What are floaters?
Eye floaters are “spots” that drift around as you move your eyes. They can move away if you try to look directly at them. Floaters in your vision often look like:
- Gray specs
- Black specs
- Cobwebs
- Strings
Flashers – seeing flashes of light – can indicate an emergency condition that requires immediate medical attention.
What causes floaters?
Common causes of floaters include:
- Age-related eye changes
- Eye inflammation
- Torn retina
- Eye bleeding
- Some eye medications
- Eye surgery
- Some eye diseases
- Diabetes
- Other chronic conditions
Risk factors for developing floaters include being older than 50, suffering a past eye injury, being nearsighted, suffering complications from cataract surgery, eye inflammation, and diabetic retinopathy. Eye floaters and flashers can indicate a serious eye problem like retinal detachment.
What should I do if I see floaters or flashers?
If you experience eye floaters or flashers, see your eye doctor right away for an eye exam. They’ll review your medical history, ask you about symptoms you’re having, and complete a comprehensive dilated eye exam to thoroughly assess your eye health. They could recommend that you undergo eye imaging procedures.
What are common ways to treat floaters?
Common floater treatments available at Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts include:
Watchful waiting
If you have a minor case of floaters that doesn’t bother you, your ophthalmologist will recommend watchful waiting to see if the condition gets worse.
Treating underlying problems
If diabetes or inflammation is the cause of floaters, your eye doctor will recommend treating the underlying cause. This can include healthy lifestyle changes or prescribing medications. If you have a retinal detachment or tears, your specialist will suggest laser treatment, freezing treatment, injections, draining and replacing eye fluid, or other surgical procedures.
Laser treatment
If eye floaters affect your vision, laser treatment can disrupt the floaters. Your specialist aims a laser at floaters to break them up and help you see better.
Surgery
Surgery allows your eye doctor to remove the clear, gel-like vitreous portion of your eye using a tiny incision. Your ophthalmologist can replace it with a solution to maintain your eye’s shape.
If you’re experiencing eye floaters or flashers, call the Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts office nearest you today to schedule an appointment or book one online.
