Floaters, anyone?

I can make mine float around by twiching my eyes. They are harmless and they come with age. It doesn’t bother me unless I focus on them.

I just started some new medicine, and the doctor told me to let him know immediately if I start experiencing floaters.
Call the doctor.

I did….(see above)

Had ‘me for decades, they don’t interfere with my vision or distract me or anything. A matter of no concern to me whatsoever.

no edit window. Damn. That was supposed to be “had MINE for decades”.

I get them, though they may be different from what others are describing. Mine are flashing kinda geometric patterns that very much distract my vision and usually proceed a migraine headache.

I got them after lasik, not bad but noticeable.

I honestly don’t remember a time when I didn’t have floaters.

New floaters are an alarming symptom. I had new and more floaters when I had a detached retina. I also have lattice retinal degeneration which likely precipitated the detachment. I had the “usual floaters” before and since. Retinal specialist best seen soonest!

For me it was one of the indicators of high blood pressure. I would notice them after doing something strenuous like repeated lifting.

Now that the right combo of meds has gotten things under control, I no longer experience floaters.

My husband struggles with those too. He has not really found an answer.

I’ve had them most of my life. They’re harmless, and increase with age, as @talljasperman said.

They are also something that occurs for diabetics, which is what the OP has.

Please post an update, if you’d like to, @yankeetooter.

I’ve had them since I was little and I’m 30. I have had migraines since I was 5, though, so maybe that’s why I’ve always seen them. I thought everyone experienced them occasionally, though.

@Darth_Algar Yeah, those aren’t the same as floaters. They’re literally called visual migraines. Had my first one not too long ago and I started panicking because I thought I was going blind. Mine started as a pinprick-sized anomaly and grew to encompass the entire outer corner of my left eye in the shape of a “C”. Black and white zigzag stripes that were blinking. Then shortly after, an extremely intense migraine. Once I looked up the symptoms, I stopped panicking as much since I knew I wasn’t losing my eyesight. Scary, though. I hope I never have another one.

No updates yet, except that they’re back in full force this morning…ugh!! Doctor’s appointment tomorrow afternoon.

@Darth_Algar You are describing “scintillating scotoma” or the “aura” which sometimes precedes a migraine.

Yes, I’m aware of the phenomena and the technical name for it (having suffered migraines for at least 25 years now), but we’re speaking colloquially here. I figured that, perhaps, someone might experience the same thing and, colloquially, call them “floaters” as well.