Eye Floater – Awareness

Often we may not be aware of the different health issues that could affect our lives and it is best to have some information and knowledge on the various ailments where precaution could be undertaken that can help in the cure of the condition. Eye floaters are one such condition which may be ignored due to ignorance of the same.

These are tiny spots, flecks, specks or cobwebs that may be drifting aimlessly in one’s field of vision. Though annoying, these ordinary eye floaters and spots seem to be common but usually are not a cause for worry. They appear when tiny pieces of the eye’s gel like vitreous, break loose in the inner back of the eye. The vitreous is a gel like consistency right from birth and all through our youth which begins to dissolve as we age and liquefy creating a watery centre and some un-dissolved gel particles at times float around in the liquid centre of the vitreous.

 They tend to take on various shapes and sizes giving rise to the floaters that are seen. One will observe that these spots and floaters are particularly evident while looking at a bright clear area, like the computer screen or the sky and one will envisage tiny bits of debris floating loose within the eye. The shadows seen are actually shadows from these floaters which are cast on the retina as light passed through the eye giving rise to these spots that are seen floating aimlessly in one’s field of vision.

Eye Floaters, Sign of Retinal Tear/Detachment

These shadows of specks never seem to remain still when one tries to focus on them, on the contrary they tend to move when the eye moves, thus creating an impression that they are drifting in the air. In rare cases, eye floaters could be a sign of retinal tear or retinal detachment, where the retina tends to pull away from the blood vessels which supply the oxygen as well as the nutrients. Eye floaters cannot be prevented since it is a part of the natural ageing process.The need of a physician may arise when the person sees a shower of floaters and spots that are sometimes accompanied by light flashes which calls for immediate attention and treatment.

Posterior Vitreous Detachment - PVDs

The sudden appearance of these spots could mean that the vitreous is being pulled away from the retina or it could be that the retina itself is being dislodged from the inner back of the eyes which contains the nutrients, blood and oxygen which is essential for healthy function. If the retina is torn, vitreous may invade the opening pushing out the retina which could lead to the detachment of the retina. In the event of retinal tear or detachment, immediate care and treatment need to be taken in order to reattach the retina and thereby restore the normal function of the eye before its vision is lost permanently. More common than retinal detachments are Posterior vitreous detachments – PVDs and are not serious even when floaters appear all of a sudden though some vitreous detachment could also damage the retina while tugging on it which may lead to a tear or a detachment. For enriching information pertaining to health visit - Dream Health which will be beneficial to the viewer.