FLOATERS-Dr. Murali Mohan Gurram

7/28/2019 FLOATERS-Dr. Murali Mohan Gurram

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Eye Education Series-Floaters: Dr. Murali Mohan Gurram

Script by Dr. Murali Mohan Gurram Page 1

EYE FLOATERS

Some of you might have encountered tiny specks or strands floating in front of you but just cantget rid of them? This might most probably be.FLOATERS!

You might find it especially common when looking directly at a light background, or whenfeeling light-headed. The perception of floaters is medically known as myodesopsia.

Floaters are those tiny spots, specks, flecks and cobwebs that drift aimlessly around in yourfield of vision. Sometimes you may momentarily confuse them with dust or tiny insects floatingacross in front of the eye.

Fig. 1

Your eye is filled with a jelly like substance called vitreous Gel (Fig.1). Light entering the eye,has to pass through this gel to reach the retina. In childhood and adulthood, the vitreous has agel-like consistency. Any eye condition in which the clarity of the vitreous humor is altered canproduce the symptom of eye floaters. As one gets older, changes normally begin within thevitreous humor. The vitreous jelly naturally undergoes some liquefaction, resulting in smallpockets of more liquid vitreous lying within the firmer gel. This is called vitreous syneresis. Theboundary between each liquid pocket and the gel may be noticeable to the person as one or moreeye floaters. In addition, it is normal for the collagen fibers that are within the vitreous to becomethickened and denser with age, resulting in eye floaters. Any person who is over the age of 50


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will have these changes within their eyes. However, the degree of eye floaters produced by thesetypical changes will vary from person to person.

Each of these strands casts a small shadow onto the surface of the retina, and these shadows may

be perceived by you as eye floaters (Fig.2). As the eye moves from side to side or up and down,these strands, deposits, or pockets also shift in position within the eye, making the shadows moveand appear to float or undulate.

Fig. 2 Fig.3

You may see the floaters as spots, straight and curved lines, strings, or "O" or "C" shaped blobs.You may see it as a single floater while others may think they see hundreds. The lines may be

thick or thin, and they sometimes appear to be branched. To most people, they appear grey anddarker in color than the background. The density of different eye floaters will vary within anindividual eye. Eye floaters may be more noticeable under certain lighting conditions and bemore apparent when looking at a bright sky. Floaters are rarely seen in situations with reducedillumination.


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Like fingerprints, no two people have exactly identical patterns of eye floaters. If you have eyefloaters in both eyes, the pattern of the eye floaters in each eye will be different. In any eye thathas eye floaters, that pattern of eye floaters may also change over time.

Usually floaters are harmless, though they are annoying . Everyone experiences them from timeto time and they cause no ill effects.

Though your floaters are harmless, the following changes in your floater should alarm you inhaving immediate medical attention.Floaters in front of the eyes are normally clearly visiblewhen looking into a light background. However, if they start becoming visible in everybackground, if they Suddenly Increase in Number and size, and are Accompanied byPhotopsia (perception of flashes of light), it is vital that immediate medical advice is sought.This could be an early sign ofRetinal Detachment, which is a serious blinding disorder. In suchsituations a prompt retinal evaluation is needed, wherein they try to detect any retinal breaks orholes which may lead to retinal detachment. If holes are detected and are treated with laser,

retinal detachment can be prevented.

But if you ignore these alarming symptoms and wait till your vision falls, you might havedeveloped retinal detachment. A major surgery is needed to re attach the retina, which has poorprognosis.

Most of the times, the floaters are due to normal aging changes of eye. Sometimes they can beseen in children especially in high myopes ( with high minus glasses). Floaters in these childrencan be harmless, if not associated with retinal tears. Regular retinal evaluation is necessary.

Most eye floaters decrease in size and darkness with time. Some of this is due to actual

absorption of the floater through the natural processes within the eye. Eye floaters may also shiftin position within the eye, resulting in less of a shadow effect. In addition, the nerves within thebrain adapt to and often become used to the presence of eye floaters, ignoring them in a mannersimilar to the way a person only notices the feeling of shoes on their feet when they think aboutit. Eye floaters eventually tend to become less bothersome.

Eye floaters cannot be removed with medication or other means. Most will fade over time andbecome less annoying or noticeable.

There are a large number of abnormalities in the eyes that may also cause the symptoms of eyefloaters. Any cellular material within the vitreous may cause eye floaters. Red blood cells as a

result of hemorrhage and white blood cells as a result of inflammation are common types ofcellular material causing eye floaters. Hemorrhage into the vitreous may be a result of injury,diabetic retinopathy, a retinal tear through a blood vessel, or eye surgery. Inflammation in thevitreous may be caused by uveitis, injury, infection, or eye surgery.


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Fig. 4 Blood in vitreous

To conclude, if you are above 50 years of age or if you are wearing minus glasses, there are highchances of you seeing floaters. If you have floaters, do not think and worry too much about them.But beware of warning signs and get immediate retinal advice in such situation. Dont takemedications which are falsely given to dissolve them. There is no medicine to dissolve them.

(Thanks for google images for providing me the sources of images)


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FLOATERS-Dr. Murali Mohan Gurram

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