You are playing with your children out in the backyard and noticed black dots in your vision. At first, you think it is a little black bug that is flying around your head but as the day continues on and you are back inside the house, the black dots didn't go away. You wonder what is going on and if you should be concerned so you set up an eye doctor appointment which then you find out you have floaters in the eye.
What are floaters? Floaters are spots in your vision that look like spiderweb, gray or black little dots. Whenever you try to look at it, it moves away from your line of sight which is why people question "did I see a little black bug, or it is a floater?" Floaters are common with aging because as time goes on the jelly-like substance (vitreous) in the eye liquefies and contracts. The vitreous scatters clumps of collagen fibers casting tiny shadows on the retina which is the floaters you see. For your doctor to diagnose you with floaters, the doctor will dilate your retina so they can look in the back of your eye which is where the floaters are located. After this procedure, you will have light sensitivity, so it is wise to have proper eye protection (sunglasses) and to have someone to drive you home.
There are other factors that cause floaters in the eye other than aging. One factor is bleeding in the eye which is bleeding in the vitreous caused by diabetes, high blood pressure, eye injury, and blocked blood vessels. A second factor is inflammation in the back of the eye, which is called Posterior Uveitis caused by infection, inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune disorder. A final factor is a torn retina which is when a contracting vitreous tugs on the retina with enough force to tear it. Fluid can leak behind the tear which can cause the retina to detach. Without immediate attention from a doctor, you can become blind when the retina becomes detached.
There are risk factors to be aware of relating to floaters in the eye which are:
Eye injury
Nearsightedness
Eye inflammation
Age over 50 years
Diabetes
Complications due to cataract surgery
Contact your doctor after being diagnosed with floaters in the eye when you start seeing more floaters than normal, a sudden onset of new floaters, a blurry area that blocks parts of your vision, flashes of light in the same eye of floaters, and darkness on the side of your vision (peripheral vision). There is no treatment for most eye floaters so there is no additional medical need of assistance until you start showing symptoms listed above. If you do show symptoms, a surgeon can remove the vitreous of the eye through a small incision and replaced the vitreous fluid with a solution to keep the shape of your eye. A surgeon can also use a laser to disrupt the floaters. The laser breaks up the floaters to make them less noticeable which some individuals notice a difference were others do not.
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