floaters

[psilocybin]

uhm...i notice floaters all the time in my vision...maybe just 2...but when mysugars are a bit high i get more which i believe is normal....but is it normal to have a floater or two??should i worry about this?

[Finn]

Last eye exam I had (two years ago...I'm bad) I mentioned it to my doc and he said it was normal. As long as they aren't there all the time or really impare your vision AND you do get your yearly exam, I think, you should be fine. It's weird how diabetes makes us more aware of our bodies and how illness & other symptoms effect us..things other people take for granted.....I'm trying to say, diabetics might be "healthier" than your average bear.

[duck]

Oh. Oooooooooohhhh...Nevermind me, I thought you meant :toilet: .

[lgvincent]

I have huge numbers of floaters but it's because I have retinoschisis, a disease totally unrelated to diabetes. It cause the retina to become detached.

[Peter Lee]

uhm...i notice floaters all the time in my vision...maybe just 2...but when mysugars are a bit high i get more which i believe is normal....but is it normal to have a floater or two??should i worry about this?
I got two very bad floaters in one eye years before I had diabetes problems. Eye specialist at the eye hospital said after an examination I don't care to remember, that it was part of the natural ageing process (one which I could well do without).

He said not to worry BUT if I ever saw flashes of light to get to him as fast as possible as this is symptomatic of the retina detatching.

[gettingby]

I have floaters from time to time. Mine usually come around when I'm really stressed or extremely tired. Opthamologist said it was not diabetes related.

[Tokyo Cate]

Last eye exam I had (two years ago...I'm bad)

Gosh. Do you have a scary eye doctor? Please switch doctors if you aren't comfortable going every year.

[psilocybin]

see flashes of light???? what exactly does this look like does yourr vision just flash?

[lgvincent]

see flashes of light???? what exactly does this look like does yourr vision just flash?


I get flashes fairly often. One thing that causes them is the retina detaching. The first few times it happened it scared me but I'm kind of used to it now. They vary but generally things will go white for a moment. The ones I hate are the ones where everything goes white, then black, then my vision returns. I'm guessing one of these days the vision won't return unless I get the retina reattached.

[Cinnabon]

Psi....
Have u gone to the Opthamologist?

[Tokyo Cate]

Psi....
Have u gone to the Opthamologist?

That is a good question. An annual exam is really important and as you have been recently diagnosed, Psi, you should know what you are up against.

[Tiggy26]

I had my eyes checked about 3 months ago - where I complained of flashes and a floater in my left eye (I have a cataract in the right....)
Opthalmologist said it was nothing to worry about and that the eye test came back absolutely fine.
I've had the catarct for a good 10 years now and it hasn't got any worse in that time so nothing to worry about there either.

I still **** it when I see flashes tho - even though I know its nothing - SCARY!!

[psilocybin]

ya i did he looked at my eyes with a bright light........but i didnt have the money at the time to get some crazy photograph thing he wanted to get done that takes a picture of the back of my eye

[Lorna]

The photos allow them to compare the back of your eye from one year to the next. If there were no problems at the time of the exam you don't really need to worry about that. Have you considered that the foloaters may be due to non-diabetic eye problems eg needing a new prescription on your glasses.

[lgvincent]

I'm under the impression that the cause of floaters isn't really known. Some think it may be particles of protein that are in the eye and have been there since the eye formed. If that's the case, I'd like to know why I rarely had floaters before the retinoschisis and now I have the in huge amounts.

[Lorna]

The driving licence forms ask about them in the same section as they ask about laser surgery etc but I've never actually seen any evidence that they are actually connected to diabetes.

[pam]

20+ years ago I had floaters with occasional flashing lights, but the eye specialist said I was fine.

4 years later a grey curtain came over my eye, I thought I was just tired. Without going into details, I put off investigating it for a year and a half and by the time I saw a specialist, it was too late. I had a retinal detachment and laser could not fix it as the macular had torn away.

That's also when I went from being insulin resistant to being full blown diabetic -- my blood sugar was 153 when tested before surgery, though they didn't do an A1C.

I have virtually no vision in that eye now. Everything is very sharp and very clear, but very very distorted, it's hard to describe. Suffice to say I can only read with one eye and have no peripheral vision.

I still get flashers. I haven't been to the eye specialist in a few years, but each time I tell them about the flashers in the same eye, they reassure me my buckle is very very small (unusual, I guess) but all is fine.

I wish I could track when they happen, but I forget. The light begins at the outer corner of my eye and flashes across the lid, almost like a UFO sighting. Then there are several bright mini flashes and that's it.

What I do have is what I call floating gel, clear or often white pieces of a gelatinous fluid in my eye, in the lower lid. When they float up they block my vision. If I'm driving and it happens in my good eye, it's not pleasant -- I have to pull over quickly, grab a small mirror I have handy in my car, and remove the floating thingie.

[KickStart101]

I get floaters usually once a month, usually when I am over-tired
or overusing my eyes. :captain: I get flashes usually twice a year.
Mine are just a few quick lights flashing at the bottom left corner
of my left eye. I think it has to do where I had my laser. The Doc
checks it and says it's fine.

[KickStart101]

ya i did he looked at my eyes with a bright light........but i didnt have the money at the time to get some crazy photograph thing he wanted to get done that takes a picture of the back of my eye


Psil, IF you're Ophthamologist is charging you a fee for ANYTHING
then it would be wise to report him/her to the Ministry and get
yourself another one. Most people know, especially the Doc, that
there was never a charge for Diabetics or others with diseases that
can cause blindness and it still stands that way. They have to take
all tests necessary to see if they can spot things and correct them
so these People do not go blind or have other severe results. They
would be sued otherwise and that would be bad on them for sure.
If a Person with say Astigmatism, etc. wanted laser done so they
wouldn't have to wear glasses or contacs, that they would have to
pay for since it is not considered necessary. That's Cosmetic.
I was just at my Eye Docs last week and he did the usual ton of
tests, but all was well, except he still wants these cataracts removed.
All was free including the next time he tries to remove my cataracts.
Seems to bother him more than me. I freaked out the last time. :D

[lgvincent]

I'm under the impression that the photography is something new and not covered by insurance. Perhaps it's the same way in Canada at this time, too, but I have no way of knowing.

[KickStart101]

I'm under the impression that the photography is something new and not covered by insurance. Perhaps it's the same way in Canada at this time, too, but I have no way of knowing.

Oh that's a thought. I'll have to ask my Ophthamologist on
April 11, if there is a new one and if there's a charge. I still
can't see that though. I wish I knew the name of it. I thought
the photograghic test he had was Great. Our OHIP has always
paid for every Doc visit, treatments and tests. I have to see him
again since there are 2 specific tests to prepare for the cataract
removal, after my Son's Wedding. Thanks for mentioning that. :)

[psilocybin]

well i woke up today with more floaters, my doctor says my eye exam was fine and my sugars were perfect (5.2 to be exact) what is going on?

[KickStart101]

Hey Psil: I've seen a few sites and they all mainly say the same things.
Here's some info for you about floaters and flashes.

http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/spotsfloats.htm

[Georgia]

I woke up with a floater on Saturday & it changed shape to look like tree branches. I saw the opthamolgist the same day & he said basically what it says on the website that kickstart has posted - I am shortsighted & it is as a result of that. He said there are no signs of detachment or blood vessels bursting but he can see very minor diabetic changes & I am going back on Wednesday for a follow up appt. Has anyone else got diabetic changes re very early warnings of retinopathy? Is it something I should be majorly concerned about?

[psilocybin]

thanks guys...uhm im going for another eye exam that takes pictures of the back of my retna (sp) i can never be to carefull about my vision

[Eleigh1977]

I have been avoiding since my diagnosis when I was 21.
My NP got after me and made the appointment herself. That being said, I have had blurred vision and floaters since I was 15. We just have no history of diabetes in my family....and apparently my family doctor as a child didn't go to medical school, or I may have been diagnosed sooner.

I'll return and report, because I am honestly scared of getting an eye exam and I dont' know why. I like going to the dentist...so this should be a piece of cake, right?

[KickStart101]

Hi Eleigh::hello: I'm glad that you found us and Welcome. Ha! Well,
if you like going to the Dentist then indeed you will not have a problem
going to an Ophthalmologist or Eye Specialist(I have both)for a check-up.
You should have someone to drive you or at least accompany you after
the appointment since the assistant puts eye drops in both eyes to
dialate them. When they are dialated, your eyes may be very sensitive
to light outside, especially if it is sunny out. I usually can't see squat
and it makes me very tired. Make sure to take a pair of sunglasses, that
will help some. Reactions of people do vary. I hope that you get Good
results. Please post an update. :)

[KickStart101]

thanks guys...uhm im going for another eye exam that takes pictures of the back of my retna (sp) i can never be to carefull about my vision

You've got that right Psil, your eyes are so important.
I asked my Eye Doc's assistant if his camera takes pictures of
the back of the eye(I obviously don't ask enough questions. I just
want to know the results). She said , "Yes, it does and no, there is
no charge to the patient for it. It's covered by OHIP.
Good Luck.