Floaters are dark patches, similar to filaments, circles or webs, that appear in the field of view, especially when observing a clear image, such as white paper or a blue sky.
Generally, floaters in the eyes appear with aging, due to flaws in the vitreous, which is the gelatinous part of the eye, however, they can also happen in young patients due to small detachment points of the retina, which despite not impairing the retina. vision, form lumps that can float in the vitreous fluid, and form shadows that are projected onto the retina.
Floaters are curable through surgery to replace the vitreous of the eye, however, surgery is only recommended in cases of patients who have a large number of spots, preventing the performance of daily tasks, as most of the time this change does not it is usually worrying and does not even seriously affect vision.
Main symptoms
Symptoms of floaters are mainly the appearance of dark spots in the field of vision that:
- They are similar to flies, dots, threads or transparent lines that hover in the air; They move when the eyes are moved or when trying to look at them; They are easier to observe when looking at a white surface, such as a wall.
In cases where other symptoms appear, such as flashes, decreased vision or darkening on the sides of the vision, it is important to consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible to diagnose the problem and initiate appropriate treatment, as they may indicate more serious problems, such as retinal detachment. Understand what retinal detachment is and how to treat it.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for floaters in the eyes should be indicated and guided by an ophthalmologist, since, in most cases, no treatment is necessary, and the patient must get used to seeing this way.
However, when the patient already knows that he has floaters, he should consult the doctor again whenever the spots increase in size or in number, making vision difficult. Check for symptoms of vision problems that may alert you to the need to see an ophthalmologist.
However, in the most severe cases, where the vision spots are very large or appear in large numbers, the doctor may recommend surgery to dissolve the spots or to replace the vitreous with another substance. Surgery for floaters can have some risks, such as lesions in the retina and does not treat all spots, which is why it is only used as a last resort.
