Floaters, anyone?
Got these today for the first time. ..what’s your experience with them?
I’m diabetic. ..and rather concerned.
And yes, I have an eye appointment with a retinal specialist on Wednesday.
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I can make mine float around by twiching my eyes. They are harmless and they come with age. It doesn’t bother me unless I focus on them.
I just started some new medicine, and the doctor told me to let him know immediately if I start experiencing floaters.
Call the doctor.
Had ‘me for decades, they don’t interfere with my vision or distract me or anything. A matter of no concern to me whatsoever.
no edit window. Damn. That was supposed to be “had MINE for decades”.
I get them, though they may be different from what others are describing. Mine are flashing kinda geometric patterns that very much distract my vision and usually proceed a migraine headache.
I got them after lasik, not bad but noticeable.
I honestly don’t remember a time when I didn’t have floaters.
New floaters are an alarming symptom. I had new and more floaters when I had a detached retina. I also have lattice retinal degeneration which likely precipitated the detachment. I had the “usual floaters” before and since. Retinal specialist best seen soonest!
For me it was one of the indicators of high blood pressure. I would notice them after doing something strenuous like repeated lifting.
Now that the right combo of meds has gotten things under control, I no longer experience floaters.
My husband struggles with those too. He has not really found an answer.
I’ve had them most of my life. They’re harmless, and increase with age, as @talljasperman said.
They are also something that occurs for diabetics, which is what the OP has.
Please post an update, if you’d like to, @yankeetooter.
I’ve had them since I was little and I’m 30. I have had migraines since I was 5, though, so maybe that’s why I’ve always seen them. I thought everyone experienced them occasionally, though.
@Darth_Algar Yeah, those aren’t the same as floaters. They’re literally called visual migraines. Had my first one not too long ago and I started panicking because I thought I was going blind. Mine started as a pinprick-sized anomaly and grew to encompass the entire outer corner of my left eye in the shape of a “C”. Black and white zigzag stripes that were blinking. Then shortly after, an extremely intense migraine. Once I looked up the symptoms, I stopped panicking as much since I knew I wasn’t losing my eyesight. Scary, though. I hope I never have another one.
No updates yet, except that they’re back in full force this morning…ugh!! Doctor’s appointment tomorrow afternoon.
@Darth_Algar You are describing “scintillating scotoma” or the “aura” which sometimes precedes a migraine.
Yes, I’m aware of the phenomena and the technical name for it (having suffered migraines for at least 25 years now), but we’re speaking colloquially here. I figured that, perhaps, someone might experience the same thing and, colloquially, call them “floaters” as well.
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