Vision problems are extremely common, but one vision problem in particular that can be quite troublesome is eye floaters. Here is some information about eye floaters and how they can affect your vision.
What are Eye Floaters?
Eye floaters literally appear as little moving objects that can interfere with your vision. They are caused by flecks of collagen. This is usually due to the vitreous humor at the back of the eye. As the vitreous and collagen fibers shrink due to age they affect the way light hits your retina. This results in light-sensitive tissue that causes the appearance of eye floaters. Therefore they commonly affect those between the ages of 50 to 75. Those who have had cataract surgery or are nearsighted are at higher risk for developing eye floaters.
What to Expect
Floaters can be slightly annoying but can also sometimes add a shadow when you are in certain types of light. Over time people simply learn to ignore their eye floaters and live with them without too much issue. However, vision problems can worsen with eye floaters and in this case you can speak to your eye doctor. In fact, even if they are not being too troublesome speaking to your eye doctor is still advisable as sometimes floaters appear due to an underlying condition.
Eye floaters move with your eyes and can appear in many shapes and forms from dots to squiggly lines and cobwebs to rings. Although eye floaters will not go away you can expect them to improve and become less troublesome.
Warning Signs
You should speak to your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following additional symptoms:
• Your eye floaters seem to suddenly increase in number
• There are flashes of light with your eye floaters
• You suddenly lose your side vision in hand with eye floaters
Additional symptoms can indicate there is a more serious issue and these vision problems can actually lead to permanent sight loss. Symptoms can be a sign of any of the following issues:
• Retinal detachment or tears
• Bleeding
The good news is that although floaters are annoying they really do not cause any threat to your sight or eye health. It is still a good idea to speak to your eye doctor about any newly developed vision problems you might experience just to be safe.