Clearview Eye and Laser Medical Center

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Floaters: What Are They?

Have you ever noticed little shapes floating around in front of your vision? They might look like strings or like specks of different sizes and shapes. If you look at a blank wall or a blue sky, you can see them more clearly.

They appear to be in front of your eyes, but actually they're inside the eye. Our eyes are full of fluid:

The aqueous fluid is in the anterior chamber, in front of the lens
The vitreous fluid is in the posterior chamber, between the lens and the retina

The floaters are little clumps of cells in the vitreous fluid and they cast shadows on the retina, which is what we see. They tend to form in middle-aged eyes, as the vitreous fluid starts to thicken a little. One cause of the floaters is the vitreous gel pulling away from the retina, a condition known as a posterior vitreous detachment. This happens more often in people who:

Are nearsighted
Have had some inflammation in the eye
Have had a cataract surgery

Many floaters are harmless and will fade away. But if you suddenly start to see floaters, give us a call or send an email, especially if you are over about 45 years of age. The floaters themselves are not necessarily harmful, but the vitreous gel pulling away from the retina can sometimes tear the retina, causing a little bleeding, and this may look to you like new floaters. A torn retina is certainly a serious problem, as it could lead to retinal detachment and blindness if not treated.

posted by JennyK at 2:06 PM

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