Index
- What are the floaters?
- Disease prognosis
- Symptoms of Eye floaters
- Medical tests for hoverflies
- What are the causes of Eye floaters?
- Can it be prevented?
- Treatments for hoverflies
- What specialist treats it?
What are floaters?
Technically called myodesopsias, floaters refer to the vision of floating bodies moving across our field of vision. They can appear in different forms: threads, dots, shadows, flies, etc. It is one of the main reasons for visiting an ophthalmologist.
Floaters are condensations that form in the gelatinous liquid in the eyeball and, with the passage of light, cast their shadow on the retina. In cases of floaters, these condensations appear due to the natural dehydration of the vitreous.
Floaters are an unimportant condition, as they are the result of the natural aging of the vitreous humor. We should be concerned when they appear frequently or suddenly and are accompanied by flashes.
They may appear in different forms: threads, dots, shadows, flies, etc.
Prognosis of the disease
In general, floaters are not serious, because they arise from the aging process of the eye and do not usually cause problems beyond discomfort in vision. However, it is important to have ophthalmologic check-ups for an accurate diagnosis and thus prevent complications.
Symptoms of floaters
Floaters appear in the visual field as spots, dots or spider web-like threads. They usually move with eye movements and seem to flee when we try to look directly at them.
In addition, they are usually perceived with greater intensity when the gaze is fixed on a smooth, illuminated surface, such as a white wall.
Medical tests for floaters
The doctor will perform a thorough examination of the eye. He/she will also administer eye dilation drops in order to carefully analyze the vitreous, if there is a tear or detachment, in the latter case it would be accompanied by small flashes of light.
What are the causes of floaters?
The exact causes of the appearance of floaters are unknown, but they are related to age and myopia. They are also associated with diabetics, if they have suffered intraocular inflammation or vitreous hemorrhages, have had laser surgery on the eye.
Vitreous detachment is also conducive to the perception of floaters, as they can also appear after cataract surgery or capsulotomy. Less frequent but also possible is its presence in severe ocular disease.
Can it be prevented?
It is recommended to undergo eye examinations from the age of 40 onwards in order to detect floaters that may pose a risk.
What is the treatment?
There is currently no treatment to eliminate floaters permanently, so patients eventually adapt to their presence. However, we do have medications that delay the appearance of these flying bodies, and two other treatments:
- Vitreolysis: laser discharges that are discharged against the opacities to make them less visible or move them away from the visual field.
- Vitrectomy: surgery to remove the vitreous humor and replace it with a saline solution that will restore transparency to our vision. It is a technique that is performed as a last option, since it is a risky surgery.
Which specialist treats it?
Ophthalmology specialist treats floaters.