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Eye floaters
- Thread starter mncjl123
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Peggy
Well known member
No need to be scared or frightened, eyesight can be improved and stress does affect the eyes, that's why so many people have glasses. Dr. William Bates has the best info on the eyes. There is a reference to him on this forum: http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Vision_Problems (Vision Problems). My eye doctor told me I have beginning stages of cataracts last time I went to see him. So I started to do the research. And Bates is good. He is from the turn of last century however and there are practitioners who have learned the "Bates Method" for eyes. I really like Meir Schneider's book "Vision for Life". He does have specific exercises for floaters in his book. Most people don't tell you this, but vision can be improved! And not all eye exercises are created equal. I try to integrate healthy viewing practices into my daily life, so it doesn't seem like exercise (physiotherapy).
Anne Walker
Beloved Grand Eagle
I had some floaters a few years ago that did an excellent job of scaring me and creating a lot of anxiety. I talked to my accupuncturist/chinese herbalist about them and he said not to worry. And then he told me how he gets them all the time! I asked him if it scared him and he said "nah, I'm used to it. Get 'em almost every time I bend over." Poof, mine just went away after that. So, I know they can be TMS related. And if I get some after writing this post, I'll know for sure!! haha
Between 2004-2006 or so I had eye floaters and flashers bad- went to two eye Doctors who both told me it was fine. Usual symptom imperative kicked in at the time too- floaters disappeared, new symptom started. I used to obsess over my eyes all the time. Something I've learned though- eyes are actually very well protected and the brain can do an unbelievable amount of compensation for visual deficits (which is why a lot of people don't realize they need glasses until they have an eye exam).
Every adult will get floaters at some point as the vitreous from your eye slowly detaches. Floaters are the visual equivalent of tinnitus- it is something your brain should be tuning out, but isn't. There is a one in a million chance its not TMS and the vitreous can pull the retina away, but in that case you should also start with loss of peripheral vision. An eye Doctor can easily detect this in a routine exam though. You can have it checked out if you want, but once you're given the all clear you can treat it as TMS (if the retina is fine, the Doctor will probably tell you to learn to ignore it like he told me).
Tennis Tom
Beloved Grand Eagle
You've been given good advice by all the above. Bates method is complementary to Dr. Sarno. Eye issues are likely another TMS manifestation. If you'd like to learn more about vision/VISION do a search here and there should be some threads on it, I know I've written about it before. Also look up Dr. Roberto Kaplan, a world wide authority on vision/VISION, eyes and the mind, and the un-conscious. He's written several great books, has a web-site and travels the world lecturing.
What's revealing about your post is your initial reaction to your latest possible/probable TMS symptom--no one can dx you with certainty over the internet. You are "scared and frightened," exactly what the TMS gremlin was hoping for--another TMS symptom to distract you from your emotional/psychological issues, (see the RAHE-HOLMES list). The first thing you should do when you get a new possible TMS issue, is to look it up in a TMS book, like in SteveO's fine Appendix of TMS symptoms, or do a search here because it's highly unlikely that you are the first to have it.
The other thing I take from your post is your mention of "all the hard TMS work" you are doing. This shouldn't be that hard, it should be liberating and comforting. If it's hard maybe it's your TMS perfectionist personality demanding that it should be that way, otherwise you don't deserve to be happy.
Making TMS symptoms fade and become less frequent is about having a change of mind regarding what is going on in your psychology and changing your thinking patterns. Dr. Sarno calls it KNOWLEDGE PENICILLIN, you just need to accept his theory, that TMS symptoms are benign, and are there to distract you from your unconscious gremlin's decision, that physical/affective pain is preferable to dealing with emotional pain head-on.
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mncjl123
Peer Supporter
ok. I devoured the bates books! But, what I see is lots of practice and exercise! Again, doing something repetitive to try and heal! it is like physical therapy with the eyes. how is that like sarno? So confused. I am now diligently moving my eyes and doing exercises to get rid of these darn spiders in my eyes.
Did your eye floaters ever resolve? I developed the same a few months ago and they are incredibly frustrating
I've got loads of floaters in both eyes. After a while your brain learns to tune them out and ignore them. Jason32's advice in his posting above is spot on about them. Strange though that when they examined your eyes they didn't see any floaters as I believe that they can usually see them during an examination when the eyes are dilated with eyedrops.
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I saw a retinal specialist as my optician was worried and he said that my eyes were very healthy and I had very occasional floaters but was one the mild end of the spectrum’. It all occurred after a migrane and he said that he thought my normal Brian filter had just switched off and at some point it would settle. I currently see 50 floaters + in both eyes. A whole collection of dots and strand and cobwebs that move. Is it really possibly that I could tune these out? It’s been about six months so far. I really hope my brain kicks in! Thank you for your comments
Baseball65
Beloved Grand Eagle
I have had eyesight vision 'floaters' as you guys are calling them, for quite a long time. They look like pulsating dots and worms breaking up my field of vision. They can vary from one little spot to a full swirling kaleidoscope. I always equated them with Headaches (like the shimmers before a migraine) and have dismissed them as TMS.
Other stress factors that seem to make them more likely; Being reeeally hungry, drinking too much coffee ,exertion and being tired. They almost always come later in the day. My Eye doctor also said the scar tissue on our eyes shrinks and makes them more dramatic as we fatigue and age.
I was playing Baseball in 100+ degree temps in Texas Last week. They Started up BAD.... Big pulsating worms crawling across my vision and distorting my field of view. I was playing second base, so this actually could have harmed me if I missed a smoked ground ball to the face. Of course, as soon as they started, I immediately had two hot plays, but God be praised, the ball came through the clear part of my field of vision!
I did tell my coach to pull me out of the game. I went and sat down and drank a ton of water and ate a Cliff Bar. I relaxed, followed my breath and sat still. They STOPPED ! That was the first time I have ever made it stop in real time. Normally I have to just wait until they go away. That was very confidence instilling because I don't feel like I am at their mercy anymore.
To me these guys are sort of in the nether world between TMS and physical.....only because of the externals that are manageable that seem to make them more likely. But, like any 'physical' thing, I can see how these might become obsessional and turn into full blown symptom imperative. That would necessitate ignoring them and turning our thoughts to why we might need a distraction... who knows, maybe I was scared in the game? Maybe The part of me that thinks I am never good enough decided to act up? The good news is, TMS seems to always respond to the same therapy...
Look inside.
Other stress factors that seem to make them more likely; Being reeeally hungry, drinking too much coffee ,exertion and being tired. They almost always come later in the day. My Eye doctor also said the scar tissue on our eyes shrinks and makes them more dramatic as we fatigue and age.
I was playing Baseball in 100+ degree temps in Texas Last week. They Started up BAD.... Big pulsating worms crawling across my vision and distorting my field of view. I was playing second base, so this actually could have harmed me if I missed a smoked ground ball to the face. Of course, as soon as they started, I immediately had two hot plays, but God be praised, the ball came through the clear part of my field of vision!
I did tell my coach to pull me out of the game. I went and sat down and drank a ton of water and ate a Cliff Bar. I relaxed, followed my breath and sat still. They STOPPED ! That was the first time I have ever made it stop in real time. Normally I have to just wait until they go away. That was very confidence instilling because I don't feel like I am at their mercy anymore.
To me these guys are sort of in the nether world between TMS and physical.....only because of the externals that are manageable that seem to make them more likely. But, like any 'physical' thing, I can see how these might become obsessional and turn into full blown symptom imperative. That would necessitate ignoring them and turning our thoughts to why we might need a distraction... who knows, maybe I was scared in the game? Maybe The part of me that thinks I am never good enough decided to act up? The good news is, TMS seems to always respond to the same therapy...
Look inside.
I never counted my floaters but I got 'cobwebs', 'spiders', grey 'clouds', dots and 'worms' all over the place in both eyes @Mycatkaz. The majority of mine occurred after experiencing flashing lights in both eyes (due to gradual vitreous detachment) and some after what was probably an 'ocular migraine' (in combination with vitreous detachment) in my right eye.
It took many months for me to not notice my floaters and that was partly because I was at first worried about them (and got things checked out, just as you have done) and then upset and really angry about them. I gradually stopped feeling like that though and I also stopped 'assessing' them and then eventually I stopped noticing them. I can't tell you exactly how long that took, but I estimate that it was probably over a period of about a year to 18 months; the brain needs some time to adjust and tune them out.
With regard to the brain adjusting and tuning floaters out, an example of the brain being able to do such things is with strabismus. People with strabismus see double images, but the brain usually adapts by shutting down or ignoring the information from one eye. I have experience of this as I have 'monocular' double vision in my right eye due to a cataract but, although my left eye also has a cataract, it isn't as bad as the one in my right eye, and I don't see double when I use both eyes together. This is because my brain ignores the double vision in my right eye. Cataracts 'grow'/form gradually and so I didn't realise this adaption was happening until I had an eye test during which my left eye was covered and I was asked to read a back lit eye chart with my right eye -- and everything was doubled/blurred. (I also have fluctuating 'binocular' double vision but that's another story and quite a different kettle of fish.)
Anyway, back to floaters...Now, if I intentionally look for them, I can still see some of my floaters, e.g. one particularly dark one top right in my right eye and another grey cloud-like one that comes across the pupil of my left eye, but I don't generally notice any of my floaters to include those ones as I go about my daily business.
Floaters can also slowly sink within the vitreous and eventually settle at the bottom of the eye. When this happens, you don't see them anymore and you are likely to think they have gone away. I believe that some of my floaters have almost certainly sunk.
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Hi Baseball,
I've had experiences like you describe. I got myself checked out at my local eye hospital A&E (ER) when it first happened and was told that 'Kaleidoscope Vision' (they used that term) can be caused by an ocular migraine (with or without a headache) and that episodes can be for around 10 to 20 minutes or so, but can last for an hour or more, and that they can affect one or both eyes. My KV/ocular migraine episodes were in one eye, the same eye each time (and were different to my floaters caused by vitreous gelly thickening and vitreous detachment)...and on two occasions I temporarily completely lost the sight in the affected eye.
This website gives a lot of details about ocular migraines https://www.specsavers.co.uk/eye-health/ocular-migraines (Ocular Migraine - Symptoms, Causes & Treatment | Specsavers UK). Interestingly, it says that triggers for them include, excessive heat, exercise, dehydration, bending over and low blood sugar...so some of the triggers would therefore seem to tie in with your experience whilst playing baseball.
Interestingly, ocular migraines apparently happen when the blood flow to the eye becomes restricted due to a sudden narrowing of the blood vessels. Once the vessels relax, normal blood flow returns and symptoms clear and usually this will have no lasting damage to the eye. So, this would seem to possibly tie in with TMS reduced blood flow. (The NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/retinal-migraine/ (Retinal migraine) does though of course give the caveat that "it's important to see an optometrist or medical doctor urgently if you suddenly lose your eyesight, particularly if it occurs for the first time. There are other more serious causes of sight loss that doctors will want to rule out.")
When I went to the eye hospital, thankfully, they couldn't pin the cause down to anything sinister. My eyes are misaligned for reasons that I'll spare you the details of, so they put it down to that triggering my KV/ocular migraines.
My cousin also had two bouts of KV/ocular migraine without headache (the first one for about 45 minutes and the second for around 15 minutes) about 5 years ago - 3 weeks apart - with no further reoccurrence. She was told that it's best to try to relax during an ocular migraine and let it run its course. She did this during her second episode, which may account for it only lasting 15 minutes compared to the 45 minutes duration of her first episode.
Heaven knows whether my and my cousin's KV/ocular migraine episodes were actually TMS or not -- I prefer to believe that they were.
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