Floaters are mobile opacities in your vision resulting from debris within the jelly that fills your eye. Human eyes are full of a jelly-like substance called vitreous. Mostly made of water, the vitreous achieves its jelly-like properties through the interaction of collagen fibers and other molecules that maintain the shape and clarity of the eye. At birth, collagen fibers in the vitreous jelly are thin and regularly spaced, allowing light to pass through them without casting a shadow on the retina. With age, the collagen in the vitreous jelly starts to clump into larger opacities, causing mobile, hair-like shadows to show up in the vision. The shadows are particularly prominent when looking at a bright blue sky or white wall. In early life, the vitreous jelly is in contact with the surface of the retina in the back of the eye. Between the age of 50-70 in most people, the vitreous jelly separates from the surface of the retina, causing a sudden onset of flashes and new, dark floaters. These new symptoms are sometimes accompanied by retinal tears or detachments, and a dilated eye exam is recommended for anyone experiencing new floaters . Sometimes, large floaters become a chronic, aggravating symptom. While most chronic floaters can be safely observed, treatment options such as laser and surgical removal are available for those patients with significant disruption of their everyday activities.

FAQs – Page 5 – Retina Care Consultants PA

Q: What Causes a Stroke in the Eye?

An “eye stroke” is the interruption of blood flow to the eyeball or the optic nerve. This can be caused by clotting or narrowing of the blood vessels. Underlying risk factors for an eye stroke include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease. These are the same causes for heart attack or stroke in the brain, and therefore an eye stroke should be taken seriously as it could a sign of a more life-threatening condition. Eye stroke is accompanied by sudden vision loss. If you experience this symptom, contact your ophthalmologist for an urgent dilated eye exam.

Q: What Causes a Macular Hole?

A macular hole occurs when natural forces on the surface of the retina pull a gap in the center of the vision, which typically occurs spontaneously without any risk factors. The macula is another term for the center of the retina responsible for the most detailed vision. A macular hole is a gap in the very center of the retina which causes a blind spot. These holes can form spontaneously or after the detachment of the vitreous (the jelly-like substance that fills the eye and is attached to the retina). Most macular holes remain open unless surgical repair is performed. To surgically fix a macular hole, a retina specialist removes the vitreous, peels a surface layer off the retina, and injects a gas bubble in the eye to close the hole. Surgical repair is successful in closing the hole and improving vision in more than 95% of cases.

Q: How to Get Rid of Eye Floaters?

Chronic floaters can be safely observed as they are not harmful to the eye, however, laser or surgical removal is available to individuals whose floaters significantly interfere with their daily activities. If there is a single, discrete floater (sometimes referred to as a Weiss Ring), it can often be vaporized into smaller, non-visually significant pieces with an in-office laser procedure. For diffuse, cloudy floaters, surgical removal with a procedure known as a vitrectomy is often recommended. Vitrectomy is a common procedure performed in an outpatient setting and is used to treat many other eye conditions such as retinal detachment , macular hole , and epiretinal membrane .

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