With age, degeneration of the parts of the eye like the retina and cornea is typical. However, several other conditions may seem trivial and initially not intervene with vision but still need care and attention. For example, Eye floaters are common among elders. Floaters in the eye need not cause concern and do not block vision wholly. In several cases, floaters may turn bigger and affect vision sensitivity. In simple words, floaters appear in the eye’s fluid, thereby also called vitreous floaters. They come in varying shapes and keep moving with time.
Symptoms to Know
There are no related symptoms to vitreous floaters rather than the appearance of floaters in small size and gradually growing. Floaters come as grey dots or black threadlike knobs that keep moving and interfere with vision mildly. Floaters are hard to look at as they keep jiggling in the vitreous fluid and move with moving eyeballs. Sometimes, one may not find floaters in the regular background and real-time settings.
However, floaters are detectable and visible against clearer backgrounds like the sky or a plain wall. Eventually, floaters tend to settle down or move away from your vision and are never stable. The formation of floaters in the eye is irreversible. That is, they never go away naturally. However, their intensity may increase or decrease depending upon each individual.
Related Complications
Chronic Eye floaters can pave the way to other degenerations and severities in many patients. Eye floaters typically cause vision distraction as they increase in size. It ultimately affects day to day activities and causes ever-growing eye discomfort. However, in some cases, floaters can also cause retinal detachment, quickly leading to complete blindness when left untreated.
Retinal detachment gets coupled with other conditions like vision blockage on the sides apart from floater occurrences. Retinal detachment occurs in one in every 10,000 Australians. It usually occurs when there is a quick increase in floaters and needs prompt medical attention!
When to Consult a Doctor?
As already mentioned, floaters aren’t an immediate cause of concern. However, several factors decide if they require immediate treatment and cure. Here is a list of signs that indicate you to seek medical advice immediately,
- Extra discomfort
Typical floaters do not cause any discomfort initially. With time, they tend to create a tinging pain in the eye. Eye pain coupled with other eye irritations are early signs. In some other cases, one may experience flashes of light or a blurred vision at certain spots. The occurrence of floaters in more frequent rates, varying sizes and shapes are also other indicators! Sudden onset of newer and more floaters and darkness on either side of the eyes are also considered serious. Early diagnosis can make treatments effective and straightforward.
- Hemorrhage
Floaters can occur due to tear and wear of the retina by a possible eye accident. In such cases, floaters combined with retinal bleeding is a serious condition. Bleeding can also result from blood vessel damage, injury or infection. It has another name called vitreous haemorrhage, as it occurs in the eye’s vitreous fluid, and this needs immediate treatment.
- Retinal Tear
A degenerative condition of the vitreous fluid converts it into a liquid state. As a result, the gel sac gets pulled in, which can cause a frictional pressure on the retina. Retinal stress can be troublesome as, with time, it might even pull the entire retina. As already mentioned, retinal pressure can cause retinal detachment and tear off the retina. This condition needs immediate medical attention.
