Sudden black stringy floater in eye

[Suzanne52]

A few minutes ago I had an unusually large, stringy black floater appear in my eye, but over the course of a few minutes it has completely disappeared.  Should I still make an appointment with an ophthalmologist?  Also...why isn't there a topic for eyes or ophthamology?

[mkh9]

Hi FurballsMom,
Yes, the auras I get whether or not I have a migraine start out like wiggly lines that move the they look like a sort of jagged window or something  like that that gets bigger than goes away. I was getting these every day for a while for about 15 minutes. Now I get them of and on and seem to be related to anxiety, stress or excitement as are the headaches. The headaches are on my side of my head and yesterday I got my first eye ache on one eye. A couple of times I got double vision in both eyes. The neurologist that I went to that specializes in migraines said it was typical migraine symptoms, including the darting gold or yellow dots . I'm going to the opthamologist to comfirm that I don't have a retinal problem. She gave me a drug called cyprohexadine that is a lot like benedryl that has been shown to reduce these visual aura and headaches. The side effects seem few, so we'll see tomorrow.  I take imitrex too. Also, a tylenol and two Ibupropin if that doesn't work.  I also do biofeedback breathing exercises twice a day at home and imagery relaxation CD.
mkh9

[FurballsMom]

I knew floaters could be caused by chronic dry eye, if they occur in younger years.  I never realized they could be connected with the migraine issues.  The ones I get occasionally have a faint jagged pattern that closes, much like when a child first starts trying to draw geometrical shapes.  Only not quite that definite.  I would get them often even as a young kid.  I remember seeing them, then I would hear my grandfather talk about floaters.  I learned early on in life to never say anything about weird symptoms I had, because I was always dismissed.  But, when my grandfather mentioned them I learned what that was called.  

Later in life a doctor told me that chronic dry eye (I have allergies.) can cause these floaters.

But, no one ever told me about the migraine connection.  Hm, that is very interesting.  I'm glad to know about this connection, because I do get migraines as well.  I'm not sure why I never made this connection either, but I haven't seen these floaters in a long time, so they aren't a regular part of the aura.  I do know now to pay attention if I do actually see a floater in my field of vision and immediately take the Imitrex and Phenagren.  This is good information to know about.

[sarahjaynemills]

It happens to me all the time no worries though apparently its like dead cells

[TPKP]

it is recommened to f/u with your eye doctor at least just for a check up

[mkh9]

Do you get migraines? It could be a type of visual aura or if it comes back and stays maybe something you need to see the eye doctor about. Yes there is an eye care site here. Go to forums and eye care. They have some nice opthamologists there. You may also want to post on the migraine site. You can get a migraine aura  without the headaches ( I do all the time). I jave double vision, yellow/orange shooting lights and the typical aura from a retinal migraine.