Floaters

@TheDanishGirl There's all sorts of drugs that can be used for floaters, but it depends upon the cause and if the retina or optic nerve has been damaged. Cause with tinnitus could be hypertension with also twisting head and neck, cardiac rhythm changes, white matter increase, sodium / potassium nitrate or too much vitamin A.

Most drugs used are either associated to retina detachment or hypertension. All drugs need to be given as an inpatient by IV or under hospital inpatient watch.

An ophthalmologist exam is needed, but for cause of floaters, a neuro ophthalmology teams needs to be seen and that will take eight hour of exams. They require a brain MRI beforehand and a complete list of medical history and exams.

An ophthalmologist is not able to discuss cause of floaters, so a neuro ophthalmologist needs to be seen. An ophthalmologist can perform laser treatment. Laser treatment takes all of a minute once eye drops are given. Laser treatment stings the eye, but it only lasts a few seconds.

I don't know if you had brief unnoticed moments of hypertension as cause, like myself, or if something as simple as sodium / potassium nitrate being cause which is in some toothpaste. I mention this because I remember the type of toothpaste that you use. As I mention before, I seen those with tinnitus, floaters and hyperacusis change to natural toothpaste and great improvement was made with hyperacusis and floaters.

 

Wow, they seem much more knowledgeable on this in your country, then in mine. I don't think they do these tests in my country. I couldn't do an MRI though... too loud and too much of a risk to mainly to my hyperacusis.

Is hypertension the same as high blood pressure? Sorry, I'm ignorant on this, but as you know English is not my mother language. so I had to google it and the results indicated it had something to do with blood pressure. If that's the case, I don't think I have any of that. When measured my blood pressure is to quote my doctor "perfect". What does a brief moment feel like? I'm not sure if I experience that, as I don't know how it feels.

I use Sensodyne toothpaste and I remember their being some concern about it on here, but I don't know what else to use, cause my teeth sensitivity which was quite bad before has dropped tremendously since I started using it. can natural toothpaste relieve tooth sensitivity?

 

@TheDanishGirl I understand as with a head/brain MRI, headphones can't be used, just earplugs. So when my left eye problem started, I got a CT. The CT showed increased white matter. The CT also messed up my mouth again - mouth sores and burning mouth. I've had too many CTs - too much radiation. It will be a couple of years before those problems resolve once again, if I live that long.

Hypertension is the same as high pressure. I have normal blood pressure except when I get excited. So when excited, I can have a hypertension moment - event - call a hypertension crisis. It only lasts for a few seconds. Sometimes I don't realize it happening unless my vision becomes blurry.

I had some interesting email exchanges with neuro research scientists at SAGE. The company that was just denied approval for their depression drug. One researcher said that many with tinnitus, hyperacusis and/or floaters, black dots and such have either calcium, potassium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate or B12 being stored and not released. With neuro diseases, it's never a lack of, including D3. There's studies online that have come to the same conclusion. He said that infections rarely cause tinnitus, but sudden brief increases in blood pressure causes problems that can increase tinnitus and cause eye problems. I also went and researched all of this and saved about 100 research articles. He said if they ever develop a tinnitus drug, it will most likely be based on silent hypertension and channel blockers.

 

@TheDanishGirl
Were you able to find the doc that use the YAG lasers?

I’d try this first versus bathing your whole body in some medication. Pull the weed, don’t treat the whole lawn, so to speak.

 

Some food for thought:
I got floaters about 2 months into having tinnitus.
When my tinnitus spiked I noticed my floaters more.
When I was having quiet days I wouldn't notice my floaters at all.

It must be something in the brain that controls how you hear and notice things you shouldn't.

 

No proof whatsoever...

Floaters slough off in the eye all the time...i f they float into your view you see them. While you may be OCD more after getting tinnitus, it has nothing to do with the brain IMO. I had floaters for 25 years and tinnitus for 20.

 

I didn't have any floaters before my tinnitus worsened a la acoustic trauma. My worse ear is my left and my left eye is the one with a big squiggly wormy floater that never fully goes away, but sometimes doesn't seem so bad.

 

Maybe floaters are artifacts from auditory nerves rewiring into other nerve such as optic nerves? Or some effect of changing brain activity due to hearing loss. IDK to be honest... just speculating.

 

My turn signal stopped working a day after my new acoustic trauma... I think there is a correlation.
Up until my newest tinnitus my turn signal always worked.
Prove me wrong. (Sarcasm)

Like I mentioned.. I think some people are extreme ocd, especially after getting tinnitus. Sure, floaters can develop any time, but I personally doubt there is any correlation. I have floaters, I have severe tinnitus....my floater has coalesced over the years to form a “galaxy” figure in my eye. It’s about the size of a pencil eraser if it was in 6 inches in front of my face.

“Almost everyone has eye floaters by age 70, although some people are much more aware of them than others.”

 

Floaters do have association with getting older and - optic nerves - damaged or detached retina, increasing white matter in the brain. Hypertension crisis - a quick sudden brief increase in blood pressure often from a stressful moment (event) where the neck and head is also hyperextended or twisted. Many also have vein and artery problems. With a hypertense moment called a hypertense crisis, the person may otherwise have normal blood pressure most of the time or just have pre hypertension blood pressure.

I have posted my story recently per vision, floaters and such that includes laser treatment. This includes a hyperactive crisis from getting excited and twisting neck while playing a computer game. Unfortunately, this also caused abdominal aortic enlargement causing thumping PT. From there, blood flow caused veins and arteries within neck to either under or over pump blood causing a generator or humming sound. I also received kidney and heart damage from my hyperactive crisis or moment.

I went to one of the three neuro eye examination centers in the US. Eight hours of exams with a large team of specialists. They require MRI's and/or CT of the head/brain first. They also would like ECHO and abdominal aortic ultrasounds. The neuro eye doctors that I saw - said that most with floaters and tinnitus have had a hypertension crisis. Certain drugs and overload of some vitamins such as vitamin A can increase possibility of eye problems. NAC is good for the eyes, but not for white areas of the eyes. Problems with carotids or other neck arteries can cause floaters and also hearing loss.

Place - floaters, hypertension crisis and tinnitus into an internet search. I have over a hundred downloads that also include all reasons for eye problems. One of the lead neuros said that neuro examination is very expensive and most healthcare plans don't want to pay this expense.

 

I've had floaters in my right eye since I was a little child and even used to play with them (catch them with my vision). To be honest I don't see them daily I need like a blue sky or be at the beach to see them. And as said above, there are many people that have floaters they just don't know how it is called nor do they think of any anomalies. We were discussing something in my group and I mentioned floaters... turns out from 5 people 3 of us had them and perceived them.

Most of the time it is just proteins in your eye...

 

I just don't understand how anybody can NOT care about them, if they are in your central vision and can be seen almost anywhere... it SUCKS not having a clearer vision at my age

I don't know if mine actually got worse after having tinnitus and hyperacusis, or they were already there and something happened in my brain that made me now perceive them, and be OCD about them a lot. I remember several episodes over the last 10 years where I've been bothered by floaters, but these episodes never lasted more then about a month and then I didn't see them anymore... don't know if they went away or my brain just filtered them out after a while... well neither has happened this time. I'm nearing a year being very bothered by floaters.

 

Markku, have you ever thought about having a vitrectomy? A friend of mine had this procedure done about 5 years ago to remove his floaters as they were driving him mad. For him, it was a success. He still has them but said there’s nowhere near the same quantity.

I’ve also got floaters and have had them for as long as I can remember. I remember as a child wondering what the squiggly lines were that would cross my vision. I’ve got long black squiggly ones, transparent ones, and specky blobs that float across my vision all the time. I have no idea how bad mine is compared to others but I can only imagine that it can’t be as bad as I never really think about them. I get visual snow type symptoms mostly in low light conditions and/or whilst looking at certain colours/textures. It’s really mild though and I believe most people probably see what I see; it’s a general fuzzy haze that can be seen when I look for it or concentrate on it.

I wouldn’t consider what I have as visual snow as it’s not something that I’m constantly aware of.

 

Get an appointment in an astronaut centrifuge and slam those floaters to the sides. (J/k)

I have about 3 dots in my left eye, and a yang-yang symbol in my right where the cells/proteins have come together. Many times it’s like I’m looking through smudged sunglasses in that eye.
Semi-transparent squiggly lines are nothing... mine are far more opaque.

I’m surprised no one has tried the yag laser treatment, it’s been around for decades. Anything invasive... given what we all know about medical screw ups I’d personally avoid.

No to vitrectomy in my book... but if you can work without vision in your profession... it’s your choice. I know a pilot that just could not deal with glasses... had lasik and now is an accountant because the halo effect around his eyes were so great he was not allowed to fly at night.
Go ahead and underestimate the risk to a vitrectomy at your own peril.

Floaters and visual snow are not the same, not even close.

 

This is funny... driving I just heard a radio commercial for a YAG laser and floaters. This guy is around Chicago and he must be new since the 3 that were doing this were in Virginia (?), Florida and California.

Maybe laser treatment is becoming more accepted?

However, I have never heard or seen a commercial by a doctor for tinnitus. :-(

@TheDanishGirl

An ophthalmologist is fine for floaters, floaters are normal. While floaters can be a symptom of something more serious, those are not common.

For example...
https://www.vitreousfloaters.com/

 

Well in my case:

1. It's pretty expensive in my country. Roughly 2,500 USD per eye, and my eyes are equally affected.
2. There are several risks. It's less invasive then vitrectomy, but it ain't risk free at all.
3. It is generally not recommended for young floaters, meaning floaters in young people. The eye doctor who examined my eyes some months ago, told me that I most probably would not be satisfied with a YAG treatment for my floaters. I also read that for most people it just breaks up the floaters into smaller pieces. It doesn't really get rid them, which is the only thing I'm interested in.

 

Come visit Florida ;-)

1). The cost: “In the United States, the estimated national average cost of a vitrectomy is $13,731.”
2) The only risk of YAGs I have heard of... (let me know if there are more)... there may be some increase in the chance of developing cataracts as you age... versus a needle and chance of infection.
3) I’ve never seen this “young floaters” since maybe they have been there and not noticed for years, how does somewhat guess their age? You are correct that sometimes the pieces are simply broken up... but that makes them less noticeable.

The comparisons to vitrectomy... you have a frikken needle in your eye... meh! (Sarcasm)
If your procedure gets infected... this isn’t a cut on your leg... it’s your eye... much more fragile.

Again, my profession requires eyesight... if you want to risk blindness over floaters, or future cataracts, it is your freedom of choice.

 

Uhm. Where do you read into my post that I would prefer vitrectomy over YAG?? I of course wouldn't. I know very well that vitrectomy is more risky than YAG. If I had to choose between the two I would go for YAG first, that's a no brainer. I'm just saying that as of now YAG is not really a "good" option for me either. In terms of risks:

"With YAG vitreolysis, there is a risk of glaucoma, retinal tear, retinal detachment, cataract if you hit the lens, and retinal damage if you hit the retina, said Dr. Chirag Shah" Source: https://www.aao.org/eyenet/article/to-treat-or-not-to-treat-vitreous-floaters

 

Actually now that i have been talking and thinking about i do see them when i'm looking at the screen.. But often i don't care and it feels like my brain just filters them. The same with tinnitus.. Yes it bothers me but i have accommodated. I have come to the point that tinnitus is so normal to me that i don't pay attention to it. The same happens with floaters (as long as i don't think about it)
But if i put my mind into it then yes it will start bothering me and i will start thinking more and more about it and then anxiety will kick in.

Btw maybe my floaters came when an other child (because playing) threw a brick and it landed on my right eye.. It did not damage my sight (10/10) but i gave me floaters..

 

“Uhm. Where do you read into my post that I would prefer vitrectomy over YAG??”.
@TheDanishGirl Where and When did I say you prefer one over the other?
I think you read something into my post. I agree YAG is the safer alternative, but further up the thread several forum members do not point out the hazards of a vitrectomy.

I was trying to give some advice, take it or leave it... your body, your choice.

 

You wrote this: "if you want to risk blindness over floaters, or future cataracts, it is your freedom of choice" implying that I was going to go for vitrectomy, if not YAG.

As of now there just isn't an effective and safe treatment for floaters... just like tinnitus.

 

You “thought” I was implying that, but I was not. YAG has a side effect of cataracts, I was actually implying you should try to deal with your floaters rather than risking blindness (vitrectomy) or cataracts (YAG).

IMO the YAG is more effective than tinnitus treatments, and relatively safe. Dr. Shah has never used the YAG, so I wouldn’t use him as an expert. I thought you were looking for opinions, but you obviously didn’t like mine.

I have had floaters for 35 years....and have chosen not to do YAG either, but they are annoying if you are reading or studying. Good luck.

 

I was more interested in discussing why I am having such a hard time dealing with floaters after getting tinnitus and hyperacusis. Like I stated earlier I remember several instances where I was bothered by floaters before tinnitus/hyperacusis onset, but after a while I always forgot about them again... well not after getting tinnitus and hyperacusus. Now I'm hyper focused on them so imo the onset of tinnitus and hyperacusis broke "something" in my brain. I also truly believe there is a connection between hearing/tinnitus and floaters or awareness of floaters. There are numerous cases where people report seeing (new) floaters after getting tinnitus. Too many for it to be a coincidence imo.

 

@TheDanishGirl I’m sorry you are dealing with tinnitus, hyperacusis, and floaters... it sucks.

Do you have any guesses why this is more bothersome?

 

Just a few thoughts. I had very large spider floaters and black dots for several weeks. Had laser treatment after several computerized and physical eye exams. A few days later they had me look in a computer screen with my head pressed against a device. This unit was tracking how my eyes, but really how my brain was perceiving motion. My blood pressure was being monitored. I had to click a device whenever wherever I saw a dot. The neuros compared this with known white matter that had increased from pre floaters to floater activity. I had copies of all my head and neck scans and ultrasounds of complete neck and abdominal. Later I had two hours of perception eye training. All spiders then disappeared along with dot seeing. Vision has improved. At times, I almost don't need glasses that I have worn for many years.

Seeing complete eye, brain and body function neuro teams with modern technology was confirming to my many of my previous thoughts about my conditions. Previously, only radiologists were helpful. Other eye doctors, vascular and neurologists did not have a clue. Hearing loss can be caused from severe hypertension of neck, head and shoulders where arteries and veins within the neck are twisted and then become troubled in some way. Often along with this, one has had unrecorded hypertension events and previous hypertension events, but otherwise may have normal blood pressure. A complete medical history along with family medical history is needed for neuro examination. History of family stroke and optic nerve involvement. Childhood history is important, including medications taken and any physical accident history, such as falling out of a crib or off a bike.

Still have severe tinnitus and several PT sounds, serious mouth pain from dental errors. Severe TMJ/D was mostly solved along with ear pain. A more recent hypertension crisis caused more vein and artery complications which is my cause, along with severe hearing loss. I now also have an enlarged abdominal aortic - called AAA that is causing a thumping sound. The hypertension brief sudden crisis from getting excited while playing a computer game - enlarged my abdominal aortic and caused severe kidney damage. My hearing loss was caused from ear syringing and later increased from neck vein and artery damage due to forward hypertension of neck. Increased vein and artery damage is also now causing humming - a generator sound.

 

Greg,

You sound like a very, very specific case. Would you agree that “most” people with floaters, and/or tinnitus are from normal age or environmental conditions?

Your circulatory system seems like a rare condition.

 

@MRItechssuck Many of my conditions have been influenced by age and life style.

Tinnitus ( many types) can associate to many body functions. One problem can lead to another that can cause or influence tinnitus. It's impossible for each one to examine all the possibilities within their bio systems and environment.

It's also impossible to separate body and mind. I have seen a few more with tinnitus having OCD, but I don't think that by itself, is a main cause. I do think that emotions and reactions, such as those who have extreme thought processing may have more association to tinnitus.

The eye neuros and other neuros that I saw for an eight hour session, said that many with floaters have one of about twelve reasons as to why. Their list is different from most studies, except from a few. Hypertension moments was on the top of their list. Also tinnitus and white matter, pre injury tinnitus of neck and head, head, neck and shoulder injury causing tinnitus, overload of certain vitamins/protein, medications taken and more so as a child.

Some with floaters also have pulse type sounds. Most associations for physical type tinnitus have been discovered, but it very difficult to get healthcare to do complete exams. Healthcare and dental procedures can be a cause for many. Just testing pulses with body movements can take hours. A complete ENT exam should take hours. We have not found a cure or treatment for all with hearing loss tinnitus and brain activity that associates to that.

Not trying to wrap up everything that has ever been discussed on this board. Tinnitus is complicated, but there is thousands of valuable studies on the net and in medical research journals per physical types of tinnitus. I read about 500 studies on floaters and about ten, blow me away.

 

@Greg Sacramento
Exactly... that’s you... you sound like you have a lot going on... I don’t think your example applies to 99% of people with tinnitus or floaters. I think you have a specific set of issues... the average 20 something goes to a concert and messes up their ears... or they get hit in the eye with a soccer ball and jar stuff loose and have floaters, IMO.

 

I do have a lot going on, but after hours of reading recent published medical journals, it appears that a hypertension moment - crisis (quick, sudden, brief and maybe not noticed) combined with other problems is a factor for development of floaters for many.

As you and myself have said, there can be many causes just as with tinnitus or any biological problem. I have also mentioned injuries - head and neck and an injury could also be getting hit in the eye.

Often when reading an article about a certain condition, a condition that may also associate to tinnitus, floaters and vision problems are sometimes mentioned.

I wish not to debate you, but healthcare and bio tech research experience has been my life. More hours spent other than sleeping.