My eyes can be a little on the dry side. I buy a plain, no preservatives, none of the get-the-red-out ingredients product...usually Genteal brand that contains only moisture. And have my eyes examined by an ophthalmologist every year.

This is really a common problem but oh so annoying and disruptive. We were just at the Opthalmologist last week for what we thought was a retina emergency. Doctor even said floaters and dry eyes are the biggest complaints. I have had dry eyes for what seems like forever. I must have a fan on at night which doesn't help. This year I started wearing a sleep eye mask and using a gel type eye drop for night time. As silly at that may sound, by using a different type of lubricant at night, it improved the daytime dryness. At the moment I am using Theratears. The heavier lubricant is Systane Gel Drops.

Systàne eye drops are best, doctor recommended. I use them and they help so much.

Thanks. Looks like Systane is definitely up there as a top drop.

https://www.whatisdryeye.com/10-best-preservative-free-artificial-tears/

We used to get Zyrtec (orange box) by prescription but now it is available over the counter, that was specifically for eye irritation from allergies. We also got a recommendation for Systane lubricant eye drops when my daughter's eye was irritated by something they could not discern. If you go to the Systane website you can get coupons as all those products are expensive.

Cosco has them, and may times you can get four dollars off when they have a sale. I buy two, till the next sale.

My opthalmologist warned me that over-the-counter eye drops used more than 4 times a day could actually be causing my red eyes. Non-preservative can be used as much as needed. A microwavable eye mask from my opthmalogist helps with the itching and bleforis (spelling) caused by occular Rosacea. 18

seconds in the microwave on closed eyes for 20 minutes. Seems to also help for floaters.

I developed a bad floater on Wednesday. The day started with a lightening arc that flashed in my right eye on the side. It was just a line of an arc that came and went. I had to go out into the bright sunlight and later developed the floater in the same eye. Wearing amber sunglasses indoors helped to mask the floater. Headache began yesterday. Kind of like a migraine, but has traveled from my right eyebrow close to my nose to more above my eyebrow and not in my eye like I've gotten since my teens. Microwavable eyemask worn 20 + minutes with eyes closed seems to have helped the new symptoms. (Eyemask was prescribed for blepharitis/occular Rosacea.) Taking Tylenol every 6 hours, but am thinking of switching to Aleve since it relieves inflammation. Have opthamologist appointment in Feb. 2017 & can't get in until then. Any suggestions to relieve the floaters until then. Is Aleve a better choice? The floaters are driving me crazy. Thanks.

Omg!

Call the place that you have your appointment and asked to be contacted if they have a cancellation. Be prepared to leave what you are going and go. As others mentioned on the other thread you posted it could be a detached retina which could lead to blindness. Or go to your regular doctor which would probably be faster. I can think of several really bad things that combine headaches and light flashes.

Thanks for advice Malfluer01. It is Sunday & I'm doing much better, but I will call them again to see if I can get in earlier.

I called my opthamologist and explained what was going on which I hadn't before and they had me come in today. I'm ok. My doctor explained to me what happened and said the flashing arc will go away in 3 weeks or so.

Good to know. Watch he headaches as they may not be related to the vision.

Thanks for advice on headaches. I did tell nurse. She said it was probably my sinus. I also told my doctor about headaches behind my eyes since my teens and how no one had any advice or explanation for that type of headache. He didn't have one either and he didn't relate those headaches to the problem of floaters now as floaters are age related. I use to get bad migraines, but never so bad that I coudn't go to work etc. I get a migraine maybe only once or twice a year now whereas before I was getting them 1 or 2 times a month. Possibly because I've cut out processed foods and cane sugar almost completely. I do know that after I ate a half a bag of gummies (which was a Christmas gift and I'd never buy for myself), I got a headache right after and all the other problems came after. So I think sugar is the root of most problems.

Sorry I thought the headaches were recent and went along with the flashes. Although floaters can be related to becoming older I had them in my late teens. I had wanted to be a marine biologist but could not see in the microscope used for my class anything other than these rectangular shaped objects. Luckily my professor knew immediately what the problem was. The microscopes used in HS were not light well enough to backlight the floaters.

Sugar may have been the immediate spark for your symptoms but if it was it would have cleared up by itself.

Thanks again.

May need a root canal per my dentist. He is sending me to a specialist. Have no infection and pain is gone. Dentist said looked like roots were calcified in that one lower tooth. Any advice? Thanks.

I went to the expert today and after more x-rays and simple tests, the Endodontic determined I don't need a root canal.