Floaters
Floaters may appear as tiny specks or “cobwebs” or as small dark shadows, “thread-like” strands or even “squiggly” lines that actually float around in your field of vision. They tend to move as your eyes move, but not necessarily in the same direction, and often just drift away when your eyes stop moving.
Generally, floaters are a normal and expected consequence of the aging process of your eyes, especially if they develop slowly. However, they can be a symptom of a retinal tear or detachment when they develop or increase suddenly. And sudden change requires prompt examination.
Fortunately, most floaters are not a danger to your vision. Most patients learn to simply ignore their floaters under most circumstances. Typically, they become more noticeable when looking at a visual field with a white background such as a plain piece of paper or a clear blue sky. The back of the eye is filled with a gel-like substance called the vitreous humor. As we age, the vitreous tends to separate into liquid sections and “stringy” or “clumped” sections which can cast shadows on the retina which are perceived as floaters.
The likelihood of experiencing floaters increases as we get older and is more common if you are very nearsighted, have diabetes or have had a blow to the head from sports or an accident. Sometimes other eye conditions or problems inside the eye may cause floaters such as infections, inflammation, hemorrhages, retinal tears or trauma to the eye.
Flashes
Occasionally a small section of the vitreous gel may pull away from the retina all at once, instead of slowly and gradually, and this may cause a noticeable and sudden increase in the number of floaters that you see and can be accompanied by flashes of light. This is called a Vitreous Detachment and it means that you should quickly schedule an eye exam—especially if light flashes or a distortion in your side vision accompanies it as these are signs of a possible Retinal Detachment, which is a sight threatening medical emergency.
Treatment of Flashes and Floaters
For the vast majority of people who have floaters, even though they may be annoying, no treatment is recommended. In many instances the floaters actually “settle” over time making them less noticeable. In the unusual event that your floaters are extremely bothersome because there are a great number of them or because they are particularly dense, there are two treatment options available to you: Laser Vitreolysis and Posterior Pans Plana Vitrectomy.
While Laser Vitreolysis is relatively safe, it does have a low success rate. Performing a Vitrectomy requires a Retinal Surgeon to actually remove the Vitreous gel along with any debris or strand like material that may be interfering with your vision. Vitrectomy is considered major eye surgery and most eye surgeons are quite hesitant to recommend Vitrectomy as treatment for floaters unless the disturbance of your vision is very significant.
If you experience a sudden onset of flashes or floaters, even if you have no vision loss, you should call Center for Sight and request an appointment. Please tell the receptionist that you are experiencing these symptoms so you can be scheduled immediately. After a thorough dilated eye examination the Center for Sight eye doctor be able to diagnose whether your floaters are part of normal aging or due to a more serious and possible sight-threatening problem. Please call Center for Sight in Fall River, Massachusetts at 508-730-2020 to schedule an appointment for flashes or floaters.
