r/EyeFloaters

What are your opinions on pulse medica after it's imaging results? Will their laser work on young ppl( I'm 18) whose floaters are close to retina

Just wanted to drop by to let you guys know it gets better. Had a bad eye injury about 2 years ago and it sent me into depression, thought I would never be able to enjoy a sunny day again, black strings, a black dot that was frozen in the middle of my vision and large transparent blobs. Fast forward 2 years later the dot and strings are gone and my my brain tunes out my blobs 98% of the time.

I used to be pissed when doctors kicked me out and basically say get over it but honestly they were right. I don’t even take my atropine anymore 🤷‍♂️ when I stopped stressing it is when it got better. White screens are still horrid but I can enjoy outdoors no problem now which is great. I forget I have floaters sometimes till I see a white backdrop

After tons of research and trial and error I found best remedy to floaters besides surgery is just moving on 🤷‍♂️ sounds crazy bur you’ll stop caring and forget you have them

4 months after my eye injury, i feel more stressed than ever with my eye floaters. i recently got on to .01 atropine drops but it only feels like a bandaid and waking up the next day knowing they are still there just feels dreadful. I recently started playing video games again but dang, i cant shake off the stress for some reason. I feel shaky most of the time because of how stressful this really is. Anyways i just wanted to Vent, and maybe look for some hope here. I know its only been 4 months but it has been some really hard ones. I also spent almost 1.5k usd on doctors just for them to tell me your retina is fine, Next! I have about 20-30 floaters and they are all fairly large. all Cobwebs and Thinlines. Thank you to everyone who replies to this and offers some hope. My psn is the same as my Reddit username if anybody wants to game and be friend.

So I've recently been thinking about using low dose atropine for treating my eye floaters and I'm just curious if it will have any effect on my visual snow (my visual snow is quite mild).
Is there anyone else that's using atropine with visual snow? I want to know your experience with them and if it makes the symptoms worse.

So, 6 months ago my life was perfectly normal. 5 months ago, floaters started to appear - and my life got worse and worse. After many doc appointments and mental breakdowns, I thought i reached a state in which I can live normally again - but no. No matter how hard I try, my eyes keep on destroying my mental health.

Floaters seem to get worse and more. Especially those „grainy“ areas I mainly see when I squint - they almost take up my complete vision now when squinting, and are sometimes even visible without. Now, I also start to see glare, starbursts and that kind of shit. Fucking hell… I never had astigmatism or whatever but now it sure looks as if I have astigmatism.. I believe it’s my vitreous shit degenerating and causing light to break and make it appear as if I had astigmatism. My eyes try to take away my daytime, and now even the night is losing its „safety“ so to say.

Don’t know if anybody of you has this or can relate - I don’t know for how long I can go on like this - I’m only in my mid 20s, still studying and feeling like an 80 year old.

I have had very significant floaters, in the dozens and too many to really keep track of. I am in my early thirties, and have had floaters since I was a teenager. They have slowly worsened over time.

Most of these are black and dark grey curtains and spots around the corners of my eyes. Thankfully, most of my floaters in my central vision aren’t too noticeable. I do have some transparent and grey floaters in the center of my vision, however. My oldest and one of my least bothersome floaters in the center of my right eye, that I have had for over fifteen years just became ten times more noticeable following a bump to that eye from a hyperactive Australian Shepherd when I was laying in bed.

I blame myself a little for not keeping my head further away from this dog. Perhaps this floater would have worsened anyway and it just came as a coincidence that my eye was bumped around the same time. I find it unusual that this floater became so much more noticeable, looking at my phone screen, walls, ect, after being bumped in the eye, however.

The impact to my eye was not very hard, but I did see a very brief blue flash of light. No pain after either, and I closed my eye when this dog got in my face.

Is it possible for floaters to worsen like that from a minor impact? My eyes are obviously messed up anyway and very prone to floaters for whatever reason.

Sucks feeling so fragile, that the tiniest thing is going to make my floaters worsen and cause me to see these permanently.

I haven’t thought a ton about a vitrectomy until now honestly.

How much pressure from an impact can your eyes withstand before developing floaters?

I have floaters in my vision. I tend to notice them more when I’m looking at bright or light-coloured backgrounds — they show up as dark little threads drifting across my sight.

I’m a software developer, so I spend long hours in front of screens every day. Because of that, I’ve switched my system to dark mode, which definitely helps. But I feel like it’s mainly because the darker background just makes the floaters less visible, rather than actually improving my eyesight.

I’m wondering if anyone else has the same issue, and what you do to manage it?

The imagined patients are 18-45, have no other eye pathologies and are in good health:

Note: This is not peer-reviewed, has not been prepared by actual doctors or researchers, and is simply posted as an informal starting guide for anyone considering surgery for their floaters. This is not actual medical advice and should not be construed as anything other than imagined conversation between two imaginary surgeons. Their opinions are biased by their own beliefs and approach. Also, as they are not actual doctors, errors are likely.

[Additions, subtractions and edits are welcomed and expected.]

Dr. Limited: "I still think we're doing more vitrectomy than we need to in many young patients. If I've got an otherwise healthy 25- or 35-year-old with a localized macular problem, why am I inducing a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and removing pristine vitreous that's been attached since birth?"

Dr. Complete: "Because if you leave attached vitreous behind, you've also left the substrate for future traction. The surgery may go perfectly today, but residual cortical vitreous can contract months or years later. I'd rather deal with that once than have the patient come back needing another operation."

Dr. Limited: "That's assuming the residual vitreous becomes a problem. In young patients, the vitreous is structurally normal. Most of them would never develop pathological traction if we hadn't disturbed it in the first place. Inducing a PVD creates an artificial event decades earlier than nature intended."

Dr. Complete: "True, but surgery itself changes the eye. Once you've entered the vitreous cavity, you're no longer dealing with a completely natural environment. If I'm already there, I want to eliminate as many tractional forces as possible."

Dr. Limited: "At what cost? PVD induction in a 20- or 30-year-old can be difficult. The vitreoretinal adhesion is much stronger than in a 70-year-old. Every attempt to peel that hyaloid increases the chance of creating retinal breaks."

Dr. Complete: "Only if it's done aggressively. Modern aspiration techniques, visualization with triamcinolone, and careful elevation of the posterior hyaloid have made it considerably safer. And I'd argue that postoperative retinal tears from residual traction are also a real concern."

Dr. Limited: "But the intraoperative risk is immediate and unavoidable. You're applying traction to a retina that wasn't detached to begin with. Why manufacture that risk?"

Dr. Complete: "Because incomplete surgery carries its own risks. Consider recurrent epiretinal membrane formation. Residual cortical vitreous provides a scaffold for cellular proliferation."

Dr. Limited: "Yes, but recurrence rates after membrane peeling are already fairly low, especially if the internal limiting membrane (ILM) is peeled. The evidence that complete vitrectomy dramatically lowers recurrence isn't overwhelming."

Dr. Complete: "Fair point. But it's not just membranes. If there are subtle peripheral vitreoretinal adhesions, I'd rather know they're relieved than wonder whether they'll become symptomatic later."

Dr. Limited: "Except the peripheral vitreous is doing useful things. It stabilizes the vitreous gel, contributes to normal biomechanics, and probably slows oxygen diffusion. The more vitreous you remove, the more you alter the intraocular environment."

Dr. Complete: "That's mostly a cataract argument, and we're talking about younger phakic patients. Yes, increased oxygen exposure after vitrectomy accelerates nuclear sclerosis. But if surgery is indicated, visual rehabilitation usually outweighs the possibility of needing cataract surgery years later."

Dr. Limited: "Years? Sometimes it's much sooner, especially after a complete vitrectomy. Preserving anterior and peripheral vitreous may delay cataract progression."

Dr. Complete: "Maybe. But the data are mixed, particularly when comparing limited versus complete vitrectomy rather than vitrectomy versus no vitrectomy."

Dr. Limited: "Another issue is operative efficiency. Limited vitrectomy often means less surgical time, less instrument manipulation, and potentially less postoperative inflammation."

Dr. Complete: "Maybe fifteen minutes saved today, but if even a small percentage require reoperation, have we really gained efficiency?"

Dr. Limited: "Most don't."

Dr. Complete: "Most also tolerate complete vitrectomy very well."

Dr. Limited: "Let's talk retinal tears. Young attached vitreous is notorious. Every retinal surgeon has had that moment where the hyaloid suddenly releases peripherally and creates a break."

Dr. Complete: "And every retinal surgeon has also seen delayed tears from persistent vitreous traction after an incomplete procedure."

Dr. Limited: "Those aren't equivalent risks. One is induced by the surgeon; the other is a possible future event."

Dr. Complete: "Patients don't care whether the complication happens today or next year. They care whether it happens."

Dr. Limited: "Fair enough. But patients also value preserving normal anatomy whenever possible. My philosophy is to treat only what's causing the problem."

Dr. Complete: "Mine is to treat the entire mechanical system responsible for the disease."

Dr. Limited: "I think you're extrapolating from older patients, where spontaneous PVD has already occurred or is imminent."

Dr. Complete: "And I think you're underestimating how much surgery itself changes vitreoretinal dynamics."

Dr. Limited: "Suppose it's a healthy 28-year-old with a focal vitreomacular traction. I'd release the traction, remove only what's necessary, leave the remaining attached vitreous alone, and stop."

Dr. Complete: "I'd induce a complete PVD, perform a thorough core and posterior vitrectomy, inspect the periphery carefully with scleral depression, treat any breaks I find, and know the traction has been comprehensively eliminated."

Dr. Limited: "You're accepting greater operative complexity for theoretical long-term benefits."

Dr. Complete: "And you're accepting possible future pathology to preserve tissue that may no longer be beneficial after surgery."

Dr. Limited: "Perhaps the real answer is that surgery should be proportional to the disease."

Dr. Complete: "On that, we probably agree. If the pathology is highly localized and the risks of PVD induction are substantial, restraint has merit. If traction is diffuse, visualization is poor, or there's concern about residual vitreous causing recurrence, a complete vitrectomy becomes much easier to justify."

Summary:

Where the strongest arguments lie:

Arguments favoring a limited vitrectomy:

-Preserves more native vitreous and ocular biomechanics.

-Avoids technically challenging PVD induction in young eyes with strong vitreoretinal adhesion.

-May reduce the risk of iatrogenic retinal tears during surgery.

• May shorten operative time and decrease surgical manipulation.

-Could theoretically slow cataract progression by retaining more vitreous.

Arguments favoring a full vitrectomy with PVD induction:

-Eliminates persistent vitreoretinal traction.

-May reduce the chance of recurrent tractional disease or the need for repeat surgery in selected cases.

-Provides more complete visualization and treatment of the retina.

-Leaves less residual cortical vitreous that could serve as a scaffold for future pathology.

-Establishes a more predictable postoperative vitreoretinal state.

In contemporary vitreoretinal surgery, both philosophies are represented among highly experienced surgeons. Many surgeons now individualize the extent of vitrectomy based on the patient's age, the underlying disease, the strength of vitreoretinal adhesion, and the balance between immediate surgical risk and long-term anatomic stability. There is no universal consensus that a complete PVD should always be induced in every healthy young patient undergoing pars plana vitrectomy.

Editor's note: I underwent two full vitrectomies, but that was after natural PVDs so no induction was required. Further, those surgeries were done to peel epiretinal membranes/macular puckers. The floater removal was a secondary effect of those.

I want to share my floater story and see if anyone had a similar experience.

It started on **May 10** when my mom accidentally hit the back of my neck with her elbow. It wasn’t a hard hit—just a small one. Later that afternoon while we were at church, I noticed my vision was getting blurry. I brushed it off and thought it would go away.

But the next morning, the blurry vision was still there.

For about the next **10 days**, I had blurry vision along with headaches. Around **May 21–22**, I started feeling okay again—no more blurry vision or headaches. I searched online and thought maybe it was just a migraine.

Then on **May 23 and 24**, I played basketball. On May 23, I played for about an hour. On May 24, I was supposed to play for about an hour too, but I kept playing for around **3 hours**. During that day, I noticed slight blurry vision in my **right eye**, but I ignored it and kept playing (I really wish I had listened to my body).

On **May 25**, the blurry vision was still there. I thought rest and warm compresses on the back of my neck would help. A few days passed and I started feeling anxious about my eyes.

At first, I didn’t know anything about **eye floaters**. Once I learned what they were and how they worked, my anxiety got worse.

So on **May 30**, I got my eyes checked. I have mild nearsightedness, but thankfully the doctor said **no retinal tear**. He told me to just observe my eyes.

From **May 25 to around May 31**, I only noticed my black floater if I closed my left eye and specifically looked for it in my right eye.

But around **June 1**, something changed—I could now notice the floater even with both eyes open.

At first, under bright light like the sky, the floater looked like a simple black circle:

⚫

But by **June 10**, I noticed it started looking more like this:

⭕

Like a donut/ring. The hole in the middle was very small and somewhat transparent/grayish.

By **June 14**, I noticed the hole in the middle became bigger. It looked even more like a donut/ring.

(Also, on June 10, I started eating fresh pineapple for 3 days straight. I personally feel like it may have helped make the floater more transparent, though I know that could also be a coincidence.)

Throughout **June**, the floater mostly stayed the same.

Other things I noticed:

* If I put my hand very close to my right eye and look for the floater, it looks **tiny**, about the size of an ant, and appears **solid black with no hole**.

* But if I look far away, like at the end of my room, it looks more like this:

🔘

The edges become grayish and blurry while the center still looks darker.

When I look at the bright sky, it still looks like a donut/ring with a transparent middle.

I asked AI about this, and it suggested that it might be related to how the floater casts a shadow depending on lighting and focus distance.

One thing I do feel changed:

At first, when looking at the sky, the floater was a **solid black circle**.

Now, it’s more like a **ring/donut with a transparent center**.

Right now I still eat pineapple because it gives me hope. Even if it’s placebo, believing something helps makes my brain overthink less.

I was like 15 and high there was a spider on a light i was just staring at it for some reason (braindead behavior) anyway, im pretty sure i gained a bunch of floaters after that i only had 2 before i think but after that they grew and i noticed even more, like 10 years later they still bother me. Everything is saying its not possible that caused floaters but it clearly seems to be the cuase

Anyone else see like two perfect circles when the first wake up and close your eyes and move them around

They’re not bright just like two large rings

Lasts like 10 mins after waking up and only sometimes

Anyone have this or know what it is? Assuming something to do with pressure and harmless

Hey, I have pretty bad eye orders and I just wondered if anybody else has this when I’m in like stores like Walmart that has a lot of them white light strips my floaters will literally hit them and they’re normally dark and it’ll look like a bunch of white dots just flashing around for a second. It’s kind of weird to explain but if you have it, you’ll know the best I can say is I have a bunch that are dark and when they hit a white light, it’s literally turns like White is clear and it’s like flashes of it because of how many I have normal or not

Its my 3 weeks now having a weiss ring,.then suddenly i saw diffrent kinds of floaters,..

Abstract

Purpose : To quantitatively evaluate symptomatic vitreous opacities (SVOs) (floaters) in human eyes using an investigational non-contact Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy (SLO) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging platform.

Methods : Adults presenting with symptomatic vitreous opacities (floaters) were imaged with a novel non-contact AI-guided investigational SLO/OCT device in two independent clinical trials. The system simultaneously captured SLO sequences and volumetric OCT scans. A combination of manual and automated image analysis was used to localize the SVOs within the vitreous body and to quantify their size, opacity, morphology, and location relative to the retina.

Results : A total of 238 eyes from 135 subjects were analyzed. Both male (39.7%) and female (60.3%) subjects were enrolled, with the majority aged 65 years and older. Across both studies, a total of 1045 SLO and 966 OCT images were acquired, SVOs were visible in 943 SLO (90.2%) and 779 OCT (80.6%) scans. Opacities were quantified based on their size, opacity, and morphology; as well as location relative to the retina and motility during imaging.

Conclusions : Study showed that this novel non-contact AI-guided SLO/OCT imaging platform proved to be a useful tool to capture and quantify floaters. Findings provide the first in vivo quantitative database of floater morphology that suggests a positive correlation with patient-reported perception of floaters. These findings fill an existing gap in the understanding of floater morphology, providing a foundation for objective evaluation of floater severity and guiding future image-based treatment strategies to enhance patient quality of life.

This abstract was presented at the 2026 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 3-7, 2026.

I developed some floaters a couple of months ago and I wasnt really light sensitive, I started wearing shades while driving, in the office and outside. I also reduced my monitor brightness to the lowest and use dark mode. Now I feel like screen brightnesses i could look at normally feels way too bright for me. I have been to 3 different opthamologists and they found nothing wrong with my eyes. I stopped driving with shades to see if that helps, but I dont know how else I can correct it or if it will ever correct. Has anyone been able to tackle this issue before?

For example, if a treatment offered a 20% improvement in your floaters, would that be worth your consideration?

How about 50%, 75%, 85%, 99% or anything in between.

Assume for the purpose of this exercise that there are risks in any potential procedure, and that the costs are managable and within similar ranges.

There are no right or wrong answers here.

Obviously this is purely hypothetical and just something to get a sense of the collective burden floaters present to you and at what level of improvement you would feel a significant quality of life change.

Ive done it all. Great results. Ask away!

Ive done it all. Great results. Ask away!

Ok so I’ve had a small dark dot eye floater for a while that moves around when my eyes move around - so I’ve gotten used to that one in my left eye. But just after pregnancy and probably like 10 hours of sleep total this past year of having a baby (🤪lol) I noticed a larger floater in my right eye that I get confused with a hair sometimes. At first I thought it was a hair but I realized it’s another annoying floater. If obsess over it and look at it it’s like a cloud when the light comes in the house windows or it’s dark when looking at the sky. Ugh this one is driving me nuts - I didn’t know they could look like strings or a strand of hair so I was wondering if anyone else had this type of floater? I would say it is quite large but it isn’t constant etc. it doesn’t help that I have anxiety and ocd lol