Experiencing small specks, squiggly lines, or shadowy shapes drifting across your vision can be peculiar and sometimes annoying. These are commonly known as eye floaters, and they are remarkably widespread. It’s estimated that 70% of people worldwide experience eye floaters at some point in their lives. While often harmless, floaters can sometimes be a nuisance or signal a more serious underlying eye condition that requires urgent attention. Understanding what floaters are and when to seek specialist advice is vital for your eye health. Miss Grabowska is an expert consultant ophthalmologist, and she offers comprehensive assessment and advanced treatment for floaters in eyes.
What are Eye Floaters?
Floaters in eyes appear as tiny specks or strands in your field of vision, particularly noticeable against plain backgrounds. They are not external objects but small pieces of debris within the vitreous humour, the jelly-like substance filling your eye’s main cavity.
The most common cause is the natural ageing process. As you get older, the vitreous gel can shrink and liquefy, causing collagen fibres to clump and cast shadows onto your retina, which you perceive as floaters. Other causes can include:
- Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD): When the vitreous gel pulls away from the retina, producing new floaters and sometimes flashes.
- Bleeding in the Vitreous: Caused by conditions like diabetic retinopathy or a retinal tear, appearing as new floaters.
- Inflammation in the Eye: Swelling can release cells and debris that appear as floaters.
- Retinal Tear or Detachment: A serious condition where the retina pulls away. New floaters, especially with flashes or a sudden shadow in your peripheral vision, can be a warning sign.
Given the potential for serious underlying causes, any sudden onset of new floaters warrants immediate professional evaluation.
When Floaters Become a Concern
While many floaters are benign, it is crucial to recognise symptoms that indicate a potentially serious retinal problem. Your vision is too precious to ignore these warning signs.
You should seek urgent medical attention from an eye care professional, such as Miss Grabowska, if you experience:
- A sudden increase in the number of floaters.
- New, large, or very dark floaters.
- Flashes of light in one or both eyes, especially if new or persistent.
- A shadow or curtain effect obscuring part of your vision.
- Floaters accompanied by pain or redness in the eye.
- Floaters appearing after eye trauma or surgery.
These symptoms could signify a retinal tear, detachment, or other serious conditions requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Treatment Options for Floaters with Miss Grabowska
For benign, non-sight-threatening floaters, observation is often the primary approach. Your brain typically adapts, and you may notice them less over time. However, when floaters are persistent, significantly interfere with your vision, or are caused by a serious underlying condition, specific treatments may be considered.
Miss Grabowska offers thorough assessment and discusses the most appropriate management strategies:
- Observation and Reassurance: For most harmless floaters, understanding their cause can be sufficient.
- Vitrectomy: A surgical procedure where the vitreous humour and floaters are removed and replaced with a saline solution.
- Treating the Underlying Cause: If floaters are symptomatic of a retinal tear or detachment, Miss Grabowska will focus on treating that primary condition urgently.
Decisions are always made after comprehensive evaluation and discussion of benefits and risks.
Seeking Expert Care for Eye Floaters
If you are experiencing new, worsening, or concerning eye floaters, it is essential to seek prompt professional evaluation. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to delayed diagnosis of serious conditions. Miss Grabowska offers expert consultation, diagnosis and treatment for floaters and other retinal conditions, providing peace of mind and preserving your vision. Get in touch today to book in your initial appointment.