Tuesday, 11 March 2014

All you need to know about floaters

Have you lately been seeing cobwebs or thread line structures moving in front of your field of vision? Then you are probably facing a problem that millions of other people across the globe suffer from. The eye related problem that we are talking about here is known as floaters. This is a common problem that a lot of people around the world¬ face, most of them being unaware of what actually the issue is.

floaters 
So what are floaters?
Floater is a term that has been given for threads, specks or cobweb like structures that move across our field of vision, either occasionally or regularly. It occurs as a result of tiny cluster of tissues or fleck of proteins that get accumulated in the vitreous humor of our eyes. Vitreous humor is the white gel like structure that fills and supports a major portion of our eyes. It is through this very portion that the light coming from different sources and direction passes through to reach the retina, which is basically a collection of cells located at the back end of the eye ball. Retina captures the images and then sends it to our brain through a series of optical nerves.
When a cluster of protein gets deposited on to the vitreous humor, it casts a shadow on the wall of our eye ball called retina. It is this shadow which appears in different shapes and sizes moving in front of our eyes, which we refer to as floaters. This is the reason why they move with the movement of your eyeballs, often compelling many people to chase them but to no avail.
They usually occur with age. As we age, the vitreous humor gradually begins to shrink. This shrinkage of vitreous makes it a bit stringy. It is this stringiness that leads to floaters and flashes. However, the problem is also seen in younger people. Floaters in the eye are usually harmless, but they can become a matter of concern if they obstruct your vision a bit too frequently. Also, people suffering from near sightedness or myopia also are prone to such problems. If you have recently had a cataract surgery, then you might also start experiencing this problem.
If the floaters are becoming a cause of concern for you, then you must seek the help of an eye specialist who will then devise a treatment plan after diagnosing the problem.