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Natural Options for Treating Eye Floaters

man-looking-through-magnifying-glassA few weeks ago Jodi wrote in to the [Grow] Network to ask if anyone could help her out with her eye floaters. As always, we got a great response! It’s great to hear from so many people who have some knowledge on the subject, and want to share it with another member of the network who needs some help. Here are the top responses we got through emails and comments on the blog:

#1 – Me Too!
By far the most common response to Jodi’s questions was, “Me too!” It seems eye floaters are a fairly common condition, and many of our readers got in touch to make sure that we were planning on sharing the responses to Jodi’s question. No worries, folks – we’re all about sharing! So, hopefully, the ideas and information here will be of some help to Lee, Sandy, Mary, and all the other readers who are seeking information on this topic. Also, be sure to check out Claire Cox’s writing contest entry, What Eye Floaters Are and What Can Be Done About Them. There’s some more in-depth information there that might be helpful.

#2 – See a Doctor
I know this probably isn’t what you wanted to hear, but it seems that eye floaters are one indicator that you might have a serious medical condition. Jackie wrote in to share her experience. She had many floaters and was seeing flashes at the same time. She asked a friend of hers, who is an ophthalmologist in another city, about the problem. Jackie’s doctor friend told her to go get immediate medical attention because floaters and flashes together are a sign that you might have a retinal detachment. That’s a serious problem, and can lead to permanent vision loss. Jackie says that if she had gotten treatment sooner, the problem could have been treated with a simple laser procedure. But, because she waited to get treatment, she needed to have a buckle put in her eye. So, if you have floaters and flashes together, you probably want to get that taken care of. There’s a benefit to getting treatment sooner rather than later – and avoiding treatment for too long could leave you blind in the affected eye. Bad news – but definitely something I wanted to pass along. Thanks for sharing your story, Jackie.

#3 – Frankincense Oil
Several people wrote in to share that they have had success in getting rid of eye floaters with frankincense oil. This was the most popular home remedy that we heard about.

Carol puts a drop or two in the palm of her hand, rubs her palms together, puts her hands to her nose, and inhales deeply a few times. Then she cups her hands over her eyes, and holds them there for 10 seconds or more. She says to do this 4 or 5 times each day, throughout the day. Carol has had success with this, and she says if it works for you – you should see results within several days.

Jim did some research on this subject when he noticed some eye floaters in his vision a while back. He found that by using lavender and frankincense oils together, he was able to get rid of the problem quickly and easily. He shopped for the highest quality oils he could find. When he got them, he layered the oils on top of each other, around the bone of his eye sockets. Jim says that the oils worked together to get rid of the floaters easily, and with no side effects.

#4 – Raw Honey
Mmm – honey’s good! Carol and Linda both recommended the healing power of honey to help with floaters. Make sure you don’t open your eye if you do this one. You just put a teaspoon of raw honey on your closed eyelid, while you’re in a reclined position. Let the honey sit on your eyelid for 10 minutes or so. Have a warm, moist cloth on hand so that you can wipe up the honey in case it warms up and begins to run down your face. When you’re done, rinse your eye thoroughly with warm water – or take a warm shower. You can do this daily.

#5 – Bilberry and Lutein Supplements
Joanne had some floaters, and she found that she was able to make them go away by taking a bilberry supplement with lutein. After about two months of taking the supplement, the floaters were gone. When she stopped taking the pills, the floaters began to come back right away. She started the supplement again, and the floaters disappeared again – so she is still taking the supplement. She doesn’t see the floaters anymore, and her doctor says her eyes are very healthy.

#6 – Do Nothing
I realize this isn’t helpful at all, but as I searched around and read about this subject, I found that there’s consensus among the traditional medical community that eye floaters are generally harmless, and are typically more of an annoyance than a serious problem. If you don’t have a retinal detachment, but you do have floaters, most ophthalmologists will just tell you to get used to them. So, if you’re leery of the suggested treatments above, I guess that’s always an option.

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COMMENTS(20)

  • d. henry Lee says:

    It is probably the annoyance of them that lessen your quality of life somewhat like having tinnitus. The constant ringing in your ears is annoying but you do learn to live with it.

    1. Le Sellers says:

      They can sometimes be more than a mere annoyance.

      One of mine can cover nearly a third of my visual field. It isn’t always in front of the lens, but when it, well, floats to the middle of my eye, I cannot see much at all. I’m grateful that this does not happen frequently, and because moving my eyes gets it out of the way (temporarily — the “attacks” come in groups) it isn’t dangerous, but I do want at least this one gone, gone, GONE.

    2. mandy says:

      I had tinnitus for several months and I couldn’t believe that several doctors and an ear specialist said that I would have to live with it. I thought I’d go mad or become a recluse. Onion oil had always fixed my kids ear infections so I gave that a go and within about 2-3 days it was gone. Never to return about 8 years ago. Slice a bit of white or brown onion and squeeze gently through a garlic crusher. A few drops mixed with a little olive oil.

  • Le Sellers says:

    There is a doctor in Virginia, and one in California who use a special laser and lens combination to vaporize the floaters. It’s expensive ($1,500+ for both eyes) and they can’t do them all, but when they can, the reported results are amazing. I cannot endorse them, not having had mine treated yet, but I’m hoping to have it done next summer.

    The website for Dr. John Karickhoff is http://www.EyeFloaters.com.

    Dr. James H. Johnson is at http://www.thefloaterdoctor.com.

    So far, I haven’t found any other dox who use the laser and lens combo these do. They both have animations on the websites, so you can see how it works, and where one picture is worth a thousand words, one video is worth a thousand pictures.

  • Mary says:

    I liked the posts above on the eye floaters. Does anyone have a remedy for beginning cataracts?

  • Jennifer says:

    Hi, I’m an acupuncturist and in Chinese medicine eye floaters are due to a liver blood deficiency. There are formulas to help like Si Wu a Tang or Xiao Yao San. Also, eating nutrient rich foods like red,purple, and dark green fruits and veggies as well meat will build blood. And don’t forget water!

  • Dan says:

    Is there any way to remove actual cataracts without surgery?

    Thanks

  • Rose says:

    I found that I got the eye floaters after being exposed to chlorine bleach fumes. I stopped using the bleach and took vitamin A, with great success.

  • Jacque G. says:

    I had the shimmering jagged lines for floaters. My accupuncter told me it was my liver and I took Milk Thistle tincture and they went away. Anytime they come back, I just take some Milk Thistle tincture and they go away. Not a problem for me anymore.

    1. vin says:

      I start having eye floater and am interested with Milk Thistle tincture that works for you.
      Where to get the Milk Thistle tincture ? or if you make it yourself, appreciate to get the recipe.
      Many thanks in advance

  • Donna Ramos says:

    I appreciate reading about these other experiences with floaters and their natural solutions.

    A few years ago I realized I had the first of several dark floaters when during the winter I kept thinking I saw a fly in the house! More came and they were accompanied by a flashing of light at the edge of one eye. I went to my Optometrist and he explained how common the floaters were and the potential of the flashing to be a detaching of my retina. However, upon examination, he did not find a detachment. I basically “did nothing”, at least consciously, except watch to see if it got worse and have regular check ups. Most of the floaters went away, as did the flashing (had some in my other eye that also did not last long). Sometimes I still see the first dark spot.

    I do take vitamin and herbal supplements and try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. One supplement includes cayenne pepper for improved blood circulation, and (per the other article linked here) in particular may have helped.

  • CHERI says:

    I would love to know something that would truly help my daughter who has eye floaters and is only 18 and has allergies and anxiety. She seems to squint a lot due to them.

  • Rick says:

    Cataracts have been mentioned above. Two remedies which practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine use to dissolve beginning cataracts are lychee fruits and bat excrement. Lychees look like small red raisins, and they need to be boiled for quite a while. As for the bat stuff … don’t ask me how it works; all I can say is that it does; it comes in the form of tiny black balls. One thing I learned in Asia was never to ask what any specific medicine was made of. If the bat thing puts you into panic, at least ask a TCM doctor about the lychees.

  • Nirtana says:

    For beginning cataracts, (glare sensitivity, trouble seeing at night, rainbows around lights), eye drops on Amazon helped me. The ones with Crystaline in the name, though I can’t always find them. Someone said Isotine is better. It also is said to correct vision. So I’m trying it now.

  • Gennie says:

    Has anyone related eye floaters to e-coli bacteria? Clean out your gut and the floaters will float away. Try Diatomaceous Earth as a general cleanse but other antibacterial herb teas will also help. Try Thyme Tea or Oregano Tea. And Yes, I have had them plus being a Type 1 Diabetic for more than 30 years. No glasses or retinal detachment.

  • katanatac says:

    I read once that a medical proceadure can be done that drains out the eye fluid and removes these floaters and then the eyes are refilled with the filter fluid, kind of a flush out so to speak.

  • Andy says:

    Yes, vitrectomy surgery for floaters (known as FOV) takes out the vitreous which then leaves the lens vulnerable to developing cataracts. The original vitreous protects the lens from oxidation and once removed doesn’t regenerate. They put in a saline solution during surgery which is replaced by body fluid over 24-48 hours but this is not the same as vitreous. Vitrectomy has its risks and surgeons are reluctant to do it unless floaters are really blocking vision.

  • Emily says:

    I have had eye floaters (and was told to just deal with them) since I was 26 and having a computer-based job made it difficult to concentrate, and they still bother me. I hope to find relief using frankincense essential oil without a need for a vitrectomy. Ugh…scary!

    1. Jimerson says:

      Yours might have the same root cause as mine- poor posture from being a desk jockey!

  • Jimerson says:

    I experience floaters/flashing lights several times a month for over a decade now. It was scary at first, but I don’t get anxious about it anymore. I just let it ride out, as it averages around 10-20 minutes.

    My research over the years indicates that mine are “ocular migraines”, and the bit of headache/pressure that usually follows seems to support those findings.

    I’m also convinced that the root cause, for me anyway, is poor posture leading to pinched nerves. Certain neck/shoulder stretches seems to help get rid of them. When I routinely do yoga, I rarely get them at all.

    The smoking gun for my self-diagnosis: I had an ocular migraine flare up a couple years ago and at the peak of its flashing, when my vision it about 90% filled with lights (at that point, I can reliably expect another 10 minutes until the flashing has subsided) I happened to be at a chiropractor who performed an alignment on my neck. The flashing immediately disappeared instead of slowly fading away as it always does.

    I know there are many causes for floaters and flashing (I’ve seriously done my research!) and if there’s a chance yours is a retinal issue, please don’t ignore it. But if your symptoms sound like mine, try better posture and a little daily yoga!

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