Eyes are precious organs to every person, and no one would want to lose their functionality. However, different conditions and diseases can affect your eyes. Some of them can put you at a risk of losing your eyesight while some will not. But because of the importance that these organs have to human lives, most people will take any condition that affects them seriously. One of these conditions is eye floaters.
1. What Are Eye Floaters?
Another term used to refer to eye floaters is eye flashes. Most these are condensations that form in the eye, specifically in the vitreous humor. It’s possible to see them when in your vision when looking at white surfaces, bright lights, and spaces such as the sky. They have various shapes including spider webs, spots, strings, and dots among others.
2. The Causes of the Condition
Your eye has a vitreous humor. It plays a key role in maintaining the eye’s shape. When the humor shrinks, it contributes to the formation of the eye floaters. It is because as it shrinks, it starts to become stringy forming strands that can cast small shadows on your retina. Also, the accumulation of collagen at the back of your eye can result in the development of the same condition.
3. Treatment of the Condition
There is no doubt that eye floaters will be annoying to anyone who has them. However, in most of the cases, people can live with the condition. In some cases, eye floaters can be dense and numerous such that they impair the vision of an individual. In such a case the person will need to undergo surgery, vitrectomy, to remove them. The surgery involves removing the vitreous gel from the eye and the surgeons will replace it with a saline solution. Because of the implications of the surgery such as the development of cataracts and retinal tears among others, it is not advisable to go for it unless the condition is severe.
4. Eye Flashes and Blindness
Some people would take any condition that affects the eye very seriously. It is understandable because of the critical role that eyes play in accomplishing the day to day activities. Hence, some people worry that eye floaters could ultimately cause blindness. However, this is just a myth unless they are a result a medical condition. Most of the time they are a result of the natural aging process of the eye.
5. The Relation to an Individual’s Age
In most cases, eye floaters will develop as the vitreous humor in the eye degrades with time. Hence, some people believe that they only develop in old people. It is not true, even though the majority of the people who develop them are old. People from various ages can develop this condition too, and in most cases, it is not serious. However, one should visit their physician to ascertain that it will not cause them any complications.
6. Complications of The Condition
Eye flashes are not serious conditions. However, if they are a result of a medical condition they can cause further complications. An example is diabetic retinopathy. In this case, eye floaters appear in the eye of an individual as a result of blood vessels bursting. It is the reason why you should ascertain their cause first.
7. The Impact of Stress on the Condition
Various studies have tried to determine if there is any correlation between stress and the development of eye floaters. They sought to address a myth that people with stress develop eye floaters quickly compared to those that don’t have stress. However, the studies did not find any direct correlation between the two but determined that they could be an indirect causative factor. It is because stress and anxiety can cause a person to develop eye strain. Eye strain, in turn, can cause myopia. Untreated myopia is a leading factor in the development of the condition.
8. The Risk to Cataract Patients
The quality of medical operations for treating cataracts is to blame for the increased likelihood of cataract patients developing eye floaters. It is because laser surgery has a negative impact on the position and quality of vitreous humor.
