Spots and Floaters in Vision
What are Spots and Floaters in Vision?
Eye floaters are small dots that appear in your line of vision that seem to be moving. They are more obvious when you look at bright objects. Eye floaters are not all the same, some people will see black or gray dots, squiggly lines, threads, cobwebs, or ring-shaped floaters. Once floaters enter vision, it is unlikely that they will go away, but they may become less visible over time.
Floaters and spots in the eye come from small flecks of protein, also know as collagen. These fine collagen fibers originate in the back section of the eye called the vitreous humor. As you get older, the collagen becomes weaker and can shred off and begin to fill the vitreous. Once the vitreous is full, the clear vitreous gel will pull away from the retina and the newly formed gap will now have vitreous fluid in it with those freely floating collagen fibers creating shapes in the vision.
What Causes Floaters?
Age is the main source of getting eye floaters or spots. Normally people age 50 and older will begin to develop floaters. They are more common in very nearsighted eyes or eyes that have undergone cataract surgery. The more rare sources of eye floaters are eye disease, diabetic retinopathy, eye injury, eye tumors, or crystal-like deposits from the vitreous.
When Should I See a Doctor about Floaters?
Some serious ocular disorders that can accompany eye floaters are:
- Eye tumors
- Bleeding of the Vitreous
- Retinal detachment or tearing
- Vitreous and retinal inflammation
If the floaters are few in number and remain fairly constant, it’s not likely that there are any serious issues. However, if the floaters seem to worsen, or if they are sudden and increasing in number, you should seek medical attention. Visual flashes of light, vision loss, or eye pain could be signs of a more serious condition.
When the retina is tugged or detaches from the back of the eye the brain will notice a flash or flicker of light that will be short or repeat until the retina is fixed. Additionally, if the floaters develop after an eye surgery or trauma, you should see a doctor.
What Are My Treatment Options?
Benign eye floaters do not require medical attention, but if they are too bothersome move eyes up and down repeatedly. This motion will disperse the floaters by agitating the fluid in the eyes.
If the eye floaters are so numerous that vision is affected, the eye doctor may suggest a vitrectomy. A vitrectomy is a surgical procedure that replaces the polluted vitreous with a salt solution. However, this surgery runs the small risk of causing retinal detachment, retinal tears, and cataracts. More recent, laser vitreolysis has been introduced as a safer alternative to the vitrectomy. It’s an in-office procedure that uses a laser to focus in on the large floaters in the eye to break up or vaporize them.
