Eye floaters, also known as myodesopsias or muscae volitantes (in Latin, flying flies) are an ocular trouble consisting in the emergence in the visual field of black or white-coloured dots, spots, threads or cobwebs of different shapes, that move with eye movements.
What causes floaters? Floaters usually happen because of normal changes in your eyes. As you age, tiny strands of your vitreous (the gel-like fluid that fills your eye) stick together and cast shadows on your retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye). Those shadows appear as floaters.
Options may include surgery to remove the vitreous or a laser to disrupt the floaters, although both procedures are rarely done. Surgery to remove the vitreous. An ophthalmologist who is a specialist in retina and vitreous surgery removes the vitreous through a small incision (vitrectomy).
The floaters often subside starting within a few days, and all but a few settle to the bottom of the eye and disappear within a 6-month period. Some residual floaters can be seen for life.
Floaters can get less pronounced, but they are permanent and stay in eye. Sometimes, they can be a sign of a more serious eye condition called retinal detachment. In this condition, the shrinking and pulling away of the vitreous (called posterior vitreous detachment) causes the retina to detach.
If you notice a sudden increase in eye floaters, contact an eye specialist immediately — especially if you also see light flashes or lose your vision. These can be symptoms of an emergency that requires prompt attention.
Practicing stress reduction techniques, even something as simple as getting regular sleep, might help in reducing the severity of floaters. You can also try deep breathing exercises and meditation.
Certain factors make it more likely to develop floaters and flashes: Being nearsighted (myopia) Undergoing cataract surgery. Developing eye inflammation (uveitis)
Yes. Eye floaters can be treated in many cases without surgery. You do not necessarily have to live with them. The in-office procedure is called “Laser Floater Treatment” (LFT) or Laser Vitreolysis.
40 mg Vitamin C: Guards against intraocular oxidative stress by consuming oxygen released at the vitreoretinal interface. 26.3 mg Vitis Vinifera: Grapeseed extract. Of which 25 mg are Proanthocyanidins, which reduce glycation. 5 mg Zinc: Helps reduce processes that lead to vitreous degeneration.
If you frequently experience stress you might wonder, can stress cause eye floaters? The simple answer is, stress alone is not responsible for eye floaters appearing. Eye floaters are caused by deterioration of the vitreous humor which often happens as people age.
Although floaters themselves aren't dangerous, in rare cases they can be a symptom of a sight-threatening condition. As the vitreous shrinks, it can tug on the retina at the back of the eye and cause a retinal tear or detachment – where the retina comes away from the vitreous humour.
High blood pressure and vision disturbance
Increased pressure in the eyes can damage the blood vessels and surrounding tissues over time, leading to various vision changes, including blurring, eye floaters and seeing double.
Dehydration is another cause of eye floaters. The vitreous humour in your eyes is made of 98% of water. If you're constantly dehydrated, this gel-like substance can lose shape or shrink. This can lead to the occurrence of floaters because the proteins in this substance do not remain dissolved and thus, they solidify.
Floaters and other visual disturbances.
Flashes of light or color, floaters and other visual disturbances can occur for a host of reasons, including as a side effect of a drug. Medications linked to visual disturbances include Benadryl (for allergies), Cardizem (heart disease), Elavil (depression) and Xanax (anxiety).
For many, floaters may begin showing up between 50 and 70 years old. "Vitreous degeneration is accelerated by nearsightedness (myopia), inflammation, trauma and rare inherited abnormalities," adds Dr. Worrall. "Highly nearsighted patients tend to have more floaters than average."
Do Floaters Ever Go Away? When the vitreous detachment is clean and gradual, any increase in eye floaters usually subsides in one to six months. An occasional floater may appear now and then, but knowing they are harmless, most people learn to live with them.
Eye floaters are usually harmless. If they are caused by a serious condition that is left untreated, you may experience vision loss.
Eye floaters are a result of eye fatigue. A prolonged lack of sleep puts stress on your eyes which is one of the initial symptoms and can lead to eye floaters. Hence, it's important to relax your eyes and take enough rest & sleep in order to heal.
Floaters look like small specks, dots, circles, lines or cobwebs in your field of vision. While they seem to be in front of your eye, they are floating inside. Floaters are tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous that fills your eye.
While eye floaters cannot directly cause you to go blind, if they are caused by a serious underlying retinal condition, it could lead to blindness if not treated. If your retina has a bleeding hole, is inflamed, even has retinal detachment, and you do not receive proper treatment, it may lead to blindness.
The vitreous gel usually then melts or liquefies over the next several weeks to months. The floaters often subside starting within a few days, and all but a few settle to the bottom of the eye and disappear within a 6-month period. Some residual floaters can be seen for life.