Can Eye Floaters Be an Indication of an Eye Problem?

The medical term for eye floaters is Myodesopsia. Eye floaters look like tiny specks of black or gray that appear in your line of sight. At times they can also appear to be tiny cobwebs that interfere with your line of vision. These tiny floaters can drift back and forth when you move your eyes. These specks or strings move when you move your eyes, so when you try to look at them they move quickly out of your visual field. In most instances, the floaters eventually settle at the bottom of the vitreous cavity, out of the line of vision.

In rare instances, eye floaters can become so numerous that they significantly interfere with your vision. Eye floaters can be best seen when you look at a plain, bright background such as a blue sky, a computer screen, or a white wall. They can be a nuisance, but most people will learn to ignore them.

What causes eye floater

Eye floaters are most commonly the result of age-related changes in the vitreous humor, the jelly-like substance that fills your eyeballs and helps maintain their round shape. As we age, the vitreous humor in the eye becomes more liquid. Millions of these tiny, microscopic fibers are intertwined within the vitreous humor. These fibers are attached to the light sensitive retina which lines the back of your eyes. As light enters our eyes, it is refracted back by the retinas, allowing us to see and focus on something.

Usually eye floaters are caused from the normal aging process, but sometimes they can also be caused from eye irritation, and complications after having cataract surgery, or from being nearsighted. Diabetics with retinopathy are also at risk for having eye floaters.

How does vitreous humor change with age?

As we age, the vitreous humor changes in consistency and partially liquefies. This is a process that causes the vitreous humor to shrink and pull away from the interior surface of the eyeball. The vast majority of people over the age of 50 will experience this phenomenon to some extent as the incidences of eye floaters increase with age. Essentially, the vitreous humor begins to shrink and sag within the eyeball; this causes the vitreous humor to clump up and get stringy. As a result, bits of debris block some of the light passing through the eye, casting shadows on the retina.

Usually, the changes in the vitreous humor will occur gradually. But, in some instances, a section of the vitreous humor can suddenly begin to pull away from retina. In some cases, a person might also see flashes of light when the fine fibers in the vitreous humor tug on the retina.

When to see a doctor for eye floaters

Sometimes, these fine fibers pull so hard that they cause your retina to tear and pull away from the back of your eye. This is known as a vitreous detachment. While a vitreous detachment, by itself, doesn't threaten your sight, it can cause a retinal tear or a retinal detachment, then this becomes a medical emergency that requires urgent treatment. A retinal detachment can lead to permanent vision loss. Thus, if you see sudden flashes of light stop what you are doing and go to the emergency room immediately; sudden flashes of light indicate a possible detached retina.

If you notice a sudden increase in the number of eye floaters, then you must contact an eye specialist immediately '" especially if you also see flashes of light or lose your peripheral vision. These can be immediate symptoms of a retinal tear or a retinal detachment, which requires immediate attention.

Sources:

Mayo Clinic

All About Vision