What are Floaters?
Are you experiencing visual disruptions from floaters? At Georgia Retina, we offer vitrectomy for floaters, a procedure that can help restore your vision and let you get back to living your life with fewer interruptions.
Floaters occur when the vitreous of the eye develops opacities, often as a result of aging. The vitreous is a gel-like fluid between the retina and the lens of the eye that serves a variety of essential functions, including maintaining the eye’s shape and allowing light to pass through and reach the retina.
When opacities or unclear spots form in the vitreous, it can cast shadows on the retina, causing spots in your vision called floaters. Floaters are especially visible when staring at a bright background, like the sky.
Although it’s normal to have the occasional floater, some patients develop many floaters that do not go away on their own. Sometimes, floaters can be a symptom of a retinal tear, so it is always best to contact your eye doctor at Georgia Retina if you start experiencing floaters to ensure you don’t need emergency treatment.
What Causes Floaters?
The most common cause of floaters is posterior vitreous detachment, a process that occurs as a natural result of aging, where the vitreous begins to detach from the retina. Floaters can also appear from pigment cells, inflammatory cells, or blood in the vitreous cavity.
Certain risk factors can increase your chance of developing floaters, such as being over the age of 50, being nearsighted, having a family history of retinal tears and detachment, or having had uveitis in the past.
How are Floaters Diagnosed?
At Georgia Retina, we offer a variety of comprehensive tests to diagnose floaters. Pupil dilation with clinical examination is the best way for your eye doctor to view the floaters that you are seeing.
Depending on your symptoms, you may also undergo optical coherence tomography (OCT), retinal photography, or a B-scan ultrasound. Based on the results of the examinations and your symptoms, your eye doctor will determine whether you need further treatment.
How are Floaters Treated?
In many situations floaters do not require treatment. Oftentimes they will improve on their own over a period of several months.
Patients with extensive opacities that move in and out of vision and make it difficult to carry out everyday activities such as driving or reading may be candidates for vitrectomy. A vitrectomy is an outpatient procedure conducted under local anesthesia where the vitreous of the eye is removed and replaced with a saline solution.
When the vitreous is removed, almost all vitreous opacities can be removed with it, reducing or eliminating the symptoms of floaters. Although complications are rare, risks associated with the procedure include retinal tear or detachment, macular edema, cataract formation or vision loss.
Do you want to learn more about whether a vitrectomy could help you achieve clearer vision and remove your floaters? Schedule an appointment with Georgia Retina in Atlanta, GA, today!
What Eye Conditions Are Floaters Related To?
While floaters are often harmless, they can sometimes be associated with more serious eye conditions. It’s essential to be aware of these potential conditions:
