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EYE FLOATERS

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EYE FLOATERS

Eye floaters are deposits or tiny clumps of gel inside the vitreous – the material that fills the posterior part of the eye, which cast shadows on the retina when light enters the eye.

  • Eye floaters may appear as dark or gray specks, spots, threads, or cobwebs that drift aimlessly and slowly before the observer’s eye and may seem to dart away when looked at directly.
  • Floaters can become apparent when gazing or look at something plain and bright such as white paper, blank wall or a blue sky.
  • They usually don’t affect vision, though large floaters may appear to cast a slight shadow over the vision, this happens only in the certain type of light.
  • They can be distracting and annoying at first, but they eventually tend to settle at the bottom of the eye, becoming less bothersome.
  • Eye floaters are not serious and are usually common between the ages of 50 -75.
  • It is not only elderly people who are troubled by floaters, they can also be a problem for younger people especially those who are myopic.

CAUSES

There are various causes for the appearance of floaters

  • Aging – In most cases, floaters are a natural part of the growing process. As we age, the vitreous, a gel-like substance that consists of 99% water and 1% solid eliminates, and that fills about 80% of the eye and helps it maintain a round shape slowly shrinks. This shrinkage causes the vitreous to clump and get stringy casting tiny shadows on the retina that are seen as floaters.
  • Torn retina
  • Eye surgeries and eye medications
  • Bleeding in the vitreous
  • Detached retina
  • Inflammation in the vitreous or retina caused by infection or autoimmune condition

Risk factor that may increase your risk of floaters include:

  • Nearsightedness
  • Eye trauma
  • Age over 50
  • Complications from cataract surgery
  • Diabetic renopathy.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of eye floater may include:

  • Small shapes in the field of vision that appear as dark or gray spots, strings of floating material.
  • Spots that follow the rapid motion of the eye, remaining to the direction of gaze, so when they are looked directly at, they move quickly out of the field of vision.
  • Spots that are only noticeable when you look at a blank surface or an open monochromatic space.

If you notice a sudden increase in eye floaters, flashes of light in the same eye as the floaters or loss of side vision, you should contact an eye specialist immediately.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

To make diagnosis, the doctor will conduct a complete eye exam including checking the patient’s vision, looking at the front of the eye with a slit lamp, and then dilating the eyes to examine the retina and vitreous with bright light from an ophthalmoscope mounted on the head of the doctor. This will enable to doctor to see the floaters and be able to tell if there are any associated abnormalities that require further test.

TREATMENT

Most eye floaters don’t require any treatment but adjusting to them may take a while. Once it is realized that the floaters are not harmful and won’t cause any problems, it may be easy to ignore them.

If the floater results from bleeding from diabetes or inflammation, such underlying cause will be treated.

There are currently no medications including eye drops that can correct for the condition

If eye floaters impair vision, which is rarely possible, treatment may be considered. This may include:

  • Vitrectomy surgery

Laser vitreo