getting rid of floaters

[Fluxgate]

There are 3 types of "floaters". Specs of dust in the tear layer in front of the cornea float downwards and generally move when you blink. Debris in the aqueous humour, which is between the cornea and the lens, these float downwards in this fluid layer and those in the vitreous humour, which is between the lens and the retina. The AH is similar to the albumen in an egg (before cooking) and can have lots of squiggles and lumps in it. I've even looked into a chaps eyes and seen what looks like the interior of a snowglobe!

Not a lot you can do about them really!

[Probablynot]

I've had a tangled-black-line floater, plus several tiny dots and circles, ever since I can remember. And that's ooh, back to the fifties at least.

Not a problem. On cricket days at school I used to lay back, look at the clouds (I used to enjoy them, back then!) and watch the floaters, trying to 'fix' them so that I could look at them. But they'd always slide off to one side ...

About 9 years ago I woke up one morning with a big, dark, black smear across my vision in my left eye. Doctor didn't want anything to do with it - told me to go to A&E 55 miles away in Hereford. There, I discovered that it was NOT a detached retina (as I feared) but something called a PVD - or Posterior Viscose Detachment.

Apparently certain eye conditions (including short sightedness), plus advancing age, can cause the viscose in the eye to become detached from the retina at the back. The black smear was just blood from this event, gradually dispersing in the viscose. I had to go back to the hospital several times to be checked (in case damage was occuring to the retina, but after about 6 weeks they were satisfied and signed me off. Meanwhile, the black smear gradually dispersed, and now all I see of it is a faint grey shadow (which I can 'flick' out of my f.o.v. quite easily.

Then about 4 months later, exactly the same happened to my right eye!

Now, it just a slight annoyance when one of the faint, floating shadows gets in the front of my seeing. And if I look hard, I can still sometimes see my original black-line floater.

[cathalferris]

I've always had the thread-like floaters, but in recent months they've become a bit more pronounced. I've always 'flicked' my point of looking over and back to get them moving in a known way so I can discern the real detail I'm looking at instead of the detail that the floaters put into my view.

My long-term plans for a light-bucket short f/ratio dob scope from the likes of Starmaster/Lockwood may have to wait on how the floaters deteriorate.

Time to investigate binoviewers or (pie-in-sky) a big binoscope methinks..

[alch1299]

there is a doctor named dr. johnson that does nothing but eye floaters. here is the info only three doctors in the us that can help. no surgery involved. the rest of the doctors dont want to help...well at least mine did not, he to me to "deal with it" and thats all you can do.

[M4lcs67]

Have had a big fat one in my left eye for years. And I have a lazy right eye so basically I am screwed. I use my left eye through my telescope. Have to blink a few times and move my eyeball around to move the floater out of the way. I blumming hate it, but have come to live with it.

[sologuitarist61]

Eventually the floaters sink through the Vitreous Humour and disappear. I one the other hand have had my VH replaced many years ago (Vitrectomy).

So I only have a liquid in my left eye and get some floaters but mainly I get bubbles in it (don't ask, I have no idea how) but what I sometime see are little black donuts zooming around and because I have liquid in the eye they don't 'arf dart around!!!

[Stargazing_Cliff]

My left eye floater still effects me sometime mainly white back grounds sunny days effects also migranes flashing zip zags get that now and again.

[M4lcs67]

Great, but scary news. went for an eyetest a few weeks ago and mentioned about my floater. The Optician wrote to my GP who in turn reffered me to the Eye Specialist at my local hospital. Just had an appointment there this morning and she has decided to operate to remove the floater. Hurrah..... Very worried though as there is still a risk involved with surgery. Have decided to have it done anyway as it is impacting on my quality of life and I mentioned to her that one of my hobbies is astronomy and I rely on this eye to use with my telescope as my other eye is lazy and I struggle to see out of it clearly. It is a mare sometimes looking through the floater eye as I am constantly having to move my eyeball around in order to move the foater out of the way so I can see through the scope.

They seem to be moving very quickly on this one and I should have the op done and be recovered in time for the start of the new astronomy season. And in time for the arrival of my new telescope as well.

[Shibby]

The Optician wrote to my GP who in turn reffered me to the Eye Specialist at my local hospital. Just had an appointment there this morning and she has decided to operate to remove the floater. Hurrah.....

Well I never... Gives me hope for the future as mine continue to get worse!

[M4lcs67]

Hey Lewis,

I've had mine for about 10 years, but since I had a stroke 3 1/2 years ago it just seems to have become more prominent. Also maybe because I took up astronomy a little over a year ago and totally rely on this eye at the scope, so perhaps it appears to be more noticable???

[umadog]

Yes, Moonshane, that's right. It's the exit pupil that causes the problems. You notice them on a bright day outdoors for the same reason. Less so indoors, when pupil size is typically larger. Can be a problem on planets, since magnification inevitably reduces exit pupil diameter. A good cure for this is a large aperture Newtonian

I've had them for as long as I can remember. I think they're worse now but not by much. Then again, my vision is definitely worse since I getting presbyopic at quite an alarming rate. I can no longer read star charts under red light with my glasses on. Sigh.

[SteveNickolls]

My thoughts go out to you. As you age and if you are short-sighted floaters can be expected. I have a large 'floater' in my right eye which remains partially attached inside the eye and does a 'windscreen wipe' flick across my vision at the most inconvenient of times-explained as being caused by the vitreous humor having partly shifted on the retina. My optician who has seen me for many, many years had the encouraging 'you do know this could happen in the other eye?' comment, bless him. Coupled with a problem in my left eye I find binoviewing a great help-two poorly eyes helping each other to make the best of it!

[M4lcs67]

I must say I am very suprised how quickly they are going with this, but glad in a way. Would hate it even more if I had to wait months for it to be done. The specialist also said that if you have this proceedure done you will develop a cataract, so rather than having to endure two operations she will take care of that side of things at the same time and remove the cataracts as well and insert a lens implant at the same time. The only down side will be that I will go from being a non spectacle wearer to having to wear them all the time. Tough call I know, but this floater is driving me nuts and it is seriously affecting my ability to enjoy my astronomy

[ggreene1]

I have them, but they come and go so I think that they must orbit the blackhole at the center of my eyeball. (Sorry, blatant astronomical metaphor) I just hope the next time I have really good seeing with my scope that they are at the far side of their orbit. I guess one of the many little annoyances of aging. Hope we can all work around them.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I have some but i have to say i dont notice them while observing.

[Essex Stargazer]

If it does not go first or second flush ,

I put some toilet paper on it then it normally goes

[kenmyers]

If it does not go first or second flush ,

I put some toilet paper on it then it normally goes

Nasty.

[BinocularSky]

If it does not go first or second flush ,

I put some toilet paper on it then it normally goes

Must be a TOWIE solution!