As you age, you may start to experience visual phenomena known as "floaters." These are little, shadowy things that resemble dots, threads, or cobwebs that seem to drift in and out of your field of vision. When you focus on them, they tend to "float" or drift to a new position.
For some people, floaters are a mild annoyance. For others, they're a terribly disturbing problem that clouds their vision and negatively affects their ability to function. Fortunately, your ophthalmologist may have a cure that's surprisingly easy. Here's what you should know.
What exactly causes floaters?
Basically, they're small protein fibers that are part of the vitreous fluid that's in your eye. The fluid, which is is somewhat gel-like, can shrink and develop little clumps as you age. (In rare cases, floaters can also happen due to illness or injury, so always make a beeline to your eye doctor if you experience sudden changes or a dramatic increase in the number of floaters you see.)
Around one-fourth of people develop floaters by the time they are 60-years-old and about two-thirds have them by the time they turn 80. They're particularly common in people who have had cataract surgery or are nearsighted.
What can be done to treat them?
As long as the floaters aren't affecting your ability to see, your doctor will probably recommend that you just leave them alone. Over time, the little clumps of protein tend to settle toward the bottom of your eye, where they're not directly in your sight—which makes them less annoying or distracting.
If the floaters become a true problem or are especially large, however, your ophthalmologist can perform a simple surgery known as a vitrectomy.
What happens in a vitrectomy?
A vitrectomy is a procedure that is performed while you are awake—although you won't be able to feel any pain due to local anesthetics. During the surgery, your ophthalmologist will actually drain the vitreous fluid from your eyes, taking the floaters with it. The fluid is then partially replaced with a saltwater solution.
For a short while, you'll have a peculiar "bubble" in your sight that gradually will shrink away as your body produces more vitreous fluid to fill up the remaining space inside your eye.
Are there any risks associated with the surgery?
All surgical procedures do have some risks, so your doctor will only recommend it if you are healthy enough and he or she thinks you'll do fine. There is a possibility of complications from the surgery, including bleeding into the eye and retinal tears, so you will be closely monitored for several weeks after the surgery until you are fully healed.
If floaters are making your life difficult and interfering with the things you enjoy doing, talk to your ophthalmology services provider today.
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