OPHTHALMOLOGY

Q: I see all kinds of floaters in my vision. Can they be prevented or removed? When should I be concerned

A: about them? The floaters that appear in your eyes come in many shapes and sizes and may look like specks, squiggles, dots, cobwebs, bug shapes, or clouds. Floaters can be disturbing especially if they are new, numerous, in your line of vision, or accompanied by other symptoms.

Floaters are actually tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous, the clear gel-like fluid that fills the inside of your eye. As we age, the vitreous gel inside our eye changes and may thicken or shrink forming clumps or strands inside the eye. The vitreous gel pulls away from the back wall of the eye causing a posterior vitreous detachment, or PVD, and is a common cause of floaters. There is no therapy, vitamin, or medication that can prevent floaters.

While annoying, ordinary floaters are very common and usually aren’t cause for alarm. Over time, floaters tend to drift off center or settle at the bottom of the eye, out of your line of sight, and become less noticeable. They never actually dissolve though and sometimes a sudden eye movement may bring them momentarily back into your sight line.

The time to be concerned about floaters is if you experience a sudden onset of new floaters, there is a shower of floaters, or they are accompanied by flashes of light. In this case, see your eye doctor as soon as possible, even if the symptoms dissipate or disappear on their own. Additional symptoms that are cause for concern, especially when associated with floaters, include eye pain, changes in your vision, gray shadows in your vision, or a curtain coming down over your vision.

If your floaters are caused by another eye condition, you may need treatment for that condition. If your floaters are caused by aging and they don’t bother you, then you probably won’t need any treatment.

Gregory Eippert, MD 8140 Norton Parkway Mentor, OH 44060 440-255-1115 www.opivision.com