Hi all. I am kind of new here. I was diagnosed about 3 years ago and at the same time of onset of classic symptoms of Meniere's I developed numerous floaters in my eyes. Do any of you have these? They are so annoying and some are quite large. Also at that time I had flashes in my eyes at night with vertigo/Meniere's attacks. I have been told by eye doctor that my floaters are not dangerous. Is there a way to get rid of them? My vertigo episodes have subsided except with weather changes, elevation and too much salt, alcohol, caffiene which I avoid now at all costs. I still get weird happenings like visual problems, red eyes, dizzy when reading or on computer, horrible tinnitis and head noises (like bombs going off) mainly at night just when I am about to go to sleep. I have trouble laying flat in bed, have to prop up. Could Menieres be related to allergies? I feel like sometimes my Meniere's attacks are allergy type reactions, only instead of sneezing and runny nose the fluid goes to my ears? Thanks for any imput. This diseaes really sucks, but has taught me how to take better care of myself. I also have terrible hyperacusis and have to wear cotton in my right ear to muffle sounds.. Thanks! Carlson
floaters are normal, I was told this too by the eye Dr. He told me that flashes of light could be migraine or a pulling away of the retina, which I guess can happen when we age. I see this is your first post welcome to the forum
Hi Carlson...I get floaters too. They are so annoying...sometimes I just follow them..I've learned to accept them. My eye dr said nothing to worry about. I have horrible Tinnitus...a constant EEeeeeeeee sound ....in both ears but left ear is higher pitched...It sucks! I also have to prop up at night. Two pillows and if I go flat, I wake up in vertigo sick as a dog for hours/days and off for a week...It took me two years to realize this is BPPV and only an epley maneuver and vrt helped me. Welcome to the forum by the way!!!! Good Luck!! Bergs I do believe allergies affect Menieres! Also the weather changes...thats when I feel the worst!
Carlson, Welcome to the forum. Some people believe that allergies can contribute to Meniere's (they do mine). Sounds like you need to find what triggers your symptoms. Start a symptom journal. Record: When you eat What you eat What meds you take When you take the meds Your MM symptoms and changes thru the day (times) Stress levels Food allergies are a fairly common trigger for MM especially gluten (wheat & other grains) and dairy. If your symptoms usually get worse after eating the same type of meal then you can try eliminating that food from your diet. If you eliminate an allergen it should give you some relief with in a week or two at the most. Common triggers: Sodium MSG Stress Fatigue Wheat Dairy Less common but reported triggers: Nicotine Seasonal allergies Hormones Alcohol Caffeine Other inhalant allergies Other food allergies Weather Good luck, Tracy
The flashes can be due to a burst of a small blood vessel, also the floaters. I had an episode about four or five years ago with both flashes and floaters. It cleared up in a few weeks. DC
Welcome Carlson. There is a grid eye chart that you can get from your eye doctor. They say to post in somewhere and look at it from time to time. If sections of the grid start to disapear then go to doc to be checked out. Do you go to an Opthalmologist? They can rule out macular degenerationa and other bad eye diseases.
I would make an appt with allergist...before I couldn't wear contacts due to allergies and now I can. I also get floaters...I was told as long as it doesn't last for more than a day or 2 don't worry about, but make an appt with an opthomologist if you're concerned.
Floaters are normal......but..... Please see your doc if there is a sudden increase in their presence; it can be an indication of a detached retina; easily repaired if caught in ealy stages. I have had 2 friends go through this surgery.
I have floaters too. They look like boulders to me. I never noticed them until I got MM. Guess it was the impact of so many annoying things happening at the same time. I talked to the Opthalmologist and he said I would get used to them. Floaters in the eye is like tinnitus in the ears. we learn to tune them out and they only seem to annoy us if there are other things annoying us at the same time. When I am annoyed with floaters and more aware of the noise filled ears, it is usually when I am stressed and tired and/or not feeling well. dizzjo
Hi Carlson and welcome. I have floaters as well. They do annoy but they will not hurt you. Hope you come back again. SherryC
I am an optician. Not an eyedoctor, for the record. You have a fluid in your eyeball, called the vitrious fluid. When you are a child, the fluid is like a gelatin. As you age, it turns more into a liquid. The floaters are the remaining gelatin bits that never turned liquid. Flashing light can mean detached retina, which needs to be fixed, or the fluid will leak into it and gradually remove the retina, like water getting under paint and lifting it off. It can be fixed in less than 30 minutes, outpatient, at the ophthalmologist's office with a laser, I had it done in 1982.
I have floaters and have for about 30 years. It all started when I developed dry eye. One thing. When I eliminated know migraine triggering food, the flashing lights stopped. So, I am attributing the flashing lights to a food allergy that causes migraines. It's all about elimination of ........... many things. But always good to have your eyes checked out by a doctor !!! Sparrow
Floaters are annoying but not dangerous. Have you ever had eye surgery such as cataract removal. Floaters are a common side effect of this surgery. However, it's minor compared to goimg blind.
Thanks to all for your replys.. I have had these floaters for about 3 years.. My eye doctor did say they were normal. The flashes of light in the periphery of my field of vision only occur at night sometimes. They seem to occur when I have more pressure in my ears. I have not seen by ophthamologist in a while, maybe I will make an appointment to make sure. I do try and avoid doctors these days as I have terrible doctor phobia ever since my MM ordeal which too, 4 months to diagnose. I went from heart trouble to brain tumor to MS and finally they decided it was MM... What a stressful ordeal, which of course made all the symptoms worse and I developed even more symptoms of anxiety, depression, panic during this four months of diagnostic tests....geezze That is when the floaters arrived. I think they were brought on my severe stress.. and I was going through menopause at the same time with hormone changes/inbalances Thanks again to all.. Carlson
Yep floaters are not serious, just aggravating. I've had minor ones for years. The flashing lights should probably be checked out by an optholmologist. I also have what the opthol. called ocular migraines where sudden patches of vision are obscured by sparkly water - like looking through a windshield in pouring rain. Very disturbing, but doc said it is also not serious. It is like the tinnitus - something generated in the brain (I can see this sparkly water in the dark or with my eyes closed too), just like the tinnitus from MM comes from the brain, not our ears. The unusual noises like bombs going off, esp. right as you are trying to go to sleep actually has a name - Exploding Head Syndrome! LOL Sounds comical but I have that too, and it is NOT funny! My understanding is that EHS can occur with anyone, not just with MM, so we are just "lucky" to have this fun thing happen in our heads just as we are about to doze off. It is also a benign occurance, not harmful, a noise coming from the brain - but certainly can startle a person! All in all, a lot of annoying and stressful stuff, but nothing we are going to die from. Check with the optholmologist and try to pamper yourself, eat right, get enough sleep and hang in there! Welcome aboard!
