Floaters & blacking out - Eye & Vision Message Board

heavenz · 02-05-2003, 06:57 PM

Hi does anyone here know what causes floaters? and does anyone exp. a sort of blacking out when they get up to fast when i say blacking out i mean seeing almost all black and getting a little dizzy but not losing conciousness. Plese let me know, thx

Moe C · 02-06-2003, 08:40 AM

Heavenz:

Floaters are caused by the vitreous that fills the eyeball shrinking and pulling away from the retina. Bits of loose tissue float around in the fluid. Floaters that appear suddenly and in large numbers should be checked out immediately. Nearsighted people, because of the shape of their eyeball, are more likely to have floaters.

That dizzy feeling on standing is caused by a drop in blood pressure. It's common and has a name that I don't remember, but if you type low blood pressure into a search engine, you'll find it.

Moe

qwerty75 · 02-06-2003, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by heavenz:
Hi does anyone here know what causes floaters? and does anyone exp. a sort of blacking out when they get up to fast when i say blacking out i mean seeing almost all black and getting a little dizzy but not losing conciousness. Plese let me know, thx

Floaters are age related, but sometimes they can occur in children or young adults. What happens is the gel-like substance that fills the eyeball and gives the eye its shape & support,(vitreous), begins to condense in certain areas. This condensed "floater" is not transparent and causes a small shadow to be cast on the retina. So actually, what one sees from a floater is a shadow, and not the floater itself.

Sounds like what you are experiencing when 'blacking out' is orthostatic hypotension. It's basically a rapid drop in blood pressure upon standing or sitting up. If this happens to you quite a bit, then you need to see your family doctor and get your blood pressure checked. It may be too low.

HTH