What if I am facing with the issue of eye floaters and cataract?

[MaazShakil_95]

Many of you usually see eye floaters (Black or greyish spots or black lines of lotus shape) when you go outside or in sunlight. But I see floaters 24/7 floating around my eye. Let me tell you that I am only 24 years old and I live in Karachi, Pakistan and I have taken 4 appointments in 6 months from different eye consultants and all were saying that you have cataract in your both eyes but don't worry you don't need to disturb it right now. When I asked about the eye floaters then they told me that I don't need to worry about it and there is no treatment for eye floaters and it is not even harmful for my eyes and I just need to ignore it and it will go gradually. One Doctor of Liaquat National Hospital told me that cataract will be treated in a surgery at the age of 40 or more. After 2 months, I again feel some disturbance I decided to take an appointment from some other other consultant near Lasania Restaurant, Karachi, Pakistan. He told me the same that I have cataract in my both eyes but I don't need to disturb it, we will treat it later and he told me to go for Lasik and told me that your retina is little bit weak so its up to you if you want to go for Laser treatment. My family decided that we don't go for any laser surgery as we don't want to take any risky step. After that I decided to ignore the eye floaters and tried to focus on my work and started traveling again. But after one month I again feel eye anxiety so I again took an appointment from the same doctor and he said that all the conditions are same as before. After 2 months I decided to took an appointment from some other doctor. Then I decided to go to Hashmanis Eye Hospital after I heard good reviews about them. They told me that you dont have to worry about eye floaters or you dont have to undergo any Laser surgery and if some doctor is saying that then it means he/she just making money from you, so he told me to just calm down and relax. But after that they surprised me by saying that my left eye's cataract is now grown up and can be treated now. I said that nobody suggested me the cataract surgery at this moment and in 2 months the cataract has become mature enough. How is that possible?? Now I am facing eye anxiety, I am a tour operator professionally and I am an electrical engineer too. But right now I don't want to work anymore just because these floaters and eye anxiety are pulling me back. Please suggest me what to do?

[MjCg]

Hello, MaazShakil - You are so lucky to get advice from Dr. Hagen.  He is a generous, kind, professional M.D. and helps so many, many people here.  I can't say enough positive things about him as he has helped me in the past as well.  

Anyway, I do have one question for you.  Are you sure you have floaters?  These would look like black spots (like pepper or gnats) or squiggly little hair like things floating across your vision.  Is it possible you have "visual snow"?  This would look like pixels - as if you were watching a black and white television screen.  You can google it - it's not something the medical community has studied yet, but it's becoming more and more well known because so many people have been describing it.  I have it... but I've never talked about it because I thought this was just the same way other people's vision was.  It's weird and there's nothing we can do about it, but allow our brain to ignore.  

[JohnHaganMD]

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[MaazShakil_95]

Thanks alot sir.
Can you guide me one more thing?
My both eyes number are slightly decreasing day by day due to this immature cateract. What should I do now?

[JohnHaganMD]

There is no way unfortunately that I can tell you what to do since you've seen at least 4 Eye MDs with somewhat different recommendations.  You will either need to get a 5th opinion or put yourself under the Eye MD you have the most confidence in.

[MaazShakil_95]

Thanks alot sir for the guidance.

[JohnHaganMD]

Best of luck. Happy to help

[MaazShakil_95]

Sir how do you know that I have moderate myopia?

[MaazShakil_95]

Sir how do you know that I have moderate myopia?

[JohnHaganMD]

From your glasses RX    minus number indicates myopia + number hyperopia.    Moderate myopia would be (-2.50 to about -5.00) over -5 high myopia  over -9 or 10 pathologic high myopia.  These numbers are arbitrary and may vary some from eye MD to eye MD.

[MaazShakil_95]

I remember that
my left eye number is -2.5 cylindrical
and
right eye number is -3.5 cylindrical & -0.25 spherical.
Please check

Is there any psychetrist or counceller?

[JohnHaganMD]

So you have moderate myopia,  we myopes have more floaters than farsighted or neutral.  MedHelp.org has mental health, psychiatric communities. You could go over to one of them if you wished.

[MaazShakil_95]

Sir I wanna give you some answers . I dont have diabetes, I dont have any kidney issue and I dont drink alcohol. I do smoke cigarettes in the past, almost 18 a day. But now I have reduced it to 5-7 a day and in fiture K will qut smoking. Issue is that in Pakistan, this is very popular to misguide the patient and to make money out of it. Sir out of 4 doctors, 3 have suggested not to disturb the cataract it cant be treated at this age becauase it is immature and will be treated at the age of 40s. Only one doctor told me that you can treat your left eye's cateract but he told me thats its up to you and if you feel that you are doing your work properly then there is no need and no emergency. Infact you cant see any cloudiness in my lens from the outer side. Anyways Cataract is not a big issue for me at this age. The main issue is the eye floaters, I alway think that why did they come, I was enjoying my life and busy in my work. And doctors told me that just ignore them it will not harm your eyes. But they are disturbing my vision. It is so annoying to see black spots in my vision 24/7. I am scared of going to my work and living my life. There is any councellor? I dont feel any charm in my life now. I ant to enjoy my life my work and my traveling life. I am a frequent traveller. Please give me the solution.

[JohnHaganMD]

There is no solution to floaters.  They are a part of the way eyes age. By your age 1 in 4 people have floaters by 70 3 out of 4.  No eye drops will help.  Laser is often not successful and usually not covered by insurance.   Vitrectomy is dangerous, expensive, and will cause your cataracts to grow fast. I though you would benefit to discuss your anxiety and depression with a psychiatrist or psychologist.   If you know your glasses prescription please post along with vision in the eye with glasses.

[JohnHaganMD]

It is very abnormal to have cataracts, especially where surgery has been suggested, at 24.   There are many risk factors that need to be excluded to see if they caused the cataracts: high among them diabetes, heavy alcohol use, heavy nicotine use,  low birth weight/being in incubator,  family history of cataracts at young age,  kidney disease, trauma to eye.  These should be excluded by a good exam by an internal medicine specialist.    There is no good treatment for floaters. In the west sometimes lasers are used and in the most extreme case the jello mateerial (vitreous) in the back of the eye is removed but I don't recommend either.  Cataract surgery increases the risk of retinal detachment and will not help floaters.  It seems everyone you have consulted agree you have cataracts, you should try and find out why.   You would need to either stick with the Eye MD you are most pleased with or take a trip to a different facility for yet another opinion. That is all I can tell you.  If you have the ability you might want to go to a European eye center of excellent like Moorsfield Eye Hospital in London.   That's is as much as I can help you. Nothing is more difficulty than having multiple different or conflicting opinions from different physicians.