What are eye floaters? 

Eye floaters are tiny specks of debris floating through the vitreous fluid within the eyeball. Often individuals think them to be dust particles or tiny insects floating across in front of the eye. Nevertheless, eye floaters are inside the eyeball and cannot be removed by rubbing the eye. They lead to rapid movements of the eye while floating gradually from one place to the other. If floaters do not move, they probably would be invisible due to a procedure named neural adaptation. 

How are they caused? 

A gel like substance fills up 80 % of our eye and assists it in maintaining a round shape. This gel is addressed as Vitreous. As we get old, the vitreous shrivels up and turns stringy. These strings or fine fibers cast small shadows on the retina. 

Who is affected with floaters? 

• People who are very nearsighted. 
• Diabetic people. 
• People who have undergone cataract surgery. 
• People who have any sort of inflammation within the eye. 
• People who have undergone YAG laser surgery of the eye in the past. 

Symptoms:

• You can see unexpected flashes of light. 
• Appearance of a big floater. 
• Appearance of new floaters all of a sudden. 
• Loss of side vision. 

Risks:

Eye Floater's risk -

Vitreous Detachment: 

Appearance of floaters could suggest Vitreous detachment. Because of the shrinking of the vitreous, the fine fibers pull on the retinal surface and break. This results in the detachment of the vitreous from the retina. 

Retinal Detachment:

In some of the cases, vitreous fibers pull so hard on the retina that they produce a macular hole or cause a retinal detachment. Both of these conditions are sight-threatening and require to be treated instantly. If left untreated, a macular hole or detached retina may lead to permanent vision loss in the afflicted eye. 

Treatment:

There is no particular treatment for Eye floaters and Vitreous detachment as such. These floaters may slowly fade away with time. 

Just to make sure that you are not at a risk of a torn retina, you need to get your eyes tested beforehand. 

If you have floaters for quite some years now, then you need to visit an Eye Doctor.

For complete eyecare solutions, visit Killeen Eyecare Center. You can also book your appointment with us by calling at 254-634-7805.

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Retinal Detachment is caused when thin layer of Retina tissue gets peeled off from its underlying support layer. Retinal Detachment is considered as a medical emergency. If not treated on time, substantial part of retina can get detached from the support layer thereby causing vision loss or permanent blindness.

Our retina translates the images captured by eye lens into neural impulse to be sent to our brain. When due to trauma or injury to eye or head a small tear occurs in retina, the vitreous fluid of eye seeps under it thereby peeling it away from the support layer. This particular condition is called Retinal Detachment.

Symptoms of Retinal Detachment:

• Feeling heaviness in eye.
• Sudden increase in number of floaters.
• Flashes of light.
• Dense shadow starting in the peripheral vision; progressing towards central vision.
• Straight lines appearing as curved.
• Central vision loss.

Treatment of Retinal Detachment:

• Cryopexy and Laser Photocoagulation
• Scleral buckle surgery
• Pneumatic retinopexy
• Vitrectomy

In most of the cases (around 85%) a single surgery works well in treating retinal detachment. In rest of the cases  there may be a need of second surgery to treat retinal detachment. A person can see improvement in his vision in just few weeks after successful surgery. Though after treatment the vision may not be that clear but it is very much necessary to initiate the treatment at the earliest as untreated retinal detachment can cause blindness.

Preventing Retinal Detachment:

Prevention is the best cure. If you encounter symptoms similar to retinal detachment, you should immediately see a eye doctor. Early detection can be treated with laser surgery or cyrotherapy. One of the major causes of Retinal Detachment is cataract surgery. Persons who have undergone cataract surgery should keep a regular check on the symptoms to make sure they can detect the onset (if it occurs) at the earliest.

For more information on various eye diseases, visit us at Killeen Eyecare Center. We are located at 416 North Gray Street, Killeen, TX 76541.

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