This month a patient asked: “What is a floater?”
Dr. Patel answered:
Floaters are hard to describe, but easy to spot. When you have one you’ll see tiny spots or specks floating across your eye in your line of vision. Although they are generally harmless, they are a few, rare, conditions where it may be necessary to schedule an appointment to prevent serious damage.
First, what is a floater? At the back of the eye, an area known as the vitreous humor contains a protein called collagen. As you age, the vitreous shrinks, causing pieces of collagen to float freely. Because of where they originate, they are medically referred to as vitreous floaters.
Floaters are more common the older we get, but are particularly common in people with nearsightedness, diabetes, or who have had a cataract operation.
When should you be concerned? As mentioned before, most floaters are benign and cause no harm. However if you experience flashes of light, vision loss, eye pain, or experience floaters after a recent eye surgery or injury, it’s time to see the doctor.
These could be signs of something known as retinal detachment which is a serious condition that can lead to visual impairment if not treated.
Small, benign floaters are not recommended to be treated. Only if your vision becomes severely affected should you consider treatment options.
