Both “Floaters” and flashes are a common sight for many people as web like structures. Floater is a combined term for the specks, threads, or cobweb-like images that occasionally drift across the line of vision. Flashes are tiny sparks or strands of light that flicker across the visual field. Both are usually harmless. But they can be a warning sign of trouble in the eye, especially when they suddenly appear or become more plentiful.
A floater is a tiny cluster of cells or fleck of protein lodged in the vitreous humor. This clear, stable gel, which looks like raw egg white, supports and fills the rear two-thirds of the eyeball. The vitreous provides a pathway for light coming into the eye through the lens. The vitreous gel connects to the retina, the patch of light-sensitive cells along the back of the eye that captures images and sends them to the brain via the optic nerve.
What you see isn’t actually the floater itself, but the shadow it casts onto the retina. Floaters move as your eyes move. They appear to zoom away when you try to look directly at them, and drift slowly when your eyes stop moving.
What do eye floaters look like?
It’s a common phenomenon and can be describes as different experience by everyone. Some people see spiders, medusas, amoebas or clouds. Sometimes it looks like the shape of the floater is guided somewhat by your own creativity. If you have floaters, you might see:
What Are Flashes?
Compared to floaters, Flashes look like flashing lights or lightning streaks in your field of vision. Some people compare them to seeing “stars” after being hit on the head. You might see flashes on and off for weeks, or even months. Flashes happen when the vitreous rubs or pulls on your retina. As people age, it is common to see flashes occasionally.
What causes eye floaters?
It has been observed as age-related change in your vitreous is the cause of eye floaters. As your eyes get older, the vitreous jelly deteriorates: it becomes more liquid, starts to sag and pull away from the inside of your eyeball, and some of the former gel clumps. The shadows of these stringy bits are what you see.
In case of vitreous detachment from retina, floaters can be seen. The stimulation of the retina during this process will often cause flashes in the eye. The moment the vitreous pulls away from the head of your optic nerve, it can make a ring-shaped floater.
Rarely, this detachment will pull a bit of your retina with it. This retinal detachment leaks blood into your vitreous, which appears as a scatter of small dots and needs immediate attention from your eye doctor.
Bleeding and inflammation in the eye, from retinal tears, blood vessel problems or other injuries, tends to cause floaters in general. Floaters can also be small specks of protein and other material that was trapped in your eye as it was forming before birth.
How doctor finds out about the floaters?
A careful eye examination to rule out other eye infections and eye conditions is conducted. Past Medical and personal history along with a custom made questionnaire is used to arrive at final conclusion.
What eye diseases are associated with eye floaters?
Diseases like diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, retinal tears and nearsightednesss shows abnormal eye floaters. They occur more commonly in people who have had trauma to the eyes, cataract surgery, laser surgery after cataract surgery. Granulomatous diseases like Tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, syphilis, toxoplasmosis, and acute retinal necrosis of the eye are other inflammatory diseases that are associated with eye floaters. An unusual ocular condition called asteroid hyalosis is also a cause of eye floaters. Primary or secondary tumors in the eye, including lymphoma and leukemia, are associated with eye floaters, but these are extremely rare.
What are the risk factors for developing eye floaters?
With age, floaters formation increases, being nearsighted (myopic) is a risk factor for eye floaters occurring earlier in life. The process of vitreous syneresis is accelerated in eyes that are highly myopic, and posterior vitreous detachments occur at a younger age in people who are significantly nearsighted. Chronic disease like diabetes is a risk factor for the development of eye floaters that arise due to diabetic retinopathy. Eye injury is an additional risk factor.
Are eye floaters dangerous?
Eye floaters are harmless yet can be annoying and anxiety-provoking. The majority of eye floaters are caused by normal aging changes within the eye. However, if you suddenly notice appearance of eye floaters then it is always advised to get checked by an ophthalmologist to make certain that there is no associated eye abnormality or systemic disease that requires treatment. A sudden onset of many eye floaters or the onset of eye floaters associated with flashing lights could signify a retinal tear that requires treatment to prevent retinal detachment. A curtain or cloud in the vision or a loss of side vision could be a symptom of associated retinal detachment.
How to get rid of eye floaters?
Eye floaters and spots are harmless and merely distracting. Many will fade over time and become less bothersome. In most cases, no eye floaters treatment is required.
A large persistent floater can be very bothersome to some people, causing them to seek a way to get rid of eye floaters and spots drifting in their field of view.
Vitrectomy - The only treatment for eye floaters was an invasive surgical procedure called a vitrectomy. In this procedure, some or all of the vitreous is removed from the eye and is replaced with a sterile clear fluid. But the risks of a vitrectomy usually outweigh the benefits for eye floater treatment. These risks include surgically induced retinal detachment and serious eye infections. For these reasons, most eye surgeons do not recommend vitrectomy to treat eye floaters and spots.
For eye floaters that impair your vision, which is rare, you may consider the following treatment options in consultation with your ophthalmologist:
Important Reminder: This information is only intended to provide guidance, not a definitive medical advice. Please consult eye doctor about your specific condition. Only a trained, experienced board certified eye doctor can determine an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.
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