Floaters

floaters are small specks or clouds moving in our field of vision. We often see them when looking at a plain background. They are made up of tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous. While these objects look like they are in front of our eyes, they are really floating inside it. What we see are the shadows they cast on our retina, the layer of cells lining the back of our eyes that senses light and allows you to see. Floaters can appear as various shapes, such as cobwebs, lines, clouds, circles, or little dots. Floaters can mimic 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. This is a common cause of floaters.

Symptoms:

– New floaters, especially after age 45
– Sudden flashes of light
– Retinal tear or detachment

Risk factors:

– Nearsightedness
– Cataract surgery
– YAG laser
– Inflammation inside the eye

Treatment:

For more severe symptoms, a vitrectomy surgery is highly recommended. The surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure in an operating room. During surgery, your eye doctor uses tiny instruments to remove the wrinkled tissue on your macula. After the tissue is gone, the macula flattens, and vision gradually improves, although it usually does not return all the way to normal vision completely. You should consider surgery if your blurred vision is interfering with your daily activities