I mentioned these before in a previous post awhile ago, but I just have some questions regarding them.
1. Is there a cause for them or is it random? Does diet affect them or do they occur for the same reason that blurry vision occurs(straining).
2. Is there a cure for them? I heard that by doing the Bates method, it can get rid of them in time. Is this true? If so, how long does it take on average(im assuming its in the years).
I have been practicing the bates method(more on David's method) for about a year now. I can generally get my vision sharper when I concentrate at it(though I wish it wasn't just temporary) so my vision goes on bigs swings from day to do(sharper days to blurrier days), which gives me a hope that I'm making progress. Obviously I'm no pro at.
The reason I ask about the floaters is because I have one in the center of my vision that can be a bit annoying at times and I've heard that it's bad to "focus" on them and that ignoring them is better(which is sometimes hard to do).
One thing to remember up front about floaters is that usually they are perfectly harmless. If it is a huge one that won't go away, you'd do well to see an eye doc just to make sure that it's not something worse, but in general they are only a nuisance or curiosity.
Recent research with equipment more advanced than that available in Dr. Bates day does show these floaters as physical objects in the eye versus him not being able to find anything and assuming therefore that they were a product of one's imagination.
Basically what they are are just (sorry about having to double that) pieces of dead membrane inside the eye that haven't been dealt with by the body. My opinion is that they are caused by a strain of some sort, and diet would not surprise me as a possible cause.
I occasionally get them, but only for short periods of time, and usually when extensive eye strain is present. So some palming and swings usually take care of them for me, and might for you. You'd just have to experiment to find out.
Yes to everything Fiat said. Many vision authors have suggested these are toxic or waste deposits in the eye, and a better diet and better health overall will help remove them. I think the same is true of healthy vision practices, which keep the fluids and energy flowing in a natural way in the eye instead of getting stuck and stagnant. Just think of the difference between someone who never blinks, and someone with healthy natural vision, with regard to how well their eyes can cleanse themselves. I used to have a huge one in my right eye which is broken apart now, the remnants almost gone. I still have a smaller one at the edge of the left eye's visual field which also seems to be decreasing. I hardly notice these now, and I agree with Dr. Bates' advice to ignore them and just focus on healthy vision habits. I used to do visualizations years ago when they were a lot worse, seeing them melt and drift away, like ice chips in the sun. I don't know if this actually helped or just made me feel better.
Like anything else in this work you want to reduce (headaches, blurriness, double vision, etc.) notice yourself and your habits. Do the floaters increase when you get upset, or tired, or have been at the computer for a long time without a break? Your body is sending you a message about what it doesn't like -- you just have to decode it, then take the appropriate action.
One of my floaters is so big that it actually looks like a small insect flying in front of me. The only way to deal with this is to forget about the specks.
However, I sometimes make the floaters work for me-I can see if I do the shifting correctly because the floaters always follow the movement of the eye. lol Sounds silly, but it really helps.
Nancy Wrote:Like anything else in this work you want to reduce (headaches, blurriness, double vision, etc.) notice yourself and your habits. Do the floaters increase when you get upset, or tired, or have been at the computer for a long time without a break? Your body is sending you a message about what it doesn't like -- you just have to decode it, then take the appropriate action.
When you say: "do the floaters increase when you get upset, or tired..." do you mean: "do I NOTICE the floaters more when I get upset, tired, etc"? The floaters are always there right? I just notice them more on brighter, more bland, surfaces, and yes, when I am tired and been at the computer work for awhile I do see them more.
Also, Fiat, when you say you only get them for "short periods of time", is that in terms of months or something? Is the time frame when floaters form and de-form a short period of time? Because the ones I see have been there for at least a month, if not maybe longer cause I am more aware of my vision now.
Quote:When you say: "do the floaters increase when you get upset, or tired..." do you mean: "do I NOTICE the floaters more when I get upset, tired, etc"? The floaters are always there right? I just notice them more on brighter, more bland, surfaces, and yes, when I am tired and been at the computer work for awhile I do see them more.
I don't think floaters are as static and fixed as some people believe. I think, like myopia, they increase and decrease depending on one's attitude. That was my point, to heighten your awareness of that.
I hear what your saying. I see them much more often when I am stressed or tired, and their shape changes from day to day. I guess what I'm wandering is how long of practicing good visual habits does it take for them to break down and go away, because even when I am not stressed at all and my vision is pretty sharp, I noticed one a little bit in the center of my vision from time to time. Does it take months, or even years for them to PHYSICALLY go away?
There is no timetable which is true for everyone -- we are all individuals. You already are noticing one only a little bit when you are not stressed and your vision is really sharp. I'd focus on prolonging that state and making it your new normal, instead of focusing on the floater. I believe this is what Dr. Bates meant about ignoring them.
