December 21st, 2011 by admin

Do you notice the frequent presence of small lines, circles, or c-shaped objects in your line of vision? Do they float around as you look at the world? If so, then you may be suffering from a very common issue called eye floaters. However, just because nearly every person will experience them before the age of seventy, doesn’t mean that floaters shouldn’t raise a red flag.

Eye floaters are a result of a defect or several of them that exist in the vitreous jelly. This is the name of the substance that makes up a large portion of a person’s inner eyeball. When light passes from the cornea and the lens to the retina, at the back of the eye, it must travel through the vitreous. Either as a result of condensation or other deposits, the light may not make it though uninhibited. When that is the case, a shadow of the deposit is cast on the retina. This results in defective message being sent to the brain, which translates the shadows as floaters. As the eye moves, the angle of the light passing through the jelly changes and the shadows are cast differently, making it appear to the brain as if the floater is, for lack of a better word, floating.

There are a few different reasons why a person can begin to see these annoying lines and dots. In many cases, the Austin optometrist will report that it is simply a matter of age. As a person progresses through life, natural changes take place within the body. The eye is no exception. The vitreous often loses some of its gel-like characteristic, becoming more like a liquid in places. The formation of watery pockets results in the appearance of floaters.

In other situations, floaters can be warning signs of a more significant complication. For instance, another symptom of aging is a shrinking vitreous. This is natural, but occasionally, the diminishing size can cause this gel to become detached from the optic nerve. When this occurs, one or more floaters will appear. These will frequently be larger in nature than spots caused by other factors. The detachment occurs is about fifty percent of people after the age of sixty-five.

If a person suffers an eye injury or certain types of illness, his or her chances of developing floaters increases. Swelling, which results in an influx of white blood cells can find them trapped in the vitreous and appearing as floaters. The same can happen to red blood cells that appear as a result of bleeding; hemorrhage. The bleeding may be a result of serious tears or other complications within the retina. However, it is also seen in post-operative patients.

While there is no proven treatment for floaters, underlying conditions can be treated. and very often the defects in the vitreous will be absorbed naturally. Though it may take time, floaters will generally shrink and eventually disappear. Nevertheless, it is important for people who experience this phenomenon to see an ophthalmologist to ensure that there isn’t a serious problem elsewhere causing the issue.

Tech Ridge Vision
500 Canyon Ridge Dr # L350
Austin, TX 78753-1641
(512) 837-3200