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If you are experiencing any tiny spots, specks or cobwebs in your field of vision, you probably have floaters in your eye. You might notice them more when you look at something bright like white paper or the blue sky. Although floaters might be annoying, it is very common and usually not cause for any harm.

Most floaters are small flecks of a protein called collagen. They're part of a gel-like substance in the back of your eye called the vitreous. As you age, the protein fibers that make up the vitreous shrink down to little shreds that clump together and will casts shadows on the back of your eye (the retina) as the light entering the eye hits it.

If you only have a few eye floaters that don't change over time, don't be worried. But go to the doctor as soon as you can if you notice:

• A sudden increase in the number of floaters
• Flashes of light
• A loss of side vision
• Changes that come on quickly and get worse over time
• Floaters after eye surgery or eye trauma

Causes of floaters include:

• Aging
• Posterior Vitreous Detachment
• Retinal tears
• Retinal detachment
• Eye Surgery like cataract surgery
• Uveitis
• Eye Injury

As floaters can be caused by several eye conditions, some of which can affect your vision, it's always best to have your eyes checked by an Eye doctor. You should also visit an Eye doctor/hospital without delay if you have floaters that appear very sudden and get worse.

How do we treat floaters?

Many will fade over time and become less bothersome. In most cases, no eye floaters treatment is required.

However, large persistent floaters can be very bothersome to some people, causing them to seek a way to get rid of eye floaters and spots drifting in their field of view.

In the past, the only treatment for eye floaters was an invasive surgical procedure called a vitrectomy. In this procedure, some or all of the vitreous is removed from the eye (along with the eye floaters within it) and is replaced with a sterile clear fluid.

But the risks of a vitrectomy usually outweigh the benefits for eye floater treatment. These risks include surgically induced retinal detachment and serious eye infections. On rare occasions, vitrectomy surgery can cause new or even more floaters. For these reasons, most eye surgeons do not recommend vitrectomy to treat eye floaters and spots.

Recently, a laser procedure called laser vitreolysis has been introduced that is a much safer alternative to vitrectomy for eye floater treatment. In this in-office procedure, a laser beam is projected into the eye through the pupil and is focused on large floaters, which breaks them apart and/or frequently vaporizes them so they disappear or become much less bothersome.

Remember, comprehensive Eye examination on regular basis goes a long way in detection & treatment of eye conditions that can pose threat to your vision.

Choose your eye care provider carefully...

Cheers
Vision Care, Seychelles