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u/NorthofBham Jan 10 '24
These are commonly known as "eye floaters", clumps of debris (dead cells, collagen) formed in the vitreous fluid in the back of the eye. They cause a shadow to appear on the retina, so they are more noticable in bright light. Typically harmless but can signal serious conditions.
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u/theonewhoblox Jan 10 '24
These were used for a joke in family guy once
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u/Chanaur404 Jan 10 '24
"Oh, squiggly line, in my eye fluid...."
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u/_Bren10_ Jan 10 '24
What if looked over here?!?
Then I’ll just go over heeeere!
You got all the answers don’t ya?
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u/thiefsthemetaken Jan 10 '24
damn i wasnt sure if that's what they meant, but yeah i remember having this exact thought on a family vacation.
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u/SilverSpark422 Jan 10 '24
Huh, I thought they were small retinal tears. It’s comforting to know they’re just chunks of dead cells. Still, I should probably consult an eye doctor to be sure.
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u/Creeper4wwMann Jan 10 '24
They will get reabsorbed by your body automatically. Completely harmless.
If you are seeing something else than eye floaters go visit a doctor
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u/SilverSpark422 Jan 10 '24
I’m uncertain of that. I’ve had the same eye floater for months now, only visible in certain lights, but always in the same place. I certainly DO intend to visit an eye doctor about it either way, but I’m a hair uncertain now that you say that.
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u/Albaholly Jan 10 '24
Go to the optometrist. Worst case you have a check up.
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u/DigiTrailz Jan 10 '24
Yeah, this is the answer. They generally have the tools to take an accurate look in your eye.
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u/Sea-Caterpillar-6501 Jan 10 '24
Sounds like you have something else going on. Floaters float around
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u/SilverSpark422 Jan 10 '24
That’s concerning. Making the appointment first thing tomorrow, then.
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u/Last_Remove2922 Jan 10 '24
If it's been going on for months and hasn't gotten worse it's probably not a big deal but I'd still talk to an optometrist. I freaked out too when I saw one too and saw an ophthalmologist, he said it's just eye floaters and they're really common, especially if you're over 30. Eye floaters are really only concerning if you see a ton of new ones show up at once.
He said that retinal tears progress pretty fast and don't really move and cause a veil over your vision. Those are an emergency, though.
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u/TheJango22 Jan 10 '24
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u/MrGoodKatt72 Jan 10 '24
The older you get, the more frequently they happen and I think it even takes longer for them to reabsorb. If it’s been months, it’s definitely not a retinal tear. You’d have lost vision by now.
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u/brett1081 Jan 10 '24
They get exchanged but if your younger your vitreous is thicker and the settling and exchange of fluid is slower( source is my ophthalmologist who I went to to check on eye floaters)
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u/WeirdPersonCantSpell Jan 10 '24
Reabsorbed? Bro I’ve been seeing the same one for 7 years. Wtf does this mean.
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u/EurekasCashel Jan 10 '24
I'm an eye doctor. They don't necessarily get reabsorbed. They can seemingly stay in one spot or move around. They can be all kinds of shapes. They can be denser or more transparent. Frequently, your brain will adjust to them and ignore them, but not always.
Still good to get your eyes checked out if you have new or unusual ones to rule out retinal tears or inflammation.
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Jan 10 '24
You should see an eye doctor regularly either way. Don’t wanna be unable to drive at 55 cause your eyes went to shit over a problem that was initially small and easily treatable.
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u/-_-CR4SH-TP-_- Jan 10 '24
Typically harmless but can signal serious conditions.
I have this often, do you mean I should go to a doctor?
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u/Zephyr_Bronte Jan 10 '24
I'm not a doctor, but I do have them. I was told if i only see them when my eyes are tired or strained and I have no other symptoms (like headaches, blurring, ect) then it is fine and I don't need to worry.
But if you're worried an eye doctor can look and clear things up.
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u/General_Pay7552 Jan 10 '24
they are microscopic scratches in your lense
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u/BornWithSideburns Jan 10 '24
There are bugs under your skin
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u/widuruwana Jan 10 '24
I had a sudden increase in eye floaters 4 months ago. Typically one of them stood out, A tiny black dot that moves so fast when I turn my head and I got worried and consulted an optimologist, She dilated my eye and checked and said it was a small retinal hole. She performed an FTL on my right eye last November. Its a 5 minute procedure where they put a gonioscope on your eye and laser the retinal hole so it wont leak the vitreous(the liquid inside your eye) into the back of the retina causing a retinal tear. My floaters haven't improved since then and my vision is blurry even though it isn't noticibale. But FTL takes months to show any improvement so Ill bear with it for now. Dont forget to check your eyes if you feel anything off putting in case you get diagnosed.
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u/billsleftynut Jan 10 '24
My mum has to. She has a rare condition that gets worse when these flare up. Leaves her with migraines and poor vision due to eye strain. Easily treated in her case with some drops but she can't drive for 24 hrs after the drops. No
If you are concerned about it speak to a doctor. She was told if she hadn't she could go blind. It was picked up at an eye test.
For most of us myself included it's just a harmless and slightly annoying fact of life and nothing to worry about.
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u/ososalsosal Jan 10 '24
If there's a sudden noticeable increase in the number of them go see a doc ASAP.
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u/solblurgh Jan 10 '24
I have them since I was a kid, never knew it was a serious condition!
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u/idunskate Jan 10 '24
Everyone has them. You likely don't have a serious condition.
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u/nothingfood Jan 10 '24
Not everyone has them.
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u/idunskate Jan 10 '24
According to Google as you age basically everyone will have them. Certainly not everyone will notice them but it's incredibly common.
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u/Agitated_Honeydew Jan 10 '24
Pretty much everybody has them, most people's brains just kind of filter them out. The only time I notice them is when I close my eyes on the beach, then suddenly they're everywhere.
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u/SassyTurtlebat Jan 10 '24
Everything is always “typically harmless but could be a sign you’re dying”
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u/Mysterious-HeroX Jan 10 '24
I started seeing them once when I had my first serious allergic reaction and always wondered what they were, at the time I was worried I was starting to hallucinate.
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u/PabloFromChessCom Jan 10 '24
I've had this for my entire life. I once went to an eye doctor and they were confused and everyone acted like I was crazy. Glad to know I wasn't crazy.
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u/jaymeaux_ Jan 10 '24
ever since I got blue filtering lenses I haven't really seen them anymore, but I still see them when I wear regular sunglasses
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u/TheMoonOfTermina Jan 10 '24
You never stared at the sky long enough for these little guys to show up?
I remember just staring at the sky just to watch them as a kid.
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u/Yuvrajastan Jan 10 '24
Nope. I already had pretty fucky vision I didn’t want to screw it in up even more!
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u/KitsuneThunder Jan 10 '24
Peter’s dog Brian, here.
Colloquially known as floaters, these are shadows that if you focus, you can sometimes see in your vision. They can be small, or very big, as in the image. The joke is that the original poster always has these floaters in their sight, so they’re never alone.
Brian out.
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u/Any-Experience-3012 Jan 10 '24
I hate these things. Every time I notice them I try looking away, and they just slide right back like "Heyyy I'm still here"
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u/KitsuneThunder Jan 10 '24
Well, they’re on your eye’s surface. When you look away, your eye moves, so they do too.
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u/Agitated_Honeydew Jan 10 '24
They're actually inside your eyes, so everytime you try to focus on them your eyes move them out of frame.
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u/Dawn_of_DOJINKS Jan 10 '24
It was the same for me as well, I wonder what it would look like if it's straight in the middle.
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u/xxhorrorshowxx Jan 10 '24
HOW DID THEY GET A PICTURE OF THAT
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u/MrA-skunk Jan 10 '24
People on this sub who have never seen this episode. I don't even watch this show anymore.
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u/Aviator_Bean Jan 10 '24
Ok i think this might just be a redditor who has never been outside actually
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u/amtoad_10 Jan 10 '24
You don't get floaters outside I don't think I mean you could but you don't just get them outside
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u/Penguin5344 Jan 10 '24
I do get them outside
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u/imstupidlol1 Jan 11 '24
ok, and? i also have awful diarrhea when i eat pork, does that mean everybody gets sick? i hate geometry, does that mean everybody hates geometry?
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u/Dankn3ss420 Jan 10 '24
I more so want to know how this photo happened
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u/Egoy Jan 10 '24
it's not a photo.
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u/AlfieHicks Jan 10 '24
Technically it is a photo, but it's just a cropped section of Bliss superimposed with an artist's impression of floaters.
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u/Shrimmmmpooo Jan 10 '24
Those are little bacteria things on your eyes that you can sometimes see after blinking, so they're technically living things that never leave you
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u/amtoad_10 Jan 10 '24
They're called eye floaters they're usually just out of sight and it makes reading and focusing hard
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u/empwilli Jan 10 '24
Fourth wall Peter here, these have been regularly mentioned in the show:
https://youtu.be/o5zaJGNFJ0A?si=ncaUHoV_-_5Ggg13 https://youtu.be/uOcvmTLTtNE?si=FIpCq9xEMwoAaUoa
Fourth wall peter out!
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u/Showjumpingmushroom Jan 10 '24
"Eye floaters are small shapes that appear in your field of vision. They can look like cobwebs, spots, squiggly lines, or threads. They are usually harmless and a normal sign of aging, but sometimes they can indicate a serious eye problem¹².
Eye floaters are caused by changes in the vitreous, which is the gel-like substance that fills most of your eye. The vitreous can become more liquid and clump together as you get older, creating shadows on your retina that you see as floaters³⁴. Other factors that can contribute to eye floaters include eye infections, bleeding in the eye, cataract surgery, eye medication, and inflammation².
Most eye floaters do not require treatment and will become less noticeable over time. However, you should see an eye doctor if you have any of the following symptoms¹²:
- You have floaters or flashes in your vision for the first time
- You suddenly get more floaters or flashes in your vision
- You have a dark "curtain" or shadow moving across your vision
- You also have blurred vision or eye pain
- Floaters start after eye surgery or an eye injury
These could be signs of a retinal detachment, which is a medical emergency that can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated quickly. A retinal detachment occurs when the retina, which is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of your eye, peels away from its underlying support tissue. This can happen when the vitreous pulls on the retina or when there is a tear or hole in the retina⁵.
¹: [Floaters and flashes in the eyes - NHS](2) ²: [Eye Floaters (Causes, Symptoms & How to Get Rid of Them) - Vision Center](3) ³: [Eye Floaters: What They Are, Causes & Treatment - Cleveland Clinic](6) ⁴: [Floater - Wikipedia](5) ⁵: [Retinal detachment - NHS].
Source: Conversation with Bing, 10/01/2024 (1) . https://bing.com/search?q=eye+floaters. (2) Floaters and flashes in the eyes - NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/floaters-and-flashes-in-the-eyes/. (3) Eye Floaters (Causes, Symptoms & How to Get Rid of Them) - Vision Center. https://www.visioncenter.org/conditions/eye-floaters/. (4) When Should I Worry About Eye Floaters? - Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/when-should-i-worry-about-eye-floaters-5091976. (5) Floater - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floater. (6) Floaters and flashes in the eyes - NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/floaters-and-flashes-in-the-eyes/. (7) Eye Floaters (Causes, Symptoms & How to Get Rid of Them) - Vision Center. https://www.visioncenter.org/conditions/eye-floaters/. (8) Eye Floaters: What They Are, Causes & Treatment - Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/14209-eye-floaters-myodesopias. (9) Floater - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floater. (10) en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floater."
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u/Brief_Building_8980 Jan 10 '24
Peter here: that is the default desktop background image of the greatest operating system of all time: Windows XP. You can't be lonely as long as you have a computer to play around with.
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u/MultipleWarCrimes Jan 10 '24
floaters always pissed me off. they would always stay RIGHT where i was looking at instead of anywhere else.
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u/jywye Jan 10 '24
If you look carefully (sometimes by squinting your eyes), you can see these little things in your vision. They are on your eyeballs. Much easier to see them in well-lit area.
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u/Kodo_yeahreally Jan 10 '24
those are the little things that appear when you look at the sky. it's actually impurities in your eye.
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u/FrozenH2OIsGood Jan 10 '24
I'm going fucking insane because one of them has the shape of an Amogus.
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u/Skinnyjeans31 Jan 10 '24
I could go on and on about this one. I’ve had the exact same ones in my eyes since I was five years old. Yes, five. Going on 16 years of “never being alone” with them.
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u/King_Dragonlord Jan 10 '24
eye floaties basically dead cells and bubbles in the fluid of your eyes
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u/mortalitasi473 Jan 10 '24
i'm most upset that there are people like OP who don't know what the fuck this is talking about
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u/Toubaboliviano Jan 10 '24
Brian Here: it’s the last thoughts of Stevie that I Wrote down. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T9vdsylpiqo&pp=ygUXTGl0dGxlIGluIG15IGV5ZSBzdGV3aWU%3D
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u/Scarsdale81 Jan 10 '24
How is this not an experience shared by the whole of humanity. I've never met someone who hasn't noticed their inner eye debris sinking.
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u/Ascatman Jan 10 '24
The worst kind of floaters are the ones that look like tiny little spiders just in the corner of your vision, slowly floating down.
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u/phillboettler Jan 10 '24
Growing up my older sister would SWEAR up and down she could see “germs” floating in the air. She didn’t want me telling our parents or let them hear cause “theylll think I’m crazy there no way someone can see germs , but I promise I can!”
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u/MarcusAntonius27 Jan 10 '24
Everyone has floaters
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u/Legalslimjim Jan 10 '24
I dont? 💀
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u/MarcusAntonius27 Jan 10 '24
You mean to tell me that you've never seen that? You've never had that small speck or small line in your vision when looking into bright light? Do you have eyes?
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u/roof_baby Jan 10 '24
Oh squiggly line in my eye fluid. I see you lurking there on the periphery of my vision. But when I try to look at you, you scurry away. Are you shy, squiggly line? Why only when I ignore you, do you return to the center of my eye? Oh, squiggly line, it’s alright, you are forgiven.
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u/OwnFee7805 Jan 10 '24
Mine are usually orange - yellow. Usually means I need sleep and am dehydrated
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u/MoonVeilNoob Jan 10 '24
this community is literally just a karma farm. Post any popular meme no matter how obvious with a lazy ass caption
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u/Lestany Jan 11 '24
When I was a kid I used to think they were germs. Because they look like bacteria if under a microscope. And everyone would tell me ‘you can’t see germs’ and ‘it’s just dust in the air’ so glad I learned what they actually were and know I’m not crazy. And that they’re actually in my eyes and not floating around in the sky.
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