Eye Floaters are grey spots, lines, cobwebs or dots in your field of vision that seem to drift away when you try to look at them directly. This is caused by a gel-like substance in your eye called vitreous. As you age, this gel-like substance becomes more fluid and the microscopic fibres within the vitreous thicken; these fibres cast shadows on your retina causing black/grey spots in your vision known as eye floaters or flashes.
Eye floaters symptoms:
- Grey spots or transparent strings of floating material appear in vision
- The spot visibility is more prominent on plain bright backgrounds
- With the movement of eyes, the spots also move and if you focus to look at them, the spots tend to drift away from the vision
What are the possible causes of Eye Floaters?
Although there is no specific age when eye floaters can appear but over the age of 50, there is a high risk of developing them. Other than ageing, eye floaters can also be a symptom of an eye problem or an underlying health issue. Let’s see what causes them!
- Eye infections
- Retinal Detachment
- Inflammation in the back of the eye
- Nearsightedness
- Eye surgery
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Cytomegalovirus retinitis
- Haemorrhage
- Eye tumors
- Migraine or headaches
How do you treat Eye-Floaters?
Eye Floaters don’t generally require treatment, in most cases they fade away on their own, or your vision adapts with them after some time, so you don’t notice them much. But if they get dense and start to impair your vision, it’s better to consult an eye doctor.
Doctors usually suggest an eye surgery called Vitrectomy for eye floaters treatment. In this process the gel-like solution vitreous is removed from your eye through a small incision and is replaced with another saline solution. After the surgery, your body again starts producing vitreous, which slowly replaces the new solution in your eye. Vitrectomy is generally reserved for severe floaters cases, as it is a very complicated process that comes with its own set of risks. Although it is effective, it is still possible to again start developing eye floaters after the surgery.
Laser treatment is also an alternate option for removing floaters. In this process, doctors use lasers to break or dissolve eye floaters which makes them less noticeable. However, it is not a preferred treatment as it can have a few side effects, and a thorough diagnosis is required to see if the person can go for the laser treatment or not. If the treatment is not done properly, there is a risk of damaging the retina as well. So it’s important to discuss all pros & cons with the doctor beforehand.
Although, eye-floaters cannot be prevented but here are some general tips and practices to keep your eyes healthy:
- Get a comprehensive eye checkup on a regular basis
- Maintain a healthy and nutritious diet
- Stay hydrated – drink more water
- Use sunglasses when outdoors or wear protective eyewear when required
- Give your eyes a break, every 20 mins while working on a computer
How Centre for Sight can help?
Given the complications and high risk of the treatment, it is absolutely critical to have the right experts to handle it. Driven by the mission to provide the best eye care to all, Centre for Sight has a dedicated team of highly experienced eye doctors across India who provide specialized eye care and honest clinical opinion. CFS hospitals have advanced surgical and diagnostic technology and best-in-class equipment to take care of the patients.
Article: Eye Floaters can affect your vision!
Author: CFS Editorial Team | Dec 17 2020 | UPDATED 04:00 IST
*The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of Centre for Sight.
