Overview
Eye floaters are small spots or strands that drift across your vision, often appearing as dark specks, cobwebs, or strings. These visual disturbances can move around when you try to focus on them directly, typically caused by shadows cast on the retina by clumps in the vitreous humor of the eye.
Types of Eye floaters
1.Benign Floaters: Most common, caused by age-related changes in vitreous fluid.
2.Persistent Floaters: More prominent and noticeable, may indicate underlying conditions.
3.Symptomatic Floaters: Accompanied by flashes of light or vision loss, requiring urgent attention.
Causes of Eye floaters
- Aging: Natural liquefaction and shrinkage of vitreous humor.
- Eye Inflammation: Conditions like uveitis can lead to floaters.
- Eye Injury: Trauma or surgery causing vitreous detachment.
- Retinal Tears: Tears can cause bleeding and subsequent floaters.
- Myopia: Nearsightedness increases risk due to structural eye changes.
Risk Factors of Eye floaters
- Age: More common in individuals over 50.
- Nearsightedness: Increases risk due to elongated eyeball shape.
- Eye Trauma: Past injuries or surgeries affecting the vitreous.
- Diabetic Retinopathy: Diabetes-related changes in retinal blood vessels.
Symptoms of Eye floaters
Preventions of Eye floaters
To reduce the risk of eye floaters:
- Eye Protection: Use safety glasses during activities with potential eye hazards.
- Regular Eye Exams: Monitor changes in vision and eye health.
Diagnosis of Eye floaters
- Eye Examination: Dilated eye exam to assess vitreous and retina.
- Visual Field Testing: Assessing peripheral vision disturbances.
- Ultrasound Imaging: Detects vitreous changes not visible through routine exams.
Treatment for Eye floaters
1.Observation: Monitoring benign floaters without intervention.
2.Surgery (Vitrectomy): Removal of vitreous to eliminate large, persistent floaters.
3.Laser Therapy (YAG Laser): Breaking up larger floaters to minimize visual disturbance.
When to seek medical attention ?
Seek immediate medical attention if:
- Sudden Onset: Especially if accompanied by flashes of light.
- Vision Loss: Sudden decrease in vision clarity.