Eye floaters - please help. Feeling very desperate.

[Leotheo21]

I know there have been a lot of threads on this subject over the years but none seem to discuss floaters that are permanently in your central vision. Seeking some advice and reassurance as I am feeling very low right now.

Three months ago I had never heard of floaters let alone experienced one. Then one day I noticed a dark black floater in my central vision. After noticing that one I noticed a few more but they don't really bother me as they are only visible if I move my eyes rapidly. The one in the centre of my vision I see 24/7. I have had my eyes checked and dilated twice, my eyes are healthy.

Apparently your brain learns to ignore floaters over time. Is this true for black floaters permentantly situated in the centre of your vision? No amount of eye movement will make it go out of view, believe me I've tried.

Please help. I'm feeling very anxious and worried. If anyone has had a similar experience and could offer some advice or share your experience with these types of floaters, I would be forever grateful.

I have a large floater in my right eye, it's not quite central but it's close. It's fucking annoying isn't it?

It's been there a year and while it's improved I notice it a lot still. It's worse in bright lights and when I'm tired.

I have had one pretty central since 2005. Took quite a few months to get used to it. As they say your brain gets used to them. I only remembered about mine once I read your post. Now I can't get it out of my head! I would say don't despair, give yourself more time. You will get used to it

I have a lot and have had since I was very young. The only time I think about them or see them is when someone mentions them or I read about them.

I’ve got quite a few of them - I’ve had them since childhood and I rarely notice them now. It’s only if I focus on them that I can see them. I know they are annoying when you first get them but your brain will get used to it, and the main thing is that there’s nothing wrong. The best thing to do to distract yourself is to focus on things in the distance and to try some meditation in the meantime to try and reduce the anxiety you’re feeling.

I’ve got quite a big one and yes your brain does learn not to notice it.

Did the optician mention posterior vitreous detachment?

@DisforDarkChocolate it is driving me crazy. The only time I don't see it is when I'm in a dark room. It directly follows my eye movements and when I look up or down it turns from a black blob into a long string and then back to a blob.

Almost everyone I have mentioned floaters to has them, I understand they are normal but they don't seem to have any permenatly located in the centre of their vision.

When you say it has improved - has it faded at all? Or do you notice it less often?

I had a huge one in my early twenties. I was a microbiologist and it completely ruined being able to use a microscope. I ended up leaving the lab. Day to day I could cope with it by looking very hard to one side then quickly flicking my eyes in a different direction. That would fling it out the way for a few seconds so I could see, and that became second nature. It has broken down over time, many years later I have lots of little ones that don't bother me unless I think about them.

I would say, get medical advice though. Due to my job as a microbiologist, I saw a few specialists who outlined different treatment options. I didn't take them up on it, but they may be right for you?
Best of luck xx

DH has this. He's had it for about 9 months I'd say.
He finds it really annoying and doesn't like driving. The eye clinic say it will eventually sink to the bottom of his eye.

Thank you for your replies, they actually give me some hope. I've read a lot about how your brain adapts but wasn't sure if this was the case for black floaters that are permanently in view. I see it indoors on walls but outside is awful. I have to walk with my head down to not see it in the sky and even then when it is really bright, I see in on the pavement.

Right now it feels like I will never get used to it but reading your replies helps. If your brains can learn to ignore central floaters, mine can too. I really hope that day will come because everyday is a real struggle at the moment. I've never really struggled with anxiety but have spoken to my GP as I feel myself losing control because of the changes to my vision. Friends and family don't seem to understand as the floaters they see are either transparent or they have to move their eyes around alot to see them. Whereas my eyes just need to be open and there it is.

@Mirabai I've had my eyes checked twice in 12 weeks and asked specifically if I had pvd, both said no.

If you’d don’t actually have detachment causing it, it’s possible that the floater may disappear with time.

My optician told me they don't go away but the large ones break down over time. I've got a giant one in my left eye - had hospital tests and nothing wrong with my eyes other than my lifelong myopia, but the floater is a real nuisance.

I have a lot of floaters from inflammation in the back of my eye. They have definitely faded over the last few months but the opthalmologist has mentioned about a treatment they can do to remove them if they're really bad. I find mine worse in bright light so sunglasses help!

Thank you again for your replies.

Has anyone found that they fade or become less opaque over time?

Some of you have said that your brain has learned to filter them out but you can summon them at will. In your experience, how long did it take for your brain to adapt and for you to become less aware of them? Is there anything in particular you did to achieve this? How did you cope at the beginning?

@Fipfop I've read that the treatment options are very risky and not routinely performed.

How long did it take for yours to fade?

I have lots of floaters, but several years ago got one like you describe - big, dark and in the centre of my vision. It’s got a dark splodge in the centre, and then a large area of blurry squiggliness around it that makes it difficult to read as it blurs about half the page of a book.
My optician said that the ones in the centre of your vision are sitting very close to the optic nerve, and are much harder to get accustomed to. She thought mine was a Weiss Ring floater (pronounced vice ring).
I did read about possible laser treatment but can’t find anyone who currently offers it in the uk so perhaps it’s just an experimental thing at the moment.
Otherwise you have to have a vitrectomy, which I think I will have to do eventually.

Brain filtering - not conscious, it just happens. They are most noticeable when your eyes are moving about because that 'disturbs' them. I notice them less since I started wearing varifocals because varifocals require you to move your head rather than your eyes to see properly, so if you could get used to doing that, it might help.

I think it took a few months but it’s hard to say as I can’t really remember. I’ve just had to sit in front of a white wall to focus on them as I really couldn’t have told you where they are. I can now report that I have a black one that sits about 8 o’clock on my left eye and then several amoeba type ones that are in front of both eyes. I was very anxious like you at the beginning as I thought they would spread and fill up my vision but that’s not the case. I just focus on things that are far away and/or look at bright colours if I can.

@Leotheo21 I’ve got lots, it can take 6 months or so to adjust.

However it’s not just about your brain getting used to them. The more you consciously bring your attention to them the less able your brain is to forget them.
Don’t get any more eye appointments (unless something changes). Stop looking around checking on them/for them. Whenever the internal monologue starts change the subject. If you notice them then deliberately occupy yourself with something else.
CBT can be really useful for this. Good luck.

I’ve had a fair bit of eye surgery for retinal problems. When I last saw my eye surgeon he said that some surgeons will now do a vitrectomy for floaters, but he thinks its unethical because of the risks. I have an evolving but not urgent condition which means I will need a vitrectomy in future. My surgeon has explained the risks and the balance is currently firmly in weighted towards watching and waiting. I have a close relative who has had a vitrectomy, it’s not to be taken lightly. There can be post-op complications too. It blows my mind that anyone would consider it for floaters. 🤯

It does get easier but takes time, I had eye surgery which left me with over a 100 black dots floating about and a huge opaque disc that floated up and down.
I've got used to them now, yay! It's hard to read when I'm tired and at night but other than that no issues.
Your brain learns to ignore them, hope you feel less anxious soon x

Do you consume much dairy? My floaters went away when I stopped most dairy (still have milk in tea). Might be coincidental of course...

I have loads of floaters- I think it’s linked to being short sighted. Most of the time I’m not aware of them apart from when I’m tired.

There’s a holistic treatment. Google ‘castor oil compress’ for eye floaters.

If it was as easy as that we’d all be doing it. Putting a compress on the outside of your eyeball is not going to change what is going on on the inside. Where is actual science/physiology of how that works?

So slightly bemused they dismissed pvd but you don’t say what they put it down to ? maybe you’ve got just vitreous degeneration, and not yet that the vitreous has actual detached? But I’d have thought they’d at least highlighted to you that PVD is common conclusion from degeneration.

My floaters are mostly caused by the full PVD. I had clusters of small ones as result of degeneration thst I didn’t really need to take any notice of for years, but the full PVD came on very suddenly. Wham. Scared the shit out of me- especially as I was abroad working and couldn’t get to optician or Gp for 48 hours. One eye was affected first, then the other about 12 months later which is common- risk are high if one eye gone that other will to. The main effect was to produce very large (rather perfect according to the optician 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦‍♀️) Weiss rings, in both eyes now. These form when the detachment comes around the optic nerve. They’re large ring floaters and they’re way more noticeable than the other smaller ones. I also have a sort of curtain across one eye peripheral vision, at night - appears when not enough light that cones compensate and relying on rods (thought don’t know reason for this)

the hospital optician who did my full retina check said they won’t go away with PVD.

floaters are most common with people who’ve been short sighted for years, and higher prescriptions mean risk is greater. So are you short sighted? If so, sadly this is common and if not yet PVD but degeneration, it could still go into PVD, I assume

if floaters do go away over time, then they’re small and caused by a small disturbance in vitreous rather than the full vitreous degeneration. I have read that becoming very dehydrated , for instance, can cause temporary floaters that will shrink over time and “disappear “ from view eventually.as can blood in the eye for, retinal bleeding caused by a whole raft of things. As can diabetes. So, did they mention one of these cause if not PVD?

yes, generally I don’t think about them now, but they’re worse when looking at bright light, or white/pale walls. So try to avoid this. Turn lights down, wear sunglasses. I also find it hard to read sub titles on TV or text in general on bright backgrounds as the Weiss Rings obscure shapes of letters- can’t tell O/D/C/Q apart for instance- not great for eye tests 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣🤣. So I’ve had to increase to screen size, and can’t cope with real books - e-readers only, larger print and lower the light level. I have way too many pairs of glasses for doing all sorts of different tasks that’s costs a small mortgage frankly 🤬

So, yep they are a nuisance. I certainly become aware of them every day at some point . The brain getting used to them doesn’t mean it somehow stops you seeing them, it merely means you don’t register them consciously as the brain focuses on images that are relevant

you do need to keep aware of

1. That you might still end up with PVD especially if you’re short sighted. But mine didn’t happen till in my fifties, and PVD increases with age.
2. once 1 eye gets PVD, the other eye is probably going to go at some point in next 12 months . My other eye went literally 11 months and 10 days after the first like a regular little clock 😳
3. that any flashes of light, or changes need you to go for urgent retinal imaging as could be retina detaching . The risk is higher with vitreous degeneration or PVD. but if picked up quickly can be treated usually

you can apparently remove floaters theoretically if they’re really intrusive (vitrectomy) - but personally I don’t want any bugger messing around with the already disintegrating jelly in my eyes. 😱. Apparently common in US , but more rare in Uk…will be something to do with US medical profits I assume.