WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FLOATERS,VITREOUS AND RETINAL DETACHMENT
Christiane Tourtet B.A.
May 01, 2008
Floaters are specks or little "cobwebs" that float in your field of vision. They are dark, small, shadowy shapes that can look like squiggly lines, thread-like strands, or spots. As your eyes move, they move, and they appear to dart away when you try to look directly at them. They do not follow precisely your eye movements, and normally drift when you stop moving your eyes.
In the majority of cases, floaters are part of the natural aging process, and are just an annoyance. At first they can be quite distracting, but eventually, they tend to "settle" at the bottom of the eye, below the line of sight, becoming less bothersome, but they do not completely go away. Most people have floaters and usually do not notice them until they become prominent and numerous, and they try to learn to ignore them. When looking at something bright such as a blue sky or white paper, floaters can become apparent.
When the vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills approximately 80 percent of the eye, slowly shrinks, it becomes sort of stringy, and these strands can cast very small shadows on the retina. These are called floaters. Floaters usually develop as we age and are more common in people who have diabetes, or who had cataract operation, or are very nearsighted. However, there are much more serious causes of floaters, which include infection, inflammation (uveitis), injury to the eye, hemorrhaging, retinal tears.
Sometimes a section of the vitreous pulls all at once the fine fibers away from the retina, rather than gradually, thus causing new floaters to suddenly appear. This is called vitreous detachment, which, in the majority of cases requires no treatment and is not sight-threatening. One of the symptoms of vitreous detachment is sudden and small increase in the number of new floaters, which may be accompanied by flashes of light (lightning streaks) in your side or peripheral vision. A vitreous detachment is a rather common condition after age 80, and usually affects people over age 50. People at increased risk are those who are nearsighted, and people who have a vitreous detachment in one eye are likely to have one in the other eye, which may not happen until years later.
Sometimes, some of the vitreous fibers pull so hard on the retina that it can lead to retinal detachment or create a macular hole. Both of these conditions should be treated immediately as they are sight-threatening.
People who experience a sudden increase in flashes of light in peripheral vision, or in floaters, should have an eye care professional examine their eye as soon as possible, Early treatment of a macular hole or detached retina caused by the vitreous detachment can help prevent loss of vision. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to permanent vision loss in the affected eye.
Retinal detachment, as the name implies, is, when the retina detaches, meaning that it is pulled or lifted from its normal position. If not treated promptly it can cause blindness. Sometimes, small areas of the retina are torn (retinal tears or retinal breaks) and this can lead to retinal detachment.
The symptoms of retinal detachment include a gradual or sudden increase of light flashes or of floaters, or the appearance of a curtain over the field of vision. A retinal detachment is a medical emergency and any person experiencing the symptoms of a retinal detachment should see immediately an eye care professional.
There are tree different types of retinal detachment:
Tractional: In this type of detachment, which is less common, scar tissue on the surface of the retina contracts and causes the retina to separate for the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).
Rhegmatogenous : A break or a tear in the retina permits the fluid to get under the retina and separate it from the RPE. These types of retinal detachment are quite common.
Exudative: This type is frequently caused by diseases of the retina which includes injury, trauma to the eye, and inflammatory disorders. Fluid leaks into the area underneath the retina, but there are no breaks or tears in the retina.
At any age, a retinal detachment can occur, but it is more common in persons over 40 of age, and it affects men more than women. It is also more likely to occur in people who are extremely nearsighted, have had an eye injury, have had cataract surgery, have a family history of retinal detachment, have had a retinal detachment in the other eye, have other eye disorders or diseases, such as lattice degeneration, degenerative myopia, uveitis, retinoschisis.
Tears and small holes are usually treated with laser surgery or cryopexy ( a freeze treatment) in a doctor´s office. Retinal detachments are treated with surgery, which may require hospitalization. Due to modern therapy, over 90 percent of persons with a retinal detachment can be treated successfully, although, sometimes there may be the need for a second treatment. However it is not always possible to predict the visual outcome, and the final result following surgery may not be known for up to several months. Even under the best of circumstances, and several attempts at repair, treatments sometimes fail and vision, eventually may be lost. However, if the retinal detachment is repaired before the macula detaches, visual results are best. This is why it is very important to contact an eye care professional immediately if you see a gradual or sudden increase in light flashes or in the number of floaters, or a dark curtain over the field of vision.
Reference:
National Eye Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health.
© 2008 Christiane Tourtet, all rights reserved.
In the majority of cases, floaters are part of the natural aging process, and are just an annoyance. At first they can be quite distracting, but eventually, they tend to "settle" at the bottom of the eye, below the line of sight, becoming less bothersome, but they do not completely go away. Most people have floaters and usually do not notice them until they become prominent and numerous, and they try to learn to ignore them. When looking at something bright such as a blue sky or white paper, floaters can become apparent.
When the vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills approximately 80 percent of the eye, slowly shrinks, it becomes sort of stringy, and these strands can cast very small shadows on the retina. These are called floaters. Floaters usually develop as we age and are more common in people who have diabetes, or who had cataract operation, or are very nearsighted. However, there are much more serious causes of floaters, which include infection, inflammation (uveitis), injury to the eye, hemorrhaging, retinal tears.
Sometimes a section of the vitreous pulls all at once the fine fibers away from the retina, rather than gradually, thus causing new floaters to suddenly appear. This is called vitreous detachment, which, in the majority of cases requires no treatment and is not sight-threatening. One of the symptoms of vitreous detachment is sudden and small increase in the number of new floaters, which may be accompanied by flashes of light (lightning streaks) in your side or peripheral vision. A vitreous detachment is a rather common condition after age 80, and usually affects people over age 50. People at increased risk are those who are nearsighted, and people who have a vitreous detachment in one eye are likely to have one in the other eye, which may not happen until years later.
Sometimes, some of the vitreous fibers pull so hard on the retina that it can lead to retinal detachment or create a macular hole. Both of these conditions should be treated immediately as they are sight-threatening.
People who experience a sudden increase in flashes of light in peripheral vision, or in floaters, should have an eye care professional examine their eye as soon as possible, Early treatment of a macular hole or detached retina caused by the vitreous detachment can help prevent loss of vision. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to permanent vision loss in the affected eye.
Retinal detachment, as the name implies, is, when the retina detaches, meaning that it is pulled or lifted from its normal position. If not treated promptly it can cause blindness. Sometimes, small areas of the retina are torn (retinal tears or retinal breaks) and this can lead to retinal detachment.
The symptoms of retinal detachment include a gradual or sudden increase of light flashes or of floaters, or the appearance of a curtain over the field of vision. A retinal detachment is a medical emergency and any person experiencing the symptoms of a retinal detachment should see immediately an eye care professional.
There are tree different types of retinal detachment:
Tractional: In this type of detachment, which is less common, scar tissue on the surface of the retina contracts and causes the retina to separate for the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).
Rhegmatogenous : A break or a tear in the retina permits the fluid to get under the retina and separate it from the RPE. These types of retinal detachment are quite common.
Exudative: This type is frequently caused by diseases of the retina which includes injury, trauma to the eye, and inflammatory disorders. Fluid leaks into the area underneath the retina, but there are no breaks or tears in the retina.
At any age, a retinal detachment can occur, but it is more common in persons over 40 of age, and it affects men more than women. It is also more likely to occur in people who are extremely nearsighted, have had an eye injury, have had cataract surgery, have a family history of retinal detachment, have had a retinal detachment in the other eye, have other eye disorders or diseases, such as lattice degeneration, degenerative myopia, uveitis, retinoschisis.
Tears and small holes are usually treated with laser surgery or cryopexy ( a freeze treatment) in a doctor´s office. Retinal detachments are treated with surgery, which may require hospitalization. Due to modern therapy, over 90 percent of persons with a retinal detachment can be treated successfully, although, sometimes there may be the need for a second treatment. However it is not always possible to predict the visual outcome, and the final result following surgery may not be known for up to several months. Even under the best of circumstances, and several attempts at repair, treatments sometimes fail and vision, eventually may be lost. However, if the retinal detachment is repaired before the macula detaches, visual results are best. This is why it is very important to contact an eye care professional immediately if you see a gradual or sudden increase in light flashes or in the number of floaters, or a dark curtain over the field of vision.
Reference:
National Eye Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health.
© 2008 Christiane Tourtet, all rights reserved.
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