Has anybody had eye floaters

Question

has anybody had eye floaters removed by laser surgery if so what was it like and did it cure your problem

Answer 1

I have them...and badly...they are worse in strong sunlight and so many people find that they are unable to ignore them.

They are remarkably common and unless they are mentioned and talked about you do not realise. My own optician did a very extensive test the last time and gave me the all clear regarding the retina being healthy.

The assistant in the shop(younger than me)had them and they were affecting how he was seeing text on the forms he had to fill in with me after the tests as floaters can block out text.

It is advisable to have regular eye tests in case they are a sign of detached retinas which can lead to blindness but this is rare. And if found quickly enough the problem can be repaired.

Sometimes the brain is clever and can manage to see through floaters and if your mind is strong enough you'll forget about them, other times if you feel tired you'll probably notice them much more.

Looking at blank white wall can show them or laid on a bed and looking at a ceiling. Some people take to avoiding going out and like to remain indoors in less well lit rooms.

They can just happen or they can be caused by other medical conditions and some are caused by side effects of medication.

I have heard many reports suggesting that people with blue eyes and that are short sighted suffer them the most. But have no idea if this is just rumour or fact.

I looked into laser surgery but have no idea that this would work besides unlike many eye conditions that mean that your eye can remain still whilst surgery is carried out, I'm unsure that floaters would remain still as they do what they say float around the eye and if you do not move the eye they drop to the bottom of the eye, they move the worst if you move your eyes quickly from right to left or up and down.

There is a way that you can move your eyes and avoid making them float around but that can get to be a bit of a nuisance.

They look worst if you actually try to follow them around. It's difficult not to but it best to try and not follow them around your line of sight. And let them pass by. You may be conscious that something has gone past your line of sight but that sometimes is better.

I asked my Dr if anything could be done and was told no...

You notice dark floaters more but there are some that are not as dark and are kind of transparent and there is a trick you can do that means that you can see them as well.

But that could add to the misery already caused by the floaters so I'm not going to start explaining how that works.

The worst thing will be that people who have them but have never noticed them before will now go away and start looking for them.

Not to frighten anyone but this story broke recently in the North East of England but worked out successfully...

The second source is from Moorefields Eye Hospital and generally tells you that the condition is common and usually does not mean something bad will happen.

Remember to have a regular check up...

Answer 2

I have eye floaters and last I talked to an eye doctor about them, he said they could be removed by surgery but they would have to open the eye and clean them out.  He said it was not worth the risk.  I have never heard of eye floaters being removed by laser surgery.  Maybe it's possible.  I just had lasik and they never mentioned that they could remove them.

Mine don't really bother me too much.  I barely notice them except when it's bright or when I am reading in a bright light.  Usually they are floating around in my peripheral vision but sometimes I can catch them to look at for a split second.  Mine look like lint or small hairs.

Answer 3

I have floaters also and whilst I have not had the operation done to get rid of them I do know a little about it.

Basically the idea of the laser surgery is that the surgery is able to blast these particles in your eye making them small enough so they are less of a problem.

Most surgeons wont even think about doing this surgery however as the it is not reliable, and can cause more problems than solutions.

Often your brain, normally around the six month period develops its own way of ignoring floaters, although sometimes this does not happen.

Floaters apart from being a nuisance are completely harmless. They are never a sign of a retinal detachment as wrote above, but can be a sign of a vitreous detachment of separation which is completely different. A black curtain, or a shower of floaters (dozens of them all at once) or loss of sight is a sign of retinal detachment.

Answer 4

I haven't, but you can find people here who have:

http://floatertalk.yuku.com/forums/3/t/L...

The consensus seems to be that it mainly only works if you have one or two large floaters and not so well if you have tons of smaller ones.  

Answer 5

do you mean a lazy eye?