Are there transparent-looking worms disrupting your vision? Do you constantly see spots everywhere and every time? You might be suffering from eye floaters disorder. This occurs when you see black or grey specks, strings, or cobwebs as you view the world on a daily basis. Eye floaters can look different to different people, from varying shapes and shades in your vision.
However, fret less as you get to know more about eye floaters below! In this day and age, many specialists have found ways to gain more insights into the condition along with treatments to ensure the syndrome floats far away and has your sight as clear as day.
Why Is My Vision So Weird? (Types of Floaters)
Small bits of debris called floaters float in the eye’s vitreous fluid. This debris creates shadows that move across your field of vision as they fall on the retina, the light-sensitive tissue layer at the back of the eye. Not to mention the annoyance they cause as they move with you when you look elsewhere. Get to identify them better as there are three main types of floaters that have been found.
- Wavy, squiggly or cobweb-shaped
The most common floaters are the ones that look like wavy or squiggly lines in your vision. They can be referred to as “cobweb” floaters because they tend to drift around your vision like broken pieces of a cobweb. These floaters form when the gel-like fluid inside the eye (vitreous humor) shrinks. As it shrinks, little fibres break away and become stringy, also known as vitreous detachment. Vitreous detachment causes stringy masses of vitreous, disrupting light coming into the retina. This casts a tiny shadow into the eye, which is what makes this floater noticeable.
- Spots and other rounded shapes
Some floaters might be shaped more like little rounded spots or oblong ovals. Rounded floaters are technically the same type as wavy floaters. The main difference is the shape of the vitreous fibre formation, and while some floaters are longer and more wormlike in appearance, this particular floater can look like little more than black spots or dots in your vision.
- Ring-shaped
Larger ring-shaped floaters are called Weiss rings. Weiss rings form when the vitreous detaches from the part of the retina that surrounds the optic nerve in the back of the eye. Like other shapes of floaters, ring floaters are usually harmless. But they can also be a symptom of a serious condition.
How Do I Know if I Have Floaters Syndrome? (Symptoms of Floaters)
There may be instances when you’re gazing at the sky or a bare wall and you discover tiny forms floating in front of you. They are not quite clear; they resemble small pieces of dust that have become lodged in a camera lens. Even when you try to blink them away, they persist. If these forms follow you as you look in different directions, you might have this eye disorder. Take a further look at the signs to identify if you need to visit the optometrist.
Small shapes in your vision
The small shapes in your vision can appear as dark specks or knobby, transparent strings of floating material. These small shapes can eventually settle down and drift out of the line of vision.
Moving spots
These spots will move when you move your eyes, so when you try to look at them, they move quickly out of your visual field.
Noticeable spots
Spots that are most noticeable when you look at a plain bright background, such as a blue sky or a white wall.
Do They Float Away? (Treatments for Floaters)
Treatment for eye floaters depends on the cause. Although floaters may be irritating when a person notices them, they do not pose any direct threat to sight. In most cases, floaters settle down to the bottom of the eye, beneath the field of vision.
According to certain research, it may even take three months for someone to fully detach from their first floater. Eye floaters typically don’t need to be treated. You may need therapy for that problem if your floaters are brought on by another eye condition.
Surgery
An ophthalmologist removes the vitreous through a small incision (vitrectomy) and replaces it with a solution to help your eye maintain its shape. Surgery may not remove all the floaters, and new floaters can develop after surgery. Risks of a vitrectomy include bleeding and retinal tears.
Laser therapy
An ophthalmologist aims a special laser at the floaters in the vitreous, which may break them up and make them less noticeable. Some people who have this treatment report improved vision; others notice little or no difference. Risks of laser therapy include damage to your retina if the laser is aimed incorrectly.
Ignore them
In many cases, eye floaters will fade or disappear on their own. If they don’t fade, sometimes your brain will learn to ignore them. As a result, your vision will begin to adapt. You’ll no longer notice them as much, coping with eye floaters is the least invasive option to protect your eyes.
The Final Say
Most patients with floaters describe the visual disturbance drifting across the field of vision. While most patients learn to cope with these annoying, bothersome symptoms after a short period of time, others find them very distressing, often forcing them to seek medical help. At VISTA Eye Clinic, our goal is to make sure that you have the most effective and affordable care available. The aim of our vision care practice is to provide the best possible eye care and treatment available, while still being compassionate, understanding and caring. Our team of highly trained experts are ready to answer all your questions. From the first visit to the last one, we promise to be with you every step of the way!
