Floaters – Seeing black spots in your vision

Either ways, it can be quite an irritation to have something constantly come in the way of clear vision. So what exactly causes floaters, and what can be done about it ?

What are floaters? Floaters are basically black spots, or fine squiggly lines that are seen more when you look at a bright background, like a white wall or the sky. These spots tend to move with head or eye movement, and appear to be floating around in your vision.

Why do floaters occur? Our eyes are filled with a gel-like substance known as the Vitreous Jelly, which occupies the space between the Lens and Retina. In the younger age, it has a semi solid consistency. With age, however, the jelly starts to liquefy, and aggregation of the collagen in the jelly can produce clumps, which are perceived as black spots or lines – because they come in the way of the light reaching the retina.

Are floaters serious? Appearance of floaters occurs most commonly due to the liquefaction and separation of the Vitreous jelly from the Retina – a process known as posterior vitreous detachment or PVD. Sometimes during this process, it can pull on the retina and result in the formation of a retinal tear, which would need to be lasered right away, so that it doesn’t lead to a retinal detachment.

Sometimes the floaters might be due to inflammation inside the eye – Uveitis – or bleeding inside the eye – Vitreous hemorrhage. Hence a dilated retina examination is a must for all patients who have floaters, to find out the exact cause and give the appropriate treatment for the same.

Why are floaters at times accompanied by flashes of light? Flashes of light are seen due to the pull of the jelly on the retina. They are seen most of the times in the outer field of vision, and appear as sparks of light. Presence of flashes along with floaters is a strong indication to get the retina examined for any possible tear or break

The aura of a migraine attack can sometimes be confused with flashes, and is important to differentiate between the two, as both have completely different causes and lines of management.

What is the treatment for floaters? While floaters tend to be bothersome, over time visual adaptation occurs, most patients get used to it and learn to ignore it. It can also lessen over time. However, for very large floaters which cause significant visual obstruction, it can be treated via laser or by surgery. Written by Dr Urmi Shah, resident Malabar Hill. She is a comprehensive ophthalmologist, specializing in Cataract Surgery and Medical Retina