You know what I'm talking about, the spots/smudges that you sometimes see drifting across your eyesight (especially when looking at a computer screen or blue sky, for me anyway)?

I know in general they're just one of those things, right? But… what if they are particularly annoying or distracting? My left eye has a couple that are really starting to **** me off, is there anything that can be done to get rid of them??

Call NHS direct for advice if they are bad-could be something or nothing.

normal sign of aging but if excessive go get them looked at

i get them……and tinitus in my left ear….very annoying too.

^^ +1

Go to your doc's, i've had trouble with this for a couple of years now, i have Uveitus in my right eye. I have been having treatment for it and have had umpteen tests/xrays/etc to ascertain the cause, still not found out what it is though yet. My favourite part so far was a steroid injection into my tear duct… lovely.

i have one in the middle of my left pupil, follows me round like an old dog 😉

I asked my optician if there was anything i could do about it, there is a procedure that envolves taking all the fluid and gel out of the eye cleaning it and replacing it, BUT she said she would not advise it unless i fancied possibly living the rest of my life with only one eye as it's a bit risky,

the floaters are leftovers from when your eyes are formed or fall off as they deteriate, your brain will learn soon enough to fill in the gap and then focus out the black floater, with me it took around 4 weeks, but occaisonaly it comes back,

normal sign of aging

I'm only 33…

your brain will learn soon enough to fill in the gap and then focus out the black floater

That's what I'd have thought, but this particular bugger has been annoying me for weeks!

I have them as a consequence of a scratched cornea from playing rugby. Just one of those things.

yes but you were once younger 😉

I had them in my eyes when I was 5…

See your GP for advice or NHS to rule out something serious.

I only notice mine, on bright sunny days, so not that often 😉

You get used to them and the do seem to come and go with me for some reason.

So basically there could be loads but we're used to them!

Ahhhhhhhhh!

I have quite a lot, but then I'm extremely short sighted and it's just life. I have annual eye tests and my optician scans my eyes just to make sure that nothing's ammiss. I do know that if I suddenly get a big increase then it's a swift trip to Moorfields.

There's a beautifully retro Jarvis Cocker song in which the floaters in his eyes and a mirror-ball at a provincial disco, on a Thursday night conjure up a vision of an old lover on the dancefloor.

Does Jarvis Cocker manage to get rid of his floaters BD ?

If so, how does he do it ?

If not, how useful do you think your contribution was ?

😡

(btw, I have no idea what that ^ emoticon means – I just wanted to convey an emotion but wasn't sure which one)

Yup, I have some, very annoyingly placed too and they never go away, they're just less visible in mixed-texture scenes like grass or trees. I went to have them seen and was basically told that it's tough, some people get them and in my case they're nothing to worry about. Apparently if they're really bad you can have them removed by needle but they're as likely to create more on the way in. I'm 29 but have had them since I was about 25.

I have had them for years. I also have the very nice pleasure of having one lazy eye that I cannot even read with, Cannot even do the top line of the chart at the opticians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfzVOx2uNQk

I just wanted to convey an emotion but wasn't sure which one

Dickishness? Or just temporary crotchetyness? 😛 😉

Mmm…….maybe. Although I might have described it more as maliciousness and amusement.

But anyway, about Jarvis Cocker – did he manage to get rid of his floaters ❓

Oh, squiggly line in my eye fluid, I see you there, lurking on the periphery of my vision. But when I try to look at you, you scurry away. Are you shy, squiggly line? Why only when I ignore you do you return to the center of my eye? Oh, squiggly line, it's all right. You are forgiven.

stewie griffin. genius.

No, but then he didn't really want to, as he was tormented by the bittersweet memories that they conjured. He could have had a procedure of some sort to remove them, but it probably wouldn't have worked too well. 🙂

Pulped them.

I have these, and undoubtedly the worst aspect is driving on a grey road, with a grey sky, in thick fog. You just cannot ignore the buggers then.

he was tormented by the bittersweet memories that they conjured.

Sounds tragic 😐

But maybe it was just a bit of crap on his glasses ? 💡

In most cases floaters are completely harmless – however, if they are accompanied by any flashes or flashing spots then you should go see an optician immediately. When combined, these are the symptoms of a detaching retina – something which unless caught early can leave you blind.

Are they any relation to the shadows just out of my line of vision that I get when a have a truely truely massive hangover? One of my colleagues calls them beer spiders 😕

Yeah, I've got loads. The optician has commented on it but says there's nothing actually wrong. Corneal tears can create them so if there's suddenly loads more than normal go to the eye hospital but apart from that, it's life. No safe cure.

also get them from metal working-grinding etc.

lol that would be actual foreign bodies, not quite the same thing (I've had 3 of them removed with eye-paralysing drugs and yellow dye)!