Dirty eyes?

[Anne S]

I had my first floater last year. When I spoke to the optician about it, he warned that a detached retina has similar symptoms. They need checking out just in case.

Anne

[Thalestris24]

29 minutes ago, Anne S said:

I had my first floater last year. When I spoke to the optician about it, he warned that a detached retina has similar symptoms. They need checking out just in case.

Anne

Yeah, my first one last year was accompanied by a lot of flashing - it was a bit scary. The optician said he couldn't see any retinal problems (as far as he could make out) but it's wise to get checked out. They should see you the same day and give a thorough NHS funded check.

Louise

[Ande]

4 hours ago, Thalestris24 said:

Yeah, my first one last year was accompanied by a lot of flashing - it was a bit scary. The optician said he couldn't see any retinal problems (as far as he could make out) but it's wise to get checked out. They should see you the same day and give a thorough NHS funded check.

Louise

 

I could well imagine that the flashing was scary.  I would have been thinking all sorts   

I think maybe I should go see an optician, as I've had floaters ever since I was a kid.  Just didn't know they were "floaters", and that not everybody had them.  I can remember lying on my back, when I was about 8-9, looking up at the  ceiling and watching these things washing across my eyes, and then darting my eyes quickly and seeing them dance about.  Always assumed it was just daily detritus on the surface of my eyes.  Quite worrying to know that my eyes have been bargain bin right from the get-go.  

It's quite funny really.....  I joined these forums in the hope of maybe making some friends, learning about the night-sky, and understanding my new hobby and equipment.  Last thing I was expecting was a damning report on my health, lol 

[Thalestris24]

9 minutes ago, Ande said:

 

I could well imagine that the flashing was scary.  I would have been thinking all sorts   

I think maybe I should go see an optician, as I've had floaters ever since I was a kid.  Just didn't know they were "floaters", and that not everybody had them.  I can remember lying on my back, when I was about 8-9, looking up at the  ceiling and watching these things washing across my eyes, and then darting my eyes quickly and seeing them dance about.  Always assumed it was just daily detritus on the surface of my eyes.  Quite worrying to know that my eyes have been bargain bin right from the get-go.  

It's quite funny really.....  I joined these forums in the hope of maybe making some friends, learning about the night-sky, and understanding my new hobby and equipment.  Last thing I was expecting was a damning report on my health, lol 

The floaters proper I know about appear black against a light background. I've always had what you might describe as semi-transparent stuff in my eyes but I think that's normal.

Louise

[Ande]

Hi Louise.

Yes, I've got the semi-transparent stuff whooshing about.  Almost looks like single-celled organisms, amoebas and protozoa and the like.  More disturbingly,  I also have what look like little, black tangles of fishing twine.  Quite capable of obscuring lunar craters.

[mdstuart]

I have some faint ones in one eye ..started at about age 50.

Makes you really appreciate your sight.

Mark

[Beulah]

I think we go through life mostly unaware of how we see through the murky liquid in our eyes. It's only when we use our eyes for extraordinary activities that issues like floaters are noticed. I have had them since I was a kid and first noticed them when using microscopes (there's a theme, somewhere, seem to have a penchant for magnifiying stuff! ). I have since spoken to other young people who have noticed they have them too. I suppose it's up to our our brains to decide to filter them out of our vision or not... 

 

[Stu]

As has been mentioned before, binoviewers can really help with this.

I mainly use small apo refractors, often for high power lunar, planetary and solar observing with exit pupils down to 0.5mm or so. With mono viewing this often shows the floaters I have, with an annoying one right in the centre of my left, observing eye.

I’ve struggled to get to a Binoviewer set up I am comfortable with, but have one now and it definitely reduces the impact of the floaters. For solar and lunar it works perfectly for me, although for planetary I still have work to do to see the fine detail I can see with mono viewing.

I do like the sound of an op to get rid of them, but the price, and pure fear would stop me messing with my eyes!

[Girders]

I've always noticed them now and again, and yes looking through high magnification eyepieces with small exit pupil definitely makes them more obvious. 

Generally nothing to worry about, but as mentioned above if *lots* suddenly appear *in normal vision* ie not when looking through an eyepiece you should seek *urgent* attention particularly if you are very short sighted. 

I get regular warnings at eye tests that as I'm so short sighted I am at a much higher risk of a detached retina - the early signs of which would include lots of floaters.  If it detached it can be re-attached if treated in first few hours so don't mess around if you fall into a similar category and notice them suddenly affecting your general eyesight.

[VNA]

Will take floaters over AMD, found out I carry one of the markers!
Unfortunately far advanced (geographic atrophy) But I am hoping to have "stem cells patch" that was so successfully done in your country.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/03/19/stem-cell-patch-allows-patients-read/

No problem looking through my scope using averted vision--but getting very hard to read!
 

[Charic]

On 27/03/2018 at 14:33, Ande said:

I've tried the rolling my eyes around trick, and it moves the floaters away from the central area for a moment or two, but then they seem to slide back to where they were again.  

Same works for me, when the floater is observable during the day, I can look to the extreme left/right until the floater has gone, though it will re-appear. Do it discreetly, otherwise some folk will think your going mad?
The floaters are caused by some microscopic fibres clumping together in your vitreous,  creating shadows which you see as floaters,nothing really to worry about, except the fact your maybe getting older, and not much will they do about it, but still wise to have it checked out  by an optician if you have any doubts.

[Charic]

On 01/04/2018 at 20:50, Ande said:

Hi Louise.

Yes, I've got the semi-transparent stuff whooshing about.  Almost looks like single-celled organisms, amoebas and protozoa and the like.  More disturbingly,  I also have what look like little, black tangles of fishing twine.  Quite capable of obscuring lunar craters.

Other days, Ill try to get them into full vision, just because of the effects they produce, a kind of kaleidoscope of organisms, as you so put it, but discretely, lol
 

[Ande]

On 09/04/2018 at 08:15, Charic said:

Other days, Ill try to get them into full vision, just because of the effects they produce, a kind of kaleidoscope of organisms, as you so put it, but discretely, lol
 

 

You weren’t a product of the sixties by any chance? ?

[Charic]

Ande, yeah man! you got the decade right, but no, Ive never ever been on any of the trips .

[Paul M]

I had sudden onset of floaters in both eyes about 10 years ago or more. I asked my optician to have a good look round, just incase. The result of the examination was that my eyes were "lovely and clear". A relief but no solution!

As with Louise above, I also flashes of light but they subsided and I can't remember the last episode.  

So I read up quite a bit on the subject and found that as we age the vitreous humour that fills the main body of the eyeball tends to shrink. It's actually quite gelatinous and as it shrinks it can tug on the retina causing momentary flashes. The shrinkage also leaves behind some debris. That's what forms the floaters. Harmless but annoying and can also be a symptom of retinal detachment. So severe and sudden cases should always be checked over.

The floaters tend to "settle" out of the central vision and sudden eye movement can cause them to be disturbed and float into view. So at the eyepiece try and avoid sudden rapid eye movements such as suddenly looking up at the sky then back down at the eyepiece. It really does help if you are trying too eek out fine planetary detail for example.

There are some cases where severe sufferers have had the vitreous humour replaced with a substitute. Expensive, carries risks and not available on the NHS!