Eye floaters in one eye only. Wait or run to hospital ?

[how241]

Hello, about 3 days ago I started to get eye floaters in one eye only. I am 65 years old, non smoker, and have never had them before. They look to me like small floating cobwebs or lines.  I do not have any other symptoms .  I am not seeing flashes of light or any strange colors. They are more apparent if I look at the empty wall but they seems to move/float away if I try to focus on them.  Last month I had a eye exam for glasses and nothing was mention but the floaters were not present at that time.  From what I have read on google this is common as people get older. They cause no pain and are mostly an annoyance as I sometimes think I am seeing mosquitoes in the house.  I would be very interested in what other board members have experienced.  Also I hope our resident expert, Sheryl,  will comment on this thread.  I guess my main question is should I run to the hospital for a eye exam  or just wait a few weeks to see if they settle down or go away.  Thanks in advance for any input.

[4MyEgo]

Perfectly normal, I got them a few months back and freaked out, they will go away in a couple of weeks, I am 59.

 

Go on Youtube and you will see many clips about them, this one relaxed me and he is spot on.

 

 

[phetphet]

I also started getting them a couple of months ago, including flashes of light in my peripheral vision. I did read on the internet that the brain starts to ignore them after a while, but like you, I still keep thinking I am seeing mosquitos. No sign of them going away. Just have to get used to them.

 

I thought it is just part of getting older, but after watching that video I think I wil get my eyes checked.

[how241]

Thanks  4MyEgo !!!    Excellent video and it definitely did relaxed me. Thanks for sharing your experience. 

[how241]

6 minutes ago, phetphet said:

flashes of light in my peripheral vision.

From that posted video and what little I have read you might want to get this checked out as it could be the start of a retinal tear. I do not have the flashes of light, yet.

[how241]

Just found this youtube video. Basically it says that a small study showed that eating pineapple helps reduce the floaters.  Here is the youtube video title:  Eye Floaters No More! New (Natural) Eye Floaters Treatment Research | Doctor Eye Health

[ianezy0]

Normal for most ages. May be best to have your eyes checked for your own peace of mind.

Only need to worry if you see a floater

 whilst swimming ????

 

[Nyezhov]

Flashing lights mandates visit to the eye doctor

[Sheryl]

No need to run, but when new floaters appear it is prudent to get an eye exam.

[Puchaiyank]

Floaters are a normal part of the aging process...cataracts however cause loss of vision over time and should be removed when vision is impaired and reading is difficult and before driving becomes dangerous.

 

Every now and then I swat at an imaginary mosquito or duck a imaginary wasp...????

[CMoldie]

I had a sudden increase in floaters in one eye about 6 months ago. I took myself to the hospital for a check because it was in the only good eye I have.

It was diagnosed as vitreous detachment, a normal, non-threatening part of the ageing process.

I was advised to go back for a second examination a month later, as this is sometimes associated with a retinal detachment which takes time to show and which is threatening. Happily, I was given the all clear.

Go to a hospital, not an optician, to have this checked. Do not drive there, they need to dilate your eye and your vision will be temporarily impaired.

[rocket3rider]

I had floaters then flashes five years ago following cataract surgery. As they do one at a time and it was the "other" eye, it was not related to the cataract surgery.

 

Next day, sitting in the garden, I completely lost vision in that eye.

 

Next day underwent emergency detached retina repair by laser.

 

Had a black blob in my vision from that eye which is caused by a nitrogen injection into the eye to hold the retina repair together while it healed. Bit like a waking spirit level.

 

Don't muck around with eyes.......get it checked.......now.

[Catoni]

Most likely your floaters that look cobwebs or lines are normal. But floaters for most people are spots that are never noticed until you decide to become aware of them.

    However, you should watch for any change in them. As there could be other causes. Including start of a retinal tear as someone already mentioned, and also extremely tiny parasitical worms in the interior of your eye, among other possibilities. 
    It would not hurt to get a thorough eye checkup. 

[geoff65]

Nothing to worry about, i have had them since i was 40.

[Bundooman]

Normal. I am 75. I got them in exactly the same manner as you. they appeared suddenly  - 2/3 of them in one eye.

Like you I was concerned - similarly healthy I expect, to you.

I saw the eye specialist in CM. She told me they were common in people our sort of age. 

They are unlikely to disappear. And there appears to be no simple or effective method of treatment.

 

The good side is that our brain starts to ignore them and you begin to see them less often.

I still have mine. they are in the background to my vision - I don't really notice them any more.

Occasionally, I become aware of them.

They no longer concern me.

 

My lowly advice would be - relax a little and given time, you too will not notice them very much.

Otherwise, I still see very clearly at my age, wearing glasses for reading and computer work only.

Hope this helps.

[jimn]

Maybe you have been staring down the toilet pan for too long.

[fittobethaied]

I've had floaters for 28 years and I'm now 72. They've never been much of a problem and I only notice them if I look at a light colored blank wall or ceiling. Sometimes when I am reading one will float to the central vision of my eye, but since they are floating in fluid all you have to do is shake your head and they will float back out of the center. If the light walls bother you then you can paint them a darker color and you won't see the floaters. 

[lagavulin1]

21 hours ago, how241 said:

From that posted video and what little I have read you might want to get this checked out as it could be the start of a retinal tear. I do not have the flashes of light, yet.

Just a word of warning if get tested for retinal tear. It requires eyedrops which fully open your iris. It's no sweat but it's impossible to drive for quite a while after. It's like staring into the sun. Take a taxi or get driven. ????

[Liverpudlian]

I keep getting flashes of naked females way younger than my self ! 

[White Christmas13]

21 hours ago, phetphet said:

I also started getting them a couple of months ago, including flashes of light in my peripheral vision. I did read on the internet that the brain starts to ignore them after a while, but like you, I still keep thinking I am seeing mosquitos. No sign of them going away. Just have to get used to them.

 

I thought it is just part of getting older, but after watching that video I think I wil get my eyes checked.

It is part of getting older, I got them a few years ago and went to see an eye specialist.

He explained to me, the back of your eye is like a soft putty and after so many years

it can get brittle and little cracks appear, this is what you see as floaters. He said to me

after checking my eyes, as long you don't see any flashes or the floaters getting worst

there is little one can do about. I only have them in one eye for many years now, and

they still seem to be as their were when diagnosed first.

[transam]

OP, get a proper in depth eye investigation/examination, doesn't take long after the eye drops have done their thing. Just for your peace of mind.

All those who say they have had floaters for years with no probs doesn't mean we will all have no probs with new eye debris. 

You do not want to hear my story after floaters appearing in one eye...

Go get it checked...

[wwest5829]

I wore glasses for Nearsightedness since 5th grade in the States. By 2017, with the advances in eye treatment, I decided to go to Rutnin Eye Hospital in Bangkok. That is all they do ... eyes. They took out the natural lens and replaced them with lens which corrected my vision (still need reading/computer distance glasses). Wah lah ... no need for everyday glasses wearing. Several months later, your exact description ... cobweb in my right eye. I went back to Rutnin. Nope, eyes remain healthy, just normal aging process. What treatment? Can they go in and draw out the "cobweb'? Nope. So they are still there but I notice it less and it seems less opaque. As another poster said, I do find myself swatting mosquitos that are not there at times.

[allanos]

I was on the beach at Jomtien when a floater appeared "out of nowhere", and scared the sh*t out of me as it wouldn't go away. I first thought an insect had lodged in my eye, and tried eye drops to dislodge it but to no avail.  I had had cataracts removed a few years earlier, and lenses implanted, and my eyesight had been perfect since then.  Anyhow, I went to an optician for a check, and then to the ophthamologist who had previously done the implants.  They looked for retinal detachment but confirmed that I had a dreaded floater, and which continued to hang around for a long time but has by now either gone, or is being ignored by my brain.

[RocketDog]

I'm now 70 and noticed my first floaters at age 25 when driving and staring at an overcast sky. I was freaked and saw a doctor. Nearly everybody who actually understands what they are and 'looks ' for them will find them if you're over 30. The jelly in your eye, vitreous humor, becomes less liquid with age and the floaters tend to stop floating; perfectly normal. I quickly learned to ignore them once I knew what they were. I rarely 'see' them now and still ignore them. No problems after 45 years. 

 

The flashes are a different story entirely and best to get that checked. 

 

[transam]

27 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

I wore glasses for Nearsightedness since 5th grade in the States. By 2017, with the advances in eye treatment, I decided to go to Rutnin Eye Hospital in Bangkok. That is all they do ... eyes. They took out the natural lens and replaced them with lens which corrected my vision (still need reading/computer distance glasses). Wah lah ... no need for everyday glasses wearing. Several months later, your exact description ... cobweb in my right eye. I went back to Rutnin. Nope, eyes remain healthy, just normal aging process. What treatment? Can they go in and draw out the "cobweb'? Nope. So they are still there but I notice it less and it seems less opaque. As another poster said, I do find myself swatting mosquitos that are not there at times.

When I had a detached retina fixed last year, they took out all the floaters, bloody brilliant...

[LarryLEB]

See an ophthalmologist as soon as you can.  

 

Floaters are caused when the vitreous (a gel-like substance that makes up the bulk of the eye's volume) begins to break down.  This break down (or degeneration) is normal with age.

 

As we age, the vitreous shrinks and can cause fibers or masses of vitreous to break away from the main mass of the vitreous (this is called vitreous detachment) .   These fibers can block the light to the retina, allowing us to see the floaters.

 

Why see an ophthalmologist?  As the fibers float around, some of them may still be attached to the retina.  if that is the case, some of the fibers may pull or "tug" on the retina, causing a RETINAL TEAR or RETINAL DETACHMENT.  I have had both.

 

The more near sighted one is, the more at risk one is for retinal detachment and tears (because the retina in such a person is considerably thinner than average and hence more prone to damage).

[how241]

5 hours ago, rocket3rider said:

I had floaters then flashes five years ago following cataract surgery. As they do one at a time and it was the "other" eye, it was not related to the cataract surgery.

 

Next day, sitting in the garden, I completely lost vision in that eye.

 

Next day underwent emergency detached retina repair by laser.

 

Had a black blob in my vision from that eye which is caused by a nitrogen injection into the eye to hold the retina repair together while it healed. Bit like a waking spirit level.

 

Don't muck around with eyes.......get it checked.......now.

Very scary !!!   Thanks for sharing your experience.  

[GreasyFingers]

49 minutes ago, transam said:

When I had a detached retina fixed last year, they took out all the floaters, bloody brilliant...

Yes, but would you recommend a vitrectomy to anyone who didn't really need one. Lying face down 24 hours a day for two weeks is no fun. I have heard that it can be up to five weeks.

I had a vitrectomy 9 months ago and still have some minor effects in the eye.

[transam]

41 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

Yes, but would you recommend a vitrectomy to anyone who didn't really need one. Lying face down 24 hours a day for two weeks is no fun. I have heard that it can be up to five weeks.

I had a vitrectomy 9 months ago and still have some minor effects in the eye.

If that's the only way to fix the retina, then that's what you have to do. I had to with one eye, did that until the gas bubble had gone, took about 10 days, I think, but vision is now perfect, the other eye I still have a plastic buckle round the back of it that they secured the retina too, been there for near 20 years, but, it is no ploblem.....

 

Soooo, I have now marked up two retina repairs and two cataract lens replaced, now, after 65 years I don't wear glasses, except for reading or close up work, bloody brilliant...

 

But, what the future holds for me is another thing. ????

[GreasyFingers]

10 minutes ago, transam said:

If that's the only way to fix the retina, then that's what you have to do. I had to with one eye, did that until the gas bubble had gone, took about 10 days, I think, but vision is now perfect, the other eye I still have a plastic buckle round the back of it that they secured the retina too, been there for near 20 years, but, it is no ploblem.....

 

Soooo, I have now marked up two retina repairs and two cataract lens replaced, now, after 65 years I don't wear glasses, except for reading or close up work, bloody brilliant...

 

But, what the future holds for me is another thing. ????

If the vitrectomy saves the sight in your eye it has to be done, but it needs to absolutely necessary. I had a detached retina after a failed cataract operation so there was no choice as I have a friend who lost the sight in one eye after a detached retina was not fixed in time.