Eye Floaters and Spots

Have you ever seen a cloud floating about your eye? Have you ever wondered what those squiggly lines are that float across your line of sight? Perhaps you have never experienced this unusual phenomena. If not, sounds like your vision is in good shape. But even if you do occasionally see squiggly lines or floating objects across your line of sight, don't worry. It's not necessarily a sign something is wrong with your vision. In fact, eye "floaters" are quite common, and even a very interesting phenomena.

Eye floaters are hard to describe. Some view them as tiny flecks or "wormy" substances floating about their field of vision. These flecks, specks, clouds, worms or other term you may hold dear refer to eye floaters. Eye floaters are easily seen when you look at a blank document or background. Many people notice them as tiny grayish objects floating in their primary field of vision. They often move slowly across your eyes, disappearing, only to reappear within minutes or hours. Most people are able to "tune out" small floaters that appear on occasion.

Benign Eye Floaters and more
Many people develop a condition called eye "floaters" or spots as they age. Floaters can also be caused by injury or strain to the eye. Eye floaters are however, actually a relatively common occurrence for people. While sometimes benign (known as benign eye floaters), they can also be a sign that something more complicated is occurring within the eye. Typically floaters are substances that clump in the eye and appear to float within the eye as we attempt to see. They result from tiny clumps of cells that form inside the fluid surrounding the inside of the eye. Most people see shadows of floaters appearing across their eye rather than actual floaters or clumps of tissue.

"Eye floaters" is simply a generic term used to describe the specks or squiggly shapes people may see in front of their eyes at times. They are common when people look at a light background or plain surface.

Signs and Symptoms
During your annual eye exam, your optician or ophthalmologist will likely ask you if you see eye floaters or have problems with things "floating" in your line of site. How do you know if you actually have eye floaters? The most common signs and symptoms for eye floaters include:

• Seeing small objects floating in ones line of sight or vision.
• Noticing that various objects appear or disappear within one's line of sight
• Noticing floating objects in the eye accompanying a migraine or cluster headache
• Seeing floating objects or spots accompanied by a flash of light

The good news is usually eye floaters are not a serious condition requiring treatments. If you do notice them however, your eye doctor will likely check your eye more thoroughly to rule out any serious conditions or damage to your eye that may be resulting in eye floaters. If your eye floaters do result from injury to the eye your eye care professional may recommend some treatment. If you notice that the number of floaters or flashing lights you see increases it is important you rule out other more serious conditions that may require surgery.

Who's At Risk?
Just about anyone and everyone will develop some eye floaters during their lifetime. As we age we are all more at risk for seeing "floaters" in our line of sight. Some people including those that are near sighted are more at risk for developing eye floaters than others. If you have had cataracts surgery or YAG laser surgery you are also more at risk for seeing floaters, as these conditions may alter the jelly like fluid surrounding the eye. Chronic eye infections or inflammation may also contribute to eye floaters. If you play sports that involve rough contact, you may also be more at risk for injury to your eye, so consider wearing safety glasses to reduce your risk of injury (and developing eye floaters).

Many people notice that floaters get better or disappear on their own with time. For many people floaters are nothing more than a minor annoyance or something they observe when they are not paying attention to much else. Some people even consider eye floaters something fun to play around with. The next time you are bored, try staring at a blank wall or up at the sky. You may start to notice a few eye floaters in your own line of site. You can usually move them around. They are there all the time, but most of the time people simply don't notice eye floaters because they're eyes are too busy focusing on other objects. It's only when we have nothing else to look at that eye floaters usually become apparent.

If you start to develop new floaters however or the spots in your vision become worse or come with vision loss, you may be developing a more serious condition. Various vascular problems including retinal hemorrhages or diabetic retinopathy can result in the sudden appearance of multiple floaters. Other possibilities include retinal detachment. Always consult your doctor or eye care professional if your vision changes significantly, you notice bleeding in your eye or the number of flashes or floaters appearing in your line of site suddenly increases. With prompt treatment your doctor may be able to preserve your vision or correct a burgeoning problem.

Article:
Causes Of Eye Floaters - And what you may not have known

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