Eye floaters are spots that appear in your eye. They can appear as gray or black strings, specks, or cobwebs. They can drift around as you move your eyes. The floating flies appear to swerve away when you focus your eyes on them.
Eye floaters can be result of age-related changes. These changes take place as this jelly substance (vitreous) in your eyes expands and liquefies. Collagen fibers in clumps scattered throughout the eye develop within the vitreous, and may cast tiny shadows over the retina. The shadows you see are known as floating floaters.
If you notice an abrupt rise in eye floaters consult an eye doctor immediately and especially if you also notice light flashes or loss of vision. This could be a sign of an emergency situation that requires immediate attention.
The signs
Eye floater symptoms could be:
Tiny shapes that appear in your eyes which appear as dark specks , or transparent, knobby string of suspended material
Spots that shift when the eyes move therefore, when you attempt to focus on them, they quickly move away from your vision
Spots that can be seen are those that you see on an uncluttered, bright backdrop like blue skies or white wall
Smaller shapes or strings which eventually settle and then drift away from the view of
When is the best time to visit a doctor?
See an eye doctor immediately If you are noticing:
Eye floaters are more numerous than normal
An abrupt onset of fresh floating floaters
Light flashes in the same eye as floating floaters
A blurry or gray region that blocks a portion of your vision
Darkness on one or more the sides or sides (peripheral visual loss)
The symptoms that are not painful may be the result of retinal tears, whether or not there is a retinal detached. It is a condition that can cause blindness which requires immediate attention.
The Reasons
Eye floaters can be the result of changes in the vitreous caused by aging or other illnesses or conditions:
Changes in the eyes of aging. It is jellylike substance comprised of water and collagen (a kind that is made up of proteins) and the hyaluronan (a kind of carbohydrates). The vitreous encapsulates the space between your retina and the lens and assists in keeping the eye in its circular shape.
As you get older, the vitreous’s structure changes. In time, it begins to liquify and expands, this process results in it pulling away from the surface of the eyeball.
When the vitreous changes collagen fibers inside the vitreous create clumps and strings. These fragments block some of the light that passes through the eye. The result is tiny shadows that are cast onto your retina , which are interpreted as floating.
Inflammation at the rear in the back of the eye. Uveitis causes inflammation of the middle of tissues inside the eye’s walls (uvea). Posterior Uveitis affects the rear part of the eyes, which comprises the retina as well as the eye’s layer known as the choroid. The inflammation triggers floaters within the vitreous. The reasons for posterior uveitis can be infections, autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders.
The eye is bled. Inflammation of the vitreous could have a myriad of causes, such as retinal tears, detachments and retinal tear diabetes as well as excessive blood pressure (hypertension) and blocked blood vessels, as well as trauma. Blood cells are viewed as floating.
The retina is damaged. Retinal tears may occur when a contracted vitreous pulls on the retina, causing enough force to cause it to tear. If left untreated the tear could result in retinal disconnection. If there is fluid leakage from behind the tear could result in the retina becoming split from the inside of your eye. In the event of untreated retinal detachment, it can lead to permanent loss of vision.
Eye surgeries and prescriptions for the eye. Certain drugs which are injected into vitreous may create air bubbles. The bubbles appear as shadows until the eye absorbs the bubbles. Silicone oil bubbles that are created during specific surgeries on the retina and the vitreous are also referred to as floating objects.
Risk factors
Factors that increase your chances of having eye floaters are:
Age greater than 50
Nearsightedness
Eye injury
The complications of cataract surgery
A complication of diabetes that causes damage to retina’s blood vessels (diabetic retinal retinopathy)
Eye inflammation
Menu