 31/01/2023 22:14

I have these, ever since I was a child, and I’ve never got use to them. I absolutely hate them. It’s like having tinnitus. I get a few more every year and have so much ‘noise’ in my vision now. A few years ago I got a huge one, right in the middle of where I focus when I’m reading or looking at a computer screen, and it makes it difficult for the optician to give me a proper prescription. It doesn’t get any better.
So no, not everyone gets used to them, and they don’t gradually become less noticeable. They make my life miserable. I don’t enjoy reading anymore, and struggle with work.
There is surgery on the NHS where they replace the vitreous stuff in the eye, but I think not worth the risk until they are absolutely unbearable.
I have also read about a hospital in London that uses laser surgery to get rid of them, but haven’t been able to get a second opinion about that from anywhere else. I think it’s called the London Eye Hospital and it was about £1100 per eye.
Your husband has my sympathy.
But yes, it can be a sign of retinal detachment so he should definitely mention it to his GP/optician if he hasn’t already.

CoffeeTaster · 31/01/2023 22:19

This will sound a bit woo
I went for acupuncture recently and she asked if I have floaters, they are apparently part of a diagnosis of blood needing to be filtered better by the liver (?)
Might be worth a try?
I do have floaters but not bad and I can't remember if the acupuncture made them better. I'll check tomorrow

Original poster
Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 22:24

Thank you all.
Yes, he's wearing sunglasses, has put his screens to the best settings.
Signing off work would probably destroy him.
Google doesn't say surgery is too risky, one optician did. The problem there is more that it's not been possible to find a GP or optician who sees it as a problem enough to refer him. I think the GP has now, but it will be a long wait.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 22:26

I too think the anxiety and upset will get in the way of the brain adjusting. It's a vicious cycle. But naturally he gets upset if I talk in this way. Yes, he generally gets anxiety and health anxiety anyway, so this hasn't helped. :(

OP posts:
Original poster
Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 22:26

CoffeeTaster · 31/01/2023 22:19

This will sound a bit woo
I went for acupuncture recently and she asked if I have floaters, they are apparently part of a diagnosis of blood needing to be filtered better by the liver (?)
Might be worth a try?
I do have floaters but not bad and I can't remember if the acupuncture made them better. I'll check tomorrow

Desperate, so very grateful for woo if it worked for you!

OP posts:
Original poster
Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 22:27

Helenahandkart · 31/01/2023 22:14

I have these, ever since I was a child, and I’ve never got use to them. I absolutely hate them. It’s like having tinnitus. I get a few more every year and have so much ‘noise’ in my vision now. A few years ago I got a huge one, right in the middle of where I focus when I’m reading or looking at a computer screen, and it makes it difficult for the optician to give me a proper prescription. It doesn’t get any better.
So no, not everyone gets used to them, and they don’t gradually become less noticeable. They make my life miserable. I don’t enjoy reading anymore, and struggle with work.
There is surgery on the NHS where they replace the vitreous stuff in the eye, but I think not worth the risk until they are absolutely unbearable.
I have also read about a hospital in London that uses laser surgery to get rid of them, but haven’t been able to get a second opinion about that from anywhere else. I think it’s called the London Eye Hospital and it was about £1100 per eye.
Your husband has my sympathy.
But yes, it can be a sign of retinal detachment so he should definitely mention it to his GP/optician if he hasn’t already.

Thank you, will check them out.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 22:27

I was wondering if hypnotherapy could be an option...

OP posts:
threecupsofteaminimum · 31/01/2023 22:28

I had floaters and it turned out I had a detached retina. I had surgery to correct it not long after.

gkok · 31/01/2023 22:29

Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 20:52

My dh has floaters (detaching vitreous thingy in eye that looks like dots and lines).

They're obstructing his vision: large enough to be a distraction and in the way except in very dim lighting.

He's described them as lines, shapes, brown or now translucent, but big and obstructive enough to be causing him huge problems working and going out in daylight. Crossing roads hard, reading difficult.

It started in August. He went to GP, optician and eye hospital, all checked for anything serious and said he's fine, to wait and they go away/the brain adjusts.

It hasn't got better and he is struggling with work (full time lecturer, marking essays on screen hours a day, struggling to focus, read or type with floaters floating across his vision).

GP rarely contactable, opticians nothing to say except that there's no cure, they will not go away and surgery googled online has too many risks. He feels that because they're not life threatening he's expected just to cope somehow, although he can't see to work properly.

The RNIB helpline has been supportive, but seems to approach it as visual impairment assumed to be permanent. This is distressing for dh as he wants hope that it can get better.

My dh is now so depressed he is really struggling. He's developed insomnia as a result of the stress and hasn't slept for nights in a row.

Any ideas of what on earth to do?

Floaters are classed as an optical emergency and need seeing to ASAP! As someone mentioned they can be a sign of retinal detachment so I'd get this seen to pronto

Worriedlip · 31/01/2023 22:29

Has he considered CBT. Sounds odd but I know it really helps with tinnitus

Original poster
Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 22:29

Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 22:27

Thank you, will check them out.

Show quote history

So sorry to hear you have this too. It sounds truly awful. My dh is dreading this , especially as reading and writing are his life.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 22:30

He's been to eye hospital etc. and they say it's not detached retina, thankfully.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 22:33

Yes I would like him to try CBT, but it might need him to agree that his focus on the floaters is part of the problem. I will keep trying gently.
It sounds like it could help if it does for tinnitus, as it's sort of similar.

OP posts:
Valhalla17 · 31/01/2023 22:33

Floaters can be sorted by laser surgery, not risky really...I've had it done twice. 2nd time they got rid of as much of the vitreous stuff as poss, so I would be less likely to need it again. I did have the start of retinal detachment though and one of my eyes is -28 vision...so my situation is more complex. Not sure where you are, but Moorfields is where I go if I need something for eyes. They have an emergency centre there too. Perhaps you could get another opinion as really any floaters you should be going to an eye A&E ideally. The health of the eye needs checking.