This is extremely interesting to me. I've dealt with temporary floaters virtually my entire life. Annoying but they'd go away quickly. Last year the problem became "permanent" in my right eye. A bit of research and the paranoia from the medical industry: "submit to surgery or you will be blind in a week or two, maybe sooner".
Well, since I've lost ALL confidence in the medical industry, I promptly rejected that and set myself to solving this problem. So researching and wishful thinking.
My thinking was that mitochondrial health (more energy) would be valuable for this. So I increased my supplementation of nicotinamide riboside to 900 mg per day. I also doubled my supplement that provides astaxanthin. Instead of getting worse, there has been a small amount of improvement.
I do use red light therapy (have you read my previous articles on red light devices?) but I'm extremely hesitant to shining powerful red light into my eyes, especially without closing my eyelids. I might consider red light therapy for my eyes if the condition gets worse.
Also I'm experimenting with DMSO (but not as eye drops, simply rubbed into the skin around my eyes).
So far no miracle cure, but small improvement is encouraging!
This had one major "mental" impact on me. I had planned to never buy another car in my lifetime. Now I'm seriously considering a "self driving car" if they ever get that working well enough in a few years.
I had not seen your articles, but I have listened to many podcasts on red light. I have a BioMax panel, and also a HeatHealer Sauna Dome (with red light inside). I do believe my energy increase over the last year is thanks to red light, but I was mostly using it for my thyroid and EustachianTube Dysfunction.
I've got some DMSO cream, but I've heard some scary things about it, so I haven't actually done anything with it. With health anxiety, it makes much more sense to stick to the things no one would argue with (like eating more veggies).
I have been taking Mitopure (when it's on sale and I have the money), and CoQ10 gummies.
As for your currently "permanent" floater, does this mean you had the Posterior Vitreous Detachment? Was it one eye only? Because you may be getting another one soon. I really wish I had been warned.
I find your comment about medical industry PUSHING surgery very interesting. My local doctor said there was a single-incision vitrectomy that could relieve the floater. But I haven't found anyone willing to do that. Most people do the 3-incision one which is a lot more invasive. He wasn't really pushing it, but was more excited about it than the specialist....
My retinal specialist balked at the idea of me having a vitrectomy just for floaters. His notes say to just watch my retina scarring. I get the impression that due to the risks of the vitrectomy surgery they don't want to do it that quickly unless it is lowering the quality of life. I have to find out more about when he would consider surgery so I can hopefully calm down in the future.
He really pushed for / wanted to see my retinas again 4-5 weeks after the first visit to make sure that the retina had not torn over that time. But I totally understand that when you look at the chances of a retinal tear/detachment in my situation.
All I've heard (except for my local rural doc) is that floaters are something we are just supposed to live with and that they will get better with time. The vitreous liquifies over time so it will become more loose with aging and it should break apart. There is hope for me on both eyes with that (if the scarring doesn't get more concerning).
I mentioned about covering my eyes concerning red light exposure. I have PlatinumLED's eyeball coverings but I can see that I sense light through the sides of my head even with the goggles on. My skin is so light that while wearing the glasses & goggles, it passes through the skin and I can still "see" it (as in sense a brighter atmosphere when I turn towards it). I was even worried about it and asked the retinal specialist about it. He didn't think it would be a problem, but I don't know how researched he is in that area.
What impressed me is that unless you have test equipment, you don't really know how powerful the various red light devices are. Many are simply a waste of money, others are phenomenal bargains! I've focused mostly on red light for joint / muscle benefits. (I'm currently using it as part of my regimen to restore natural hair color).
I've never been a fan of liquids. They are very difficult to measure so I haven't done a lot with the DMSO, but instead found high dosage MSM capsules (MSM is the oxidized form of DMSO) effective (I can count pills and thus document dosages).
Yes, so far I've only had problems in the one eye. As I mentioned, it has improved slightly over the past year so the fear / warning of worse problems developing rapidly has not occurred for me.
I used a "cheap" (compared to BioMax) red light panel on my dog when she tore a ligament (according to the vet). The vet said she might have to spend her life in a crate (to keep her from trying to jump or walk steps that might aggravate the ligament). I thought, "What life is that for her?" So I looked into it and someone mentioned red light. I didn't have much money at the time, but I got one infrared light off Amazon. I sat with the dog as she got 15 minutes of red light therapy over days or weeks. I have no recollection of how long it took. But she started feeling better, and then she was walking around. Then she was jumping around and chasing rabbits in the yard. She was happy and no more signs of pain. She has since died, but the red light therapy is a miracle worker.
As for your other eye, it may have a vitreous detachment (if that's what occurred in the other). But a lot of vitreous detachments have no symptoms. It's better if you're older.
I experienced flashes of light on the sides of my eye when moving them from right to left quickly. That happens because the vitreous is tugging on parts of the eye as it detaches. Some people don't experience this at all. But I noticed it in both eyes when the PVD occurred.
Then you see the floaters. This is why an eye doctor will ask you, "Are you seeing flashes of light and a lot of new floaters?" It gives them an indication that the PVD is happening. For some people it happens easily without any problems. I've heard that some people come in for a regular eye exam and they're told it happened and they had no symptoms. I think this is because of the age in which it happens. When you're younger the vitreous is still more gel-like, less liquid so you notice the floaters more and it's probably more securely attached, so the pulling hard makes you notice the flashes.
If it's doing that and you see a bunch of dots all over all of a sudden, and it's only in one eye and makes text blurry, I'd say you probably had a hemorrhage. And that really does need to get checked out because it may tug on the retina next.
If you're young, I'd say be mindful. If you're older, it may not be a big deal. I would never want to cause more unwarranted fear in people. Somehow I beat the odds with both of mine not leading to retina tears after hemorrhages. So it happens, or the odds aren't accurate. Who's to say?
I just think warning people is the proper thing to do because the unknown is what terrifies people. At least knowing what's going on is calming. I find that most doctors don't really calm patients by explaining what all is going on most of the time (in my experience at least).
When I saw all the little dots, I wondered if I should get an eye appointment. I want to say I'm glad I did. Maybe not knowing would have saved me this stressful as hell month. I think in the long run it's probably better to know than to be stuck in the bliss of ignorance. If didn't know what I know now, I wouldn't know there was scar tissue on my retina and have a surgeon already lined up.
And had the retina tear or detachment gone a different way, I would have "20/20" hindsight and said, "Yes! If you see those dots get checked out!" It really could save your eyesight. I've been hearing about people gone blind due to retinal issues thanks explaining my doctor appointments to people. It happens. No one wants that to happen.
The best (powerful and cost effective) red light device I have is a lamp (bulb) that only cost $35. That's a great story of how you helped your dog! Red light really can benefit joints / muscles! All the other claims are a bit harder to confirm.
I appreciate all the links and description you provided. It's actually reassuring that perhaps the PVD is already done in my right eye and thus why no more flashes and floaters that are currently responding to getting better. I haven't had "lightning" for over a year now.
I'll continue to stay well away from MDs. I don't find them helpful, sometimes downright dangerous. I agree, it's great to be informed and MDs generally aren't great sources of information.
Thanks. I like giving out links because people can do their own research and the article with links helps them find more information than only I could write. I never know what all seeds I am planting when I write things like this.
I am glad I could reassure you about that. Now you know what to look out for with the other eye as well.
This is extremely interesting to me. I've dealt with temporary floaters virtually my entire life. Annoying but they'd go away quickly. Last year the problem became "permanent" in my right eye. A bit of research and the paranoia from the medical industry: "submit to surgery or you will be blind in a week or two, maybe sooner".
Well, since I've lost ALL confidence in the medical industry, I promptly rejected that and set myself to solving this problem. So researching and wishful thinking.
My thinking was that mitochondrial health (more energy) would be valuable for this. So I increased my supplementation of nicotinamide riboside to 900 mg per day. I also doubled my supplement that provides astaxanthin. Instead of getting worse, there has been a small amount of improvement.
I do use red light therapy (have you read my previous articles on red light devices?) but I'm extremely hesitant to shining powerful red light into my eyes, especially without closing my eyelids. I might consider red light therapy for my eyes if the condition gets worse.
Also I'm experimenting with DMSO (but not as eye drops, simply rubbed into the skin around my eyes).
So far no miracle cure, but small improvement is encouraging!
This had one major "mental" impact on me. I had planned to never buy another car in my lifetime. Now I'm seriously considering a "self driving car" if they ever get that working well enough in a few years.
I had not seen your articles, but I have listened to many podcasts on red light. I have a BioMax panel, and also a HeatHealer Sauna Dome (with red light inside). I do believe my energy increase over the last year is thanks to red light, but I was mostly using it for my thyroid and EustachianTube Dysfunction.
I've got some DMSO cream, but I've heard some scary things about it, so I haven't actually done anything with it. With health anxiety, it makes much more sense to stick to the things no one would argue with (like eating more veggies).
I have been taking Mitopure (when it's on sale and I have the money), and CoQ10 gummies.
As for your currently "permanent" floater, does this mean you had the Posterior Vitreous Detachment? Was it one eye only? Because you may be getting another one soon. I really wish I had been warned.
I find your comment about medical industry PUSHING surgery very interesting. My local doctor said there was a single-incision vitrectomy that could relieve the floater. But I haven't found anyone willing to do that. Most people do the 3-incision one which is a lot more invasive. He wasn't really pushing it, but was more excited about it than the specialist....
My retinal specialist balked at the idea of me having a vitrectomy just for floaters. His notes say to just watch my retina scarring. I get the impression that due to the risks of the vitrectomy surgery they don't want to do it that quickly unless it is lowering the quality of life. I have to find out more about when he would consider surgery so I can hopefully calm down in the future.
He really pushed for / wanted to see my retinas again 4-5 weeks after the first visit to make sure that the retina had not torn over that time. But I totally understand that when you look at the chances of a retinal tear/detachment in my situation.
All I've heard (except for my local rural doc) is that floaters are something we are just supposed to live with and that they will get better with time. The vitreous liquifies over time so it will become more loose with aging and it should break apart. There is hope for me on both eyes with that (if the scarring doesn't get more concerning).
I mentioned about covering my eyes concerning red light exposure. I have PlatinumLED's eyeball coverings but I can see that I sense light through the sides of my head even with the goggles on. My skin is so light that while wearing the glasses & goggles, it passes through the skin and I can still "see" it (as in sense a brighter atmosphere when I turn towards it). I was even worried about it and asked the retinal specialist about it. He didn't think it would be a problem, but I don't know how researched he is in that area.
What impressed me is that unless you have test equipment, you don't really know how powerful the various red light devices are. Many are simply a waste of money, others are phenomenal bargains! I've focused mostly on red light for joint / muscle benefits. (I'm currently using it as part of my regimen to restore natural hair color).
I've never been a fan of liquids. They are very difficult to measure so I haven't done a lot with the DMSO, but instead found high dosage MSM capsules (MSM is the oxidized form of DMSO) effective (I can count pills and thus document dosages).
Yes, so far I've only had problems in the one eye. As I mentioned, it has improved slightly over the past year so the fear / warning of worse problems developing rapidly has not occurred for me.
I used a "cheap" (compared to BioMax) red light panel on my dog when she tore a ligament (according to the vet). The vet said she might have to spend her life in a crate (to keep her from trying to jump or walk steps that might aggravate the ligament). I thought, "What life is that for her?" So I looked into it and someone mentioned red light. I didn't have much money at the time, but I got one infrared light off Amazon. I sat with the dog as she got 15 minutes of red light therapy over days or weeks. I have no recollection of how long it took. But she started feeling better, and then she was walking around. Then she was jumping around and chasing rabbits in the yard. She was happy and no more signs of pain. She has since died, but the red light therapy is a miracle worker.
As for your other eye, it may have a vitreous detachment (if that's what occurred in the other). But a lot of vitreous detachments have no symptoms. It's better if you're older.
I experienced flashes of light on the sides of my eye when moving them from right to left quickly. That happens because the vitreous is tugging on parts of the eye as it detaches. Some people don't experience this at all. But I noticed it in both eyes when the PVD occurred.
Then you see the floaters. This is why an eye doctor will ask you, "Are you seeing flashes of light and a lot of new floaters?" It gives them an indication that the PVD is happening. For some people it happens easily without any problems. I've heard that some people come in for a regular eye exam and they're told it happened and they had no symptoms. I think this is because of the age in which it happens. When you're younger the vitreous is still more gel-like, less liquid so you notice the floaters more and it's probably more securely attached, so the pulling hard makes you notice the flashes.
If it's doing that and you see a bunch of dots all over all of a sudden, and it's only in one eye and makes text blurry, I'd say you probably had a hemorrhage. And that really does need to get checked out because it may tug on the retina next.
If you're young, I'd say be mindful. If you're older, it may not be a big deal. I would never want to cause more unwarranted fear in people. Somehow I beat the odds with both of mine not leading to retina tears after hemorrhages. So it happens, or the odds aren't accurate. Who's to say?
I just think warning people is the proper thing to do because the unknown is what terrifies people. At least knowing what's going on is calming. I find that most doctors don't really calm patients by explaining what all is going on most of the time (in my experience at least).
When I saw all the little dots, I wondered if I should get an eye appointment. I want to say I'm glad I did. Maybe not knowing would have saved me this stressful as hell month. I think in the long run it's probably better to know than to be stuck in the bliss of ignorance. If didn't know what I know now, I wouldn't know there was scar tissue on my retina and have a surgeon already lined up.
And had the retina tear or detachment gone a different way, I would have "20/20" hindsight and said, "Yes! If you see those dots get checked out!" It really could save your eyesight. I've been hearing about people gone blind due to retinal issues thanks explaining my doctor appointments to people. It happens. No one wants that to happen.
The best (powerful and cost effective) red light device I have is a lamp (bulb) that only cost $35. That's a great story of how you helped your dog! Red light really can benefit joints / muscles! All the other claims are a bit harder to confirm.
I appreciate all the links and description you provided. It's actually reassuring that perhaps the PVD is already done in my right eye and thus why no more flashes and floaters that are currently responding to getting better. I haven't had "lightning" for over a year now.
I'll continue to stay well away from MDs. I don't find them helpful, sometimes downright dangerous. I agree, it's great to be informed and MDs generally aren't great sources of information.
No "dots" for me!
Thanks. I like giving out links because people can do their own research and the article with links helps them find more information than only I could write. I never know what all seeds I am planting when I write things like this.
I am glad I could reassure you about that. Now you know what to look out for with the other eye as well.