Eye floaters are a common visual symptom. People with eye floaters will feel black shadows floating in front of their eyes, as if mosquitoes are flying in front of them.
Many eye diseases can cause eye floaters, but normal people can also have eye floaters. Therefore, simple eye floaters cannot explain too many problems. The key is to understand the nature and causes of eye floaters, and take corresponding countermeasures according to the nature and causes of eye floaters.
The principle of eye floaters:
Under normal circumstances, the center of the eyeball is filled with transparent glass. The vitreous body is an important pathway for light to enter the eye. The transparent vitreous body ensures that the light from external objects can reach the retina without obstruction, forming a clear image on the retina. This is an important basis for the formation of vision.
If there are any opaque objects in the vitreous (referred to clinically as vitreous opacity), these objects will block the passage of light, and the images of these objects will be projected on the retina, forming shadows on the retina. Depending on the shape and density of the object, the patient can feel the mosquito-like shadows of different shapes and densities.
Therefore, it can be understood that if the vitreous body is completely opaque, the patient’s vision will be completely obscured, while a smaller obstruction will make the patient feel the dark shadows floating, causing the feeling of eye floaters; small opacity may only be in bright or white light. It can only be seen against the background.
Physiological opacity of the vitreous can cause eye floaters:
Eye floaters in the absence of organic eye diseases are called physiological eye floaters. Most eye floaters are benign and are “physiological eye floaters”.
The vitreous body of the elderly can undergo degenerative changes such as aging, liquefaction, and concentration, resulting in eye floaters. This is a natural aging phenomenon and the most common type of physiological eye floaters. Physiological eye floaters in the elderly are quite common, and there is no harm. The patient does not need to be too nervous or need any treatment.
Individual young people can also develop eye floaters because of the remaining turbidity in the development of the vitreous. This kind of eye floaters can usually only be seen against a bright background.
Patients with physiological eye floaters cannot find organic eye diseases after ophthalmological examination. This kind of eye floaters exists for a long time and remains unchanged throughout the year. It does not affect vision. The patient does not need to have any worries at all.
After degeneration of the vitreous body in some elderly people, the vitreous body can be separated from the retina (post-vitreous detachment), resulting in obvious black shadows in front of the eyes; this usually happens suddenly. Patients should go to the hospital for medical treatment in time, because in the process of retro vitreousdetachment, the traction of the vitreous can cause retinal tears and retinal detachment. If the doctor finds a retinal tear caused by vitreous traction, laser treatment can be performed in time to avoid retinal detachment. If the patient’s vitreous detachment does not cause damage to the retina, this vitreous detachment is safe; eye floaters after vitreous detachment will exist for a long time without any treatment.
What needs to be pointed out is that a person’s eye health is not constant, and that there is no problem in the current examination does not mean that there will be no problem forever. For patients with physiological eye floaters, if there is a change in the status of eye floaters (increased, enlarged, increased concentration, accompanied by flashes, decreased vision, etc.), they should go to the hospital immediately and receive a detailed examination. To find out whether pathological eye floaters have occurred.
Many eye diseases can produce eye floaters:
eye floaters caused by various eye diseases are called pathological eye floaters; eye floaters can be an important symptom of some serious eye diseases.
If the patient’s eye floaters have recently appeared, or the original eye floaters have significantly increased or worsened in the near future, the patient needs to be highly vigilant; this phenomenon is likely to be pathological eye floaters. It is caused by some organic eye diseases.
There are many eye diseases that can cause pathological eye floaters. The most common diseases include:
1. Myopia (especially high myopia):
2. Retinal hemorrhage (commonly known as fundus hemorrhage):
3. Retinal tears and retinal detachment:
4. Inflammatory exudation:
5. Eye parasitic diseases:
6. Tumor:
How to treat eye floaters?
In clinical work, we often see two kinds of eye floaters with completely different mindsets: in one case, some patients with physiological eye floaters are over-stressed, seek medical attention everywhere, and use various eye drops and for a long time. Taking various names of Chinese and Western medicines, some people even use intramuscular medicines for a long time. These patients suffer from long-term mental stress, which has seriously affected their physical and mental health.
Another situation is that some patients with eye diseases are indifferent to their symptoms and delay procrastinate medical treatment for a long time, leading to delays in their condition and missing the best opportunity for treatment.
Obviously, the above two attitudes are both incorrect and harmful. After catching eye floaters, you should find a professional doctor for regular treatment.
