Eye

Floaters in the Eye Causes, Black Spots in Vision, Get Rid, Natural Treatment, Pictures

floaters in the eye

What causes floaters in the eye? Get insights on the causes of black spots in vision, natural treatment and how to get rid of eye floaters fast.

floaters in the eye

floaters in the eye

What are Eye Floaters?

These are small spots that drift through your field of vision. The spots usually stand out when you look at something bright, like a white paper or a blue sky. They are somehow annoying but they should not lead you to mess up with your sight.

When the floater is large it usually tend to cast a shadow on your vision but only in specific types of light. In many occasions people learn to live with eye floaters and ignore them.  This is because they rarely get worse to require a medical treatment.

Floaters in the Eye Causes

Some medical experts describe floaters in the eye are described as tiny strings that float into your field of vision. They may be a nuisance to some people, but they normally cause no pain or discomfort. They can appear as black or gray dots, lines, cobwebs, or blobs in the eye. Floaters are inside the fluid of the eye, and they will move as your eyes move, hence causing a shadow to your vision if they are large.

Symptoms of floaters in the eye

As the name suggest, floaters tend to move in the eye. When you focus on them they dart away. Eye floaters come in several different shapes, like:

  • Black or gray dots
  • Squiggly lines
  • Threadlike strands, which can be knobby and translucent
  • Rings

When this appear in your eye, getting it out is not easy, but may go away with time.

Causes of eye floaters

  • The main common cause of floaters is age- related changes to the eye. The cornea and the lens at the front of the eye focus light onto he retina at the back of the eye. As the light passes through the front of the eye to the back, it passes through the vitreous humor- which is jelly like substance in the eyeball. When changes occur to the vitreous humor, it can result to formation of eye floaters. This commonly occur when a person is aging and it is known as vitreous syneresis.

Other causes but not common are:

  • Eye trauma. If the eye is hit or injured by an object during an accident, you may experience numerous eye floaters.
  • Nearsightedness: people with short sight experience floaters in the eye more frequently. Vitreous syneresis also occurs at a faster pace in people who have shortsighted vision.
  • Inflammation in the eye: swelling and inflammation in the eye in most cases caused by an infection can lead to formation of floaters in eye.
  • Deposits or particles in eye: crystal- like deposits may form in the vitreous and interfere with light coming from the lens of the eye to the back.
  • Diabetic retinopathy: when one has diabetes, blood vessels that lead to the retina can be damaged. When the vessels have been damaged, the retina is unable to interpret the image and light hitting it.
  • Intraocular tumors: when one is affected they can cause eye floaters.
  • Visual aura of a migraine headache.

When eye floaters need emergency medical attention

The following will need you to seek ophthalmogist help immediately. If you see floaters in  eye and:

  • They begin occurring with more frequently or floater changes in intensity, size or shape
  • You see flashes of light
  • You lose your peripheral side vision
  • You develop eye pain
  • You start seeing blurred vision or lose your vision.

When these symptoms are combined with eye floaters, your condition may be in a worse state.

More serious conditions that causes eye floaters include;

Vitreous detachment

As the vitreous shrink, it slowly pulls away from the retina. If it pulls away suddenly, it may become completely detached and you may realize this by seeing flashes and floaters.

Vitreous haemorrhage

When there is bleeding the eye, it can result to formation of floaters in the eye. Mostly the bleeding is caused by an infection, injury of blood vessel leak.

Retinal tear

As the vitreous turns to liquid the sack of gel will begin to pull on the retina. When you have stress, the retina may be tired completely causing worse condition.

Retinal detachment

If a retinal tear is not treated quickly, the retina can become detached separating from the eye completely resulting a permanent blindness.

How to Treat Eye Floaters

In most cases they do not need specified treatment. They only cause anxiety though people with them don’t undergo illness as they rarely signal any serious medical complication. If a floater appear to be obstructing your vision you can roll your eyes from side to side and up and down to move the debris. Shifting of eye fluid will cause the floaters to shift as well.

When the condition worsen you may end up losing your vision. Eye floaters may become stubborn and several causing you much problem on your sight. When this occur, though in rare cases the doctor may recommend treatment in form of laser removal or surgery for the eye.

In laser removal, the physician uses a laser to break up the floater and make them not to be easily seen in your vision. This kind of treatment is not widely used because it is considered experimental and therefore carries some risks like retinal damage.

Another option for treatment is by having a surgery carried on your eye. The physician can remove the vitreous by a procedure called vitrectomy. After removal of the vitreous, it is replaced with a sterile salt solution that help the eye maintain its natural shape. With time the body replaces the solution with its own natural fluid. Remember, neither do vitrectomy remove all the eye floaters nor prevent them from reappearing. It can as well cause damage to the retina and cause bleeding.

When you don’t treat your eye floaters what will happen?

In most cases floaters on eye are not cause of alarm unless they have much more symptoms of serious conditions. The problem is that they never fully disappear from the eye, but improve over a given period of time.

How to prevent floaters that occur in the eye

Mas discussed in the beginning the cause of eye floaters is commonly on aging process. Though they cannot be prevented, make sure those floaters do not cause you a severe complication. If it is me facing this problem, I would opt to see an ophthalmologist as soon as I see them. The physician will make sure that eye floaters will not cause you more complications that could cause you to lose your eyesight.

Black Spots in Vision

spots in the vision

spots in the vision

This is a term usually used to refer to blind spots or shadows moving across vision cast by specks floating in the eye. Bind spots in vision come because of age- related macular degeneration, macular hole, and macular pucker.

The symptoms and possible related eye conditions

It is important if you have any unusual vision symptoms to talk to your ophthalmologist.

These black spots are known so since they reflect their nature on the retina which is seen as black spots. They may come in form of black or gray dots or rings.

Related eye health problems may include conjunctiva, diabetic retinopathy, dry eyes, eye allergies, eye floaters, eye injuries, inflammation and many more.

In many cases, since the spots do not have much effect on the eye not unless you focus on them so much, many people rarely notice their presence.

Causes of black spots in vision

As you age, the protein fibers that make up the vitreous shrink down to little shreds that clump together. They cast a shadow on the retina which appear like black spots or eye floaters. When the vitreous pulls away from the retina you may end up seeing a flash. When this occur it is very much important to see a doctor. If you are short sighted you can be likely to have thee black spots.

Floaters in the Eye after Cataract Surgery

In some cases after having a cataract surgery, you may develop other after surgery side effects like floaters in the eye or posterior capsule opacification.  This is the thickening of the back of the lens capsule which holds your artificial lens in place.

This causes the vision to become cloudy hence leading to the requirement of laser treatment to make the vision clear again. When you have heard a laser treatment for PCO it does not cause any long term problem with your vision. PCO as well when left unhandled for some time it results to eye floaters.

Cataract surgery

What happens during cataract surgery?

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that usually occur as part of the aging process. When a cataract develop in your eye, light cannot pass directly through your lens to the retina, resulting in eye floaters.

The only way of removing cataract is by surgery. During this surgery the natural lens of the eye is replaced by an artificial lens. The new artificial lens is placed in the lens capsule, the membrane which held your natural lens. Your lens capsule is clear and remains clear following the cataract surgery.

What happens after cataract surgery?

There may be difficulties of vision after cataract surgery again. This do not happen due to regrowth of your cataract, but due to the thickening of the back of the lens capsule. This is called posterior lens capsule opacification [PCO]

PCO happens because more cell grow over the back of the capsule causing it to thicken. Thickening of the capsule blocks light from travelling through to the retina at the back of the eye, causing vision to be blurred, or causing you problems with bright light and glare.

The younger you are when you have cataract surgery, the more likely it is that the thickening will occur. PCO is also more common where inflammation and swelling is present in your eye or you have a condition called retinitis pigmentosa.

Research shows that an artificial lens which has a square, rather than rounded edge can decrease the chances of developing posterior lens capsule opacification. This is because a square edge on the lens make it more difficult for cells to grow across the back of the capsule.

What can be done about PCO?

It can be treated using a laser. A doctor can a make a hole in part of the back of the lens capsule so that the light can again pass through to the retina. This can improve vision for most people.

How a laser work

Laser are beams of energy which can be targeted very accurately. The special laser uses very low energy levels and can delicately cut the eye floaters without any risk of damage to other parts of the eye.

Risks of laser treatment

If a contact lens is used your eye may be a little sore following the treatment but this disappear after a given period of time.

In some people laser treatment may cause eye pressure to rise, if the already have a pre- existing condition such as glaucoma.

Though in rare conditions, laser can cause retinal detachment which can happen sometime after treatment. This in most cases happen to people who are shortsighted.

How to get rid of Floaters in the Eye

If you realize specks, lines or blobs swimming in front of your eyes, you are having floaters in the eye. Eye floaters are tiny fibers that move around in the vitreous humor between your lens and retina. As they move around your eye they cause a shadow to the retina, creating dark spots on the vision. This is very common to most people especially when the age. They can be annoying sometimes but they are harmless.

There is no medication specified on floaters treatments, but some people uses natural remedies like avoiding stress, exercise, having enough sleep and rest, cutting out use of caffeine and alcohol, maintaining a magnesium-rich diet. Though there are no specific studies that prove this are effective methods of treatment.

If the case is serious you may undergo some surgical treatment like having a laser treatment, which involves vaporizing the floater, and vitrectomy, which involves draining and replacement of vitreous fluid in the eye. There are risks associated with both procedures, but trained physicians are aware of these risks, so the process is normally with a lot of care and delicacy.

In other cases even without treatment, your brain may adjust and you won’t even notice the eye floaters any more. In most cases they normally go away on their own. When you realize unusual changes in your vision it could be a sign of serious problems. When the case involves significant rise of number of floaters, affecting the sight, or specks that occur with light flashes, you should see your doctor immediately.

Eye is the most exposed delicate part of the body. To maintain healthy eyes, always take a step to see your VSP doctor every year to prevent complications that may arise. When you notice any eye floaters be quick to mention to the doctor during examination and any other changes in the vision.

 Floaters in the Eye Natural Treatment

floaters in eye

eye floaters

Those floaters in your eye are usually some little speck- like substances that are visible to the eye as a result of change in the vitreous liquid in the eye due to age. In many cases when you blink or rotate your eye they are clearly seen. These floaters usually follow the movement of the eye, but later lag behind until they come to a halt when you stop moving your eye around.

When you want to see them clearly, you can stare at the clear sky or white wall. In some cases it is not easy to differentiate between light flashes and floaters. Though floaters don’t cause pain, it is good that you seek medical advice concerning them.

What may cause floaters to form?

Eye floaters are majorly caused by liquefactions that may occur in the vitreous jelly, retinal detachment or inflammation and bleeding of blood vessels in the jelly. In most cases aging is the cause of floaters in the eye as many things happen due to aging.

Getting rid of floaters naturally

On a lucky side, the eye floaters may disappear on their own with time. In other occasions they may stick around causing psychological problems to the affected person.  Seeking the treatment may depend on the severity of the case. When the problem is minor you can use ant- inflammatory drugs, herbal extracts or some antibiotics eye drops.

There are numerous natural ways used to get rid of eye floaters. They include:

Relaxing your eyes

Cover your eyes with your palm for about 10 seconds. Rub your palms together first. Do this repeatedly at least 5 times when you see the floaters in the eye.

Rolling the eyes

It is an easy exercise that only involve pulling back your head, then get to roll your eyes around in a clockwise motion. Repeat this slowly in counter clockwise motion for better results. Repeat the exercise at least 10 times in all directions

Focusing

It is an exciting way of getting rid of eye floaters. You only need to hold something in front of your face. With your arm straight ahead, slowly move your finger close to your eye as you look at it at about 6 inches away. Do this for at least 1 minute and then pull the finger back. If this is done for about 10 times it can remove the floaters from your eye.

Massaging

It is one of the most effective way to getting rid of floaters in the eye. Start by massaging your forehead in a circular motion between the eyebrows and temples for 20 times in forward and backward direction.

Natural treatments of eye floaters

This may involve things that are mostly obvious like focusing on good nutrition and keeping off your eye from damaging habits. You can as well reduce or quit smoking and drinking alcohol.

You can adjust your diet by consuming fresh vegetables, nuts, healthy berries and seeds.

Home Remedies for Floaters in the Eye

Drink plenty of water

These speck-like objects in the eye can sometimes be caused by amalgamation of toxins, which can be removed by drinking more water. When your body is free of toxins, the risk of getting eye floaters is generally low.

Sleep well

Eyes can get stressed due to lack of enough sleep. Some people work tirelessly ending up sleeping inadicuatlly. When you add this stress to spending much time in front of the computer can get floaters in the eye. So ensure you sleep properly and get enough rest.

Eat and drink organic supplements

You can achieve this by drinking various juice types which may help to improve your eye sight. Items like thyme, parsnip, apples, carrots, raspberries, celery and beets can help to get rid of blurred vision.

Bilberry

This is a rich source of anti-oxidants and toughens the retinal tissue. Bilberries improve eye functionality and can help prevent eye floaters. They can be consumed raw or as juices and jams.

Quit alcohol and coffee

Caffeine and alcohol may have severe effect on the eyes. If you are a frequent consumer of them, you either reduce or stop the intake to prevent floaters in the eye.

Further references:

  1. Dark spots that appear on your vision: http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/benign-eye-floaters#2
  2. What causes eye floaters with other conditions: http://www.healthline.com/symptom/eye-floaters
  3. Shadows moving across the vision cast: http://www.aao.org/eye-health/symptoms/dark-spots
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