What causes eye floaters?
Introduction
The vitreous forms most of the eyeball, it's the white part and consists mainly of a jelly like material, water and collagen fibers. It protects the retina and acts as one of therefractory media in the eye. Eye floaters (vitreous floaters) are small vitreous opacities that can developed due to many causes and results in seeing black flying dots or (flying mosquito/fly) which is called musca volitans.
Causes of eye floaters
Some babies are born with it (congenital) but commonly, it's acquired later in life. Ophthalmologists classify the causes into Primary and secondary causes. Primary causes are explained by degeneration inside the vitreous itself as in old age where calcium crystals may be precipitated in the vitreous or in young people but the cause will be cholesterol crystals, these floaters specially in young age can be very annoying to vision specially with a large number of floaters.
Secondary causes results from changes in the surrounding tissues as in cases of inflammations and infections (cyclitis, chorioditis) and in cases of vitreous haemorrhage. Vitreous haemorrhage occur in cases of trauma to the eye, diabetes, central vein occlusion and blood diseases.
Focusing on floaters and keeping on track with them can drive you crazy! Sometimes they are moving, sometimes they are not. Sometimes you may focus on these floaters to a degree that distracts you from paying attention to what's in front of you.
Treatment:
It's important to search for the cause and treat it.
- The best thing a doctor can advise you to do is to IGNORE the moving spots completely and you can do this.
- In cases of haemorhage or membranes in the vitreous surgery can be done (vitrectomy)
