Floaters, also known as eye floaters, can be very annoying. Floaters are those little specks or tiny spots that float around in the eye and often occur when the vitreous breaks free from the inner portion from the back of the eye. The vitreous, which is like a gel like substance, is normal and is present when we are first born and younger, but tends to thin and dissolve as we become older.
Floaters are known as just that, they float when you try to focus just on the spots, but they look as if they are floating when you try. What you are actually seeing is the shadow that is cast from the light either from the sun or another light source. Although floaters mostly are not a serious problem, the time you should seek medical attention is when the floater or floaters seem like showers of them and you are seeing flashes of light with these showers. This could mean the retina is tearing away from the back of the eye or the vitreous is detaching itself from the retina. A surgeon will have to set up an appointment to repair the retina that is torn or detached before vision is lost.
Floaters are more common than you think. As a matter of fact, more than 50% of the people will experience floaters when they reach over the age 80. Most will not need corrective surgery, but in the case where the retina is torn or you are experiencing flashes, chances are you will need surgery to fix this. Flashes are caused by the retina being pulled or is torn, a flicker of light is noticed by the person. This flicker of light is noticed by the retina being stimulated and the stimulation is being sent to the brain.
Flashes may also occur if you have ever been hit on the head so hard that you see what they call “stars”. Jagged uneven lines that are seen that last anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes are caused by spasms in the blood vessels in the brain and can lead to a migraine.
Treating floaters are most of the time not necessary as they will go away over a period of time. Doctors will not normally do surgery on floaters unless you are experiencing intense flashing, which could be the cause of damage to the retina. If you have no serious retina damage and you still want to get rid of the floaters, some doctors will perform surgery to remove the gel like vitreous and replace it with a saline liquid.
If you experience and flashing that lasts longer than 20 minutes and/or you are beginning to notice loss of vision and are having multiple showers of floaters, seek medical attention as soon as you can as this is a cause for concern due to the fact the retina may be detaching itself and will need to be fixed as soon as possible to prevent any further damage to the eye.
