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Treatment Specialty
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What are floaters?
Floaters are small pieces of material that form in the vitreous – the clear fluid that fills the interior cavity of the eye. Floaters are usually clumps of condensed protein or cells, seen as small specks or strands moving into your field of vision. They may have the appearance of a small insect or cobweb.
Floaters are most apparent when you are looking at a plain background such as a white wall or blue sky.
They can be seen because they create shadows on the retina, the light sensitive film at the back of the eye.
What causes floaters?
In most cases, floaters are part of the natural aging process. As we grow older, the vitreous shrinking causes the development of cloudy clumps of vitreous which are seen as floaters. This is common among those who are nearsighted or who have undergone cataract surgery. While they may interfere with clear vision, floaters usually present no threat to your eye and are more of an annoyance than a visual impairment.
In some people the shrinks vitreous gel in the eye pulls free of its attachment to the back of the eye at the optic nerve. When this happens, a large floater is usually seen which can resemble a cobweb. This is frequently associated with the sensation of flashing lights as a result of the vitreous pulling on the retina. This separation of the vitreous from the back of the eye is called a posterior vitreous detachment. During this separation, tears can develop in the retina which can lead to a retinal detachment. Early detection and treatment of tears can prevent a retinal detachment.
Floaters, particularly large floaters and/or large numbers of floaters, may be symptomatic of a more serious problem -- bleeding into the vitreous cavity, a torn retina, inflammation or other problems -- requiring immediate diagnosis and treatment by a retinal specialist.
Light Flashes
Flashes of light lasting a few seconds may appear in your vision when the vitreous gel pulls or tugs on the retina. This may happen as a natural result of aging or it may occur temporarily if you receive a blow to the head or eye. Usually these flashes, which are often described as lightening streaks, are noticed at night.
Light flashes appearing as wavy lines in both eyes and lasting from a few minutes to half-an-hour, are usually a sign of an ocular migraine headache. Migraine-related flashes are often noticed in a lighted environment.
Flashes of this nature typically are not symptomatic of eye problems requiring a retinal specialist.
The onset of new light flashes of short duration at night, especially when accompanied by the appearance of many new floaters or a blackening out of part of your field of vision, may indicate a retinal tear or detachment, and require prompt evaluation by a retinal specialist within a day or two.
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