Visual floaters

I get ocular migraines which always start off with visual floaters that then progress into something like this (spoilered in case anyone else gets them and this sets one off)

If I catch it quick enough then drinking a ton of water and having a couple of neurofen normally does the trick. Otherwise it progresses into the feeling of someone pulling hard on my optic nerve, a really bad headache and feeling very queasy.

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Yeah these are absolutely awful. Get about one of these a year. Was around 14 and in the house myself the first time I had one and thought I was having a stroke.

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I’ve always had them too. A minor distraction, which I’d never linked to anxiety before today.

My understanding was that it was just differences in density in the optic fluid (which is why there’s a lag when you turn your head or look the other way)

I get these constantly. Like my eyes are looking through a waterfall which then quickly just becomes totally black/missing sections of my vision.

Urgh! That’s awful! I would only get about one or two a year and that’s bad enough

I have these really badly. Literally loads of them and I see them all the time, in the dark and in bright light. Always had a couple but they got bad about 5 years ago and have just got worse and worse. I have also developed visual snow (a bit like tv static in your vision all the time). I’m 38 btw.

You should go and see an ophthalmologist (not optician) to get your eyes checked as a sudden onset of lots of them can indicate possible retinal detachment. I don’t want to scare you - the likelihood is your eyes are healthy - but you absolutely should go and check to be sure. You’ll need a referral via your GP.

Treatment options are shit. A vitrectomy which sounds horrific and usually leads to cataracts, which need surgery. Or YAG laser, which is often not suitable (depending on how close the floaters are to your retinas) and is expensive.

In my experience, and those of others, they don’t settle. There are good periods and bad. They always bother me and make me feel quite depressed but I try to consciously not let them bother me. I seem to be getting new ones all the time so need to go and see the ophthalmologist again.

Also, just to add, it’s the breakdown of collagen in the eyes that causes this. It can also be caused by injury/trauma to the eye. I don’t have any proof for this but I think mine are bad because of my insomnia. I used to squeeze my eyes closed when trying to sleep.

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Had them since i was 12. Freaked me out at the time obviously.
Have become so used to them that I just checked there to see if i still had them (i do, and how). Crazy how you can completely ignore something floating around your eye but there you go.

Had them my whole life. Never notice them unless I’m hungover. Looking at bright lights or get told about floaters

Love it when you try and chase one and totally focus on it but you can’t cos it always runs away

I have a dot one that I like using as a pointer like underneath the words I’m reading

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wow that is the best representation of migraine aura I’ve ever seen. It made me feel sick.

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Felt like I always had them as a kid up until my teens but yeah I don’t have them now, or incredibly rarely if I do and I don’t notice them.

Didn’t mind them personally, thought they were cool

Yeah when I saw it I started feeling a bit funny so thought it better to be spoilered

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I closed the window instantly. Horrible. Migraines should fuck off

Sorry that sounds awful.

About three weeks ago, my other half @crystaltips had sudden onset of floaters and what seemed like black cobwebs across half her vision. Didn’t go after a couple of hours so we rang the doctor and they said to go to A&E.

We went and they did various tests and it turns out she has ‘posterior vitreous detachment’ which is an irreversible condition where the gel in your eyeball separates from the back of your eye. Allegedly your brain adapts over time but it’s quite unpleasant. Also as you say can result in retinal detachment if you’re unlucky.

Pretty common in people over 60 apparently, or very short sighted people.

For the avoidance of doubt, she’s had floaters in the past, but this was much more apparent and came on suddenly

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I’m sorry your partner experienced that; it must’ve been scary to come on so suddenly. My vision is also a bit like looking through a cobweb. In my experience my brain hasn’t adapted (I was told the same) but I try to learn to live with them. Hopefully treatment options will improve in time.

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I do get floaters but I don’t really clock them.

I think you should definitely check with the doc’s as if you’re really noticing them that’s not good.