Introduction:
Eyes let an individual see the beautiful world outside. Sometimes, the vision may be disturbed because of the presence of spots in the vision. The person may see black or gray specks, or strings while moving the eyes, which may disappear while trying to look at them directly. The eye floaters are most noticeable when an individual looks at a plain bright background such as a white wall or blue sky. The condition can be annoying but does not require treatment unless it interferes with vision. If there is any presence of such eye floaters, an individual should immediately contact a physician, more specifically an eye specialist or an ophthalmologist, especially when an individual sees light flashes suddenly or experience loss of peripheral vision.
What Are Eye Floaters?
Eye floaters are semi-transparent, small, or cloudy fibers that float in the vitreous humor (a gel-like substance that is present inside the eye). These floaters can appear as irregular shapes, dots, cobwebs, or specks. Eye floaters are common and increase with age. Sometimes floaters tend to be less noticeable over time.
What Are the Causes of Eye Floaters?
Eye floaters can be associated with any underlying medical condition. The following can cause eye floaters:
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Age-Related Changes in the Eye: The shape of the vitreous-jelly-like substance that fills the eyeball shrinks. Also, with time, it may liquefy which leads to pulling away from the interior surface of the eyeball. This causes the fibers to clump together and form floaters.
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Eye Injury: Trauma to the eye such as during low to the head can cause bleeding in the eye. This can lead to the development of eye floaters.
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Medical Conditions: Some medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and migraine can cause floaters as a symptom.
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Tearing of the Retina: If it is not treated, it can lead to retinal detachment and, ultimately permanent vision loss.
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Medications: Some medications have the capability to form bubbles when injected into the vitreous. Now, these bubbles can appear as shadows, but once they are absorbed completely by the eye, it disappears.
What Are the Risk Factors of Eye Floaters?
Some risk factors can increase the chances of getting eye floaters and they are as follows:
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Age: It is a major risk factor for the development of the condition. Individuals who are above 50 years of age are at more risk.
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Myopia (nearsightedness): Individuals with nearsightedness or myopia are at increased risk of developing eye floaters because the vitreous humor is more likely to detach from the retina and the eyeballs in these individuals are elongated.
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Eye Trauma: Any injury or trauma to the eye can cause eye floaters.
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Eye Surgery: Any complications due to cataract surgery can lead to the development of the condition.
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Diabetes: People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing eye floaters.
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Family History: Eye floaters may run in families. People with a family history of floaters are at increased risk of developing the condition.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Eye Floaters?
There can be various symptoms that might help to diagnose this condition, which is as follows:
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Any small, cloudy, or semi-transparent shapes present in the vision can be visualized as dark specks, any transparent string of material in a floating manner.
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Presence of lines, dots, and cobwebs and they move around while moving the eyes, which disappear while trying to look directly at it.
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Presence of any spot or dot while staring at a plain background such as a white wall or blue sky.
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Presence of small shapes that subside on their own.
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Some people may experience other symptoms such as flashes of light, blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, eye pain, or redness.
When Should an Individual Consult a Physician?
Immediate consultation with an eye specialist is important in the following cases:
1. Increased eye floaters than usual.
2. Presence or emergence of eye floaters suddenly.
3. Eye floaters, along with flashes of light in the same eye.
4. Any peripheral vision loss characterized by darkness on any side of the vision.
These are mostly painless symptoms but are of much importance and can be caused by a retinal tear, which can be or cannot be attached to retinal detachment and again is a very important condition that needs immediate medical attention.
How Can Eye Floaters Be Diagnosed?
Eye floaters can be diagnosed by a combination of personal history, medical history, and symptoms that an individual is facing. Following that, certain tests will be conducted to check the eye status. During an examination, the doctor will ask the patient about symptoms and medical history including any past eye diseases or surgeries. The eye doctor will perform a visual acuity test to diagnose myopia. The dilated eye examination includes putting drops in the eyes to dilate the pupils and that allows the clear visualization of the back of the eye. The test helps check eye abnormalities such as retinal detachment or tears. The eye doctor may advise imaging tests like optical coherence tomography which provides a detailed picture of the back of the eye.
How Can Eye Floaters Be Treated?
Initially, it is important to manage the underlying cause of eye floaters like diabetes, hypertension, etc. Eye floaters can frustrate the individual and the individual will take time to adjust to it.
But, in case the condition is severe, it might need medical attention and the available treatment includes the following:
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Surgery: This can be done to remove the vitreous and replace it with a saline solution. The surgical procedure is known as a vitrectomy.
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Laser Therapy: The therapy involves the use of lasers to break the floaters into smaller pieces. This can help in disrupting the floaters.
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Medications: The medications such as antibiotics or corticosteroids treat underlying infections or inflammation that may cause eye floaters.
Conclusion:
Eye floaters can be normal or pathologic, but it needs immediate medical attention in case of severe conditions. It can affect normal life if not managed early. While eye floaters are usually harmless and do not require treatment. With the help of online medical platforms, people can now consult a specialist or physician at the ease of their home.
