Eye Floaters

[qbert]

I know this is a long shot, but does anyone know of any effective way to reduce eye floaters, short of surgery? From what I've read online, it seems that there really isn't any way to do this. The reason I'm asking here is because I once thought there was nothing I could do about my myopia but Todd has shown me that isn't true. I'm still hoping there is some way for my body to get rid of them on its own. Thanks!

[OtisBrown]

1) Floaters.  I have them.  I don't "like" them.  They do not prevent clear distant vision for me. (I confirm 20/40 or better on my Snellen.)  So they are annoying, but don't affect anything I am doing.
What can be done?  You are correct -- surgery, but that is both high-risk and very expensive.  Not worth it.
2) Todd and his Snellen clearing.  I deeply appreciate Todd's success -- I think we all are thankful for his efforts.  I wish all peple would be informed of the possiblity of plus-prevention before any (exacerbating) minus lens was placed on their face.  But I am a "dreamer" if I think that is going to happen any time soon. Keep posting and following the arguments.  For my part, I don't "argue" so much, but attempt to present science and facts, so that the person himself can "reason out" the need to clear his Snellen before it goes below 20/60 to 20/70.  I know that the rate of "improvement" is about +1/2 diopter per year -- but that is a result of long-term studies of this issue.  These discussions are of value to those people who are at 20/70, and with great force-of-character and will, can continue to wear their plus (at the just-blur point), and get their Snellen to 20/40 or better -- as a excellent goal.  Best, Otis

[jansen]

Hello,

I also have eye floaters, but they are transparent-string like figures with circles inside of them. The best way to deal with eye floaters is to simply ignore them, because the brain tends to zone out images after a while. Certain supplements  such as grape seed may also help the eye to filter out debris, but there is no information to confirm this.

[Todd Becker]

qbert,

I'm no expert on this, but I found a link suggesting that:

1.  There is not much you can do about existing floaters, but the brain learns to ignore them with time.

2.  The real problem is how to stop new floaters from occuring. A quick scan of the internet indicates that diets high in sugar, poor blood sugar control and pre-diabetes or diabetes are associated with the formation of eye floaters and cataracts.  So it appears that the "paleo" or low carb diet advocated on this blog may help at least prevent new floaters from forming.  A low carb diet, with exercise and fasting, will tend to lower insulin and this favors a process called "autophagy" or "self-digestion".  Sounds horrible, but it is in fact the natural process by which your cells eliminate damaged (oxidized, glycated or denatured) tissue.  Since floaters consist of denatured protein in the vitreous layer of the eye, it is reasonable to hypothesize that lowering your insulin levels will inhibit and perhaps even reverse floaters.

http://www.aboutfloaters.com/cure.htm

That said, I could not find any hard scientific studies to support my statements above.  This is all just my reasonable speculation, based on putting two and two together.  But no guarantees.

Todd

[Alex_Myopic]

From the book HOW TO AVOID NEARSIGHTEDNESS by Otis Brown.

"Apart from the visual incapacity, the high myope is not usually comfortable in the use of his eyes.  When corrected, the small, sharply defined and bright images are annoying; much use of the eyes brings about a feeling of strain and fatigue.  The degenerated and liquefied vitreous gives rise to a multitude of "muscae volitantes" and floating opacities, and these, throwing abnormally large images upon the retina owing to its backward displacement, cause a great deal of distress and anxiety to the patient although their actual significance is small.  Most of these patients are naturally anxious.  Their disability is obvious and may have excited sympathy.  The memory of admonitions to care for the eyes lingers into adult life.  Thus matters tend to progress slowly and relentlessly, the patient all the while never using his eyes with comfort or without anxiety until finally no useful vision may remain or until the occurrence of a sudden calamity such as a gross macular lesion, a hemorrhage of a retinal detachment brings about a more dramatic crisis." (I thank Sir Stewart Duke-Elder for this description). 

[Alex_Myopic]

I have heard from some sellers that having hyaluronic acid (a major component in vitreous body) as a dietary supplement may help some people clear eye floaters but I don't know how truth this is.

[Alex_Myopic]

Here are some notes I have taken about eye floaters by reading the whole book "the myopia manual"
http://www.myopia-manual.de/

-Avoid or protect against sunlight or sunlamps (me personally I believe that sun can not benefit and harm at very few extreme occasions)
-Avoid excessive supplementation of vitamin C
-Avoid excessive, unbalancing supplementation of zinc or copper
-Avoid excessive intake of food rich in phosphorus (Colas have phosphoric acid)
-Iodine does good for the synthesis of the vitreous body
-Vitamin C, smoking and heat can degenerate hyaluronic acid (in the vitreous body)
-Mg, Zn and Cu are very useful metals for the synthesis of hyaluronic acid (cocoa and chocolate has all of this minerals in large amounts http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5471/2)

[CapitalPrince]

are people with higher myopia more likely to develop floaters? I had a very annoying floater a few years ago, but for some reason it disappeared. I rarely ever notice floaters now and i certainly do not want more of these things in my eye.

[Alex_Myopic]

Yes, especially with high myopia the eyeball elongates so there are more chances of vitreous body detachment or biochemical anomalies.

[CapitalPrince]

thanks alex,

another reason for me to avoid the minus.

[Alex_Myopic]

"It is not, however, only elderly people who are troubled by floaters; they can also become a problem to younger people, especially if they are myopic"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floater

I've developed them not after the months or year of becoming -1D but after minus lenses and contact lenses with frequent inflammations at 16.

[Alex_Myopic]

Streptococcus produces hyaluronidase which destroys  hyaluronic acid. The vitreous body is composed mainly by hyaluronic acid and the water that it holds. It is said that if someone when he/she was a kid had frequent tonsillitis (from streptococcus) or scarlet fever then when he grows up he may suffer from pain in joints (knee especially) or heart problems (in the valves) because of the above fact.

I had my tonsils removed because of frequent amygdalitis at 6 and at 17 I developed eye floaters and knee pain at 28. Has anyone else confirmed the same stories?

Echinacea can inhibit hyaluronidase.

[Alex_Myopic]

Antioxidants may help prevent new ones from forming. Grape seeds mentioned above have strong antioxidants.

[Alex_Myopic]

I'll test some remedies about eye floaters. Earthclinic is a great site:

http://www.earthclinic.com/cures/eye-floaters.html
http://ted.earthclinic.com/cures/eye-floaters2.html

[Alex_Myopic]

I have tried a natural antioxidant astaxanthin for my eye floaters. 180 softgel capsules of 12mg. Zero results for me.