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Floaters are small specks or ‘clouds’ moving around in your field of vision, which are tiny clumps of protein inside the vitreous (the clear gel-like fluid that fills the inside of the eye).
Floaters are often seen when looking at a plain background like a blank white wall or the blue sky.
While these floaters look like they are in front of the eye, they are actually inside the eye. You are seeing the shadows of the tiny protein clumps on the retina.
Floaters can appear in different shapes, such as cobwebs, clouds, circles, lines or little dots.
People of all ages can experience floaters, but they are more common with increasing age and in myopic patients.
When people reach middle age, the vitreous gel starts liquifying and that’s when the gel moves along with the floaters. The gel pulls away from the back of the eye causing a posterior vitreous detachment, which is a common cause of floaters.
The retina can tear as the shrinking vitreous gel exerts pull on it while it is separating away from it. This sometimes causes a small amount of bleeding that may appear as a sudden onset of new floaters and blurring of vision.
If you see new floaters that appear suddenly or a black curtain (veil) blocking your vision, visit your doctor immediately.
New onset of floaters should be evaluated by an eye doctor as soon as possible to rule out retinal tear or detachment.
Often floaters do not go away, but become less noticeable and less bothersome with time and can be temporarily moved out of the way by looking up ,down and beyond them.
Some floaters are harmless and tend to fade with time or become less bothersome and require no treatment.
Some floaters are caused by a tear in the retina. These floaters caused by retinal tear typically appear suddenly like a shower of black spots.If the tear is not treated, the retina may detach from the back of the eye, for which the treatment is retinal surgery. Hence sudden onset large number of floaters is a concern and one should seek retina expert opinion asaearly as possible in this acse.
Those who have experienced floaters or years should schedule an eye exam if new flashes are noticed. Flashes are lightening like streak of light typically noticed in dark.
Another treatment option is an invasive procedure called vitrectomy in which some or all of the vitreous is removed from the eye and is replaced with a sterile clear fluid.
Most eye surgeons, do not recommend vitrectomy to treat eye floaters, as the risks associated with the procedure usually outweigh the benefits of the treatment.
Dr. Shrutika Junagade Kankariya, (MBBS, DNB, FICO, Fellow Retina and Diabetes Eye Disease) is an advanced medical retina, diabetic eye disease and cataract expert. She completed her medical college training from prestigious and one of the best medical college in India, Seth GS medical college and KEM hospital, Mumbai. She completed her ophthalmic education at one of the finest eye institute in Asia; Sankara Netralaya ,Chennai, under the aegis of diplomat of the national board (DNB). She has obtained FICO UK (Fellow international council of ophthalmology, united kingdom. Thereafter she underwent advanced fellowship in retinal disorders at sankara netralaya Chennai (Busiest center catering to referrals for retinal disorders from all over Asia).
