When Should I Go To Ophthalmologist..!
How To Care About My Contact Lenses..!
Floaters
and flashes
What
are floaters?
You may sometimes see small specks or
clouds moving in your field of vision. They are called floaters. You can
often see them when looking at a plain background, like a blank wall or
blue sky
Floaters
are actually tiny clumps of gel or cells
inside the
vitreous, the clear jelly-like
fluid that fills the inside of your eye.
While these objects look like they are in
front of your eye, they are actually
floating inside. What you see are the shadows they cast on the retina,
the nerve layer at
the back of the eye that senses light and allows you to see.
Floaters
can have different shapes: little dots, circles, lines, clouds or
cobwebs
what causes floaters?
When people reach middle age, the vitreous gel may start to thicken or shrink, forming clumps or strands inside the eye. The vitreous gel pulls away from the back wall of the eye, causing a posterior vitreous detachment. It is a common cause of floaters.
Posterior vitreous
detachment
is more common
for people
who:
are nearsighted;
]
have undergone cataract operations;
]
have had YAG laser surgery of the eye;
]
have had inflammation inside the eye.
The appearance of floaters may be alarming, especially if they develop suddenly. You should see an ophthalmologist right away if you suddenly develop new floaters, especially if you are over 45 years of age
.
Are floaters ever serious?
The
retina can tear if the shrinking vitreous gel
pulls away from the
wall of the eye. This
sometimes causes a
small amount of bleeding
in the eye that may
appear as new floaters
A
torn retina is always a serious problem, since
it can lead to a
retinal detachment. You should see your ophthalmologist as soon as
possible if:
]
even one new floater appears suddenly;
]
you see sudden flashes of light.
]
If you notice other symptoms, like the loss of side vision, you should
see your ophthalmologist