Floaters

Floaters are things most of us have experienced at some point or the other. This would usually happen when we look up at the sky, or stare into the sun. You may have also experienced it when moving from a really dark room into bright room. Eye floaters are meant to happen when your eyes are accommodating themselves from one light intensity to another. For those of you who have travelled on a plane, you may have noticed the window blinds opened for a day take off and landing, while night landings and take offs, will have the cabin light switched off or dimmed down. This is actually done, to avoid visual floaters in the case of an emergency when adjusting from a bright light to dim light and vice versa.

If you see floaters when moving from low light to bright light, the floaters should technically disappear after a few seconds or a couple of minutes at most. But floaters aren’t always about light intensities. If you notice the intensity of visual floaters increasing with no true cause, then you may have to seek immediate medical attention from a certified eye doctor, as it could be a sign of something worse to come. Floaters are symptoms of retinal detachment, eye bleed, and retinal tear. This visual conditions could lead to permanent or complete blindness and constant regular floaters are a tell tale sign that something needs your attention fast.
Eye floaters come in different shapes and sizes. They can be squiggly lines, black and grey spots, fuzzy lines, cobwebs, or multiple rings which move with your eye. They can appear in your field of vision, causing images to be blurred and you may even squint a while before they disappear.

What causes Visual Floaters
The eyes are complex structures that are round in shape. This round shape is helped by a gel-like substance in the middle of the eye called the vitreous humor. The vitreous humor is filled with protein collagen strands that with age can dry up and lose its clear structure. Light passing through the centre of the eye to the retina then makes these collagen strands visible, as they cast a shadow over the retina.

Floaters are mostly not dangerous and should fade off over time. However, floaters may be a sign of retinal detachment, bleeding of the vitreous humor, and it may occur after eye surgery. It is important to see a Dubai eye specialist Dr. Hani Sakla at the Ebsaar Eye Clinic if the floaters are accompanied by pain. If the floaters worsen over time, or have a sudden onset, it might be a sign of visual loss, and early treatment will be necessary to prevent blindness.

What is Coats Disease?

Coats Disease is probably the least talked about eye disorder that can lead to blindness if not detected early. Coat’s disease, named after Dr. George Coats who penned down the disease in 1912, described it by a few distinguishable traits as follows: Retinal hemorrhages, Unilaterality, Occurrence in infantile or juvenile male patients, Exudates below the retinal vessels, Absence of systemic diseases, and slow progression to retinal detachment, cataract, atrophy, or glaucoma.

As of today, not much else has been added to this information, and very little research has been done since. Coats disease is not thought to be a genetic disorder, although it mostly affects young children and males up to adolescents. Most risk factors that have been known to cause other eye disorders and eventual blindness are unrelated in this instance, as the condition usually starts before the child reaches three and is not exposed to the usual harmful influences that puts people at risk for a blinding eye condition.

It is however, known that the condition almost always starts in one eye, and may lead that eye to lose vision partially or completely before may be moving to the second eye. Coats disease is not known to affect both eyes at once or both eyes at all, in which cases the number of patients reported are very rare.

The other problem with Coat’s disease, it literally “sneaks up” on young children, who are still unaware that there might be something wrong with their vision. Coats disease is treatable if caught early, and therefore parents need to be vigilant to ensure their child’s vision is not affected by Coats Disease.

The start of the eye disease presents little or no affect on vision. Generally, however, by the time a noticeable change has taken place, the condition would have progressed onto seriously affecting one’s vision. It can affect children in infancy, and children between the ages of six and nine are most at risk. This is what delays diagnosis and advanced treatment. The other most troubling effect of this eye disease is it is a painless condition, giving out no warning signs at all.

The good news is the disease is very rare, affecting only 0.09 individuals in every 100,000 people. Coats disease is easily noticeable during a regular eye exam done by an eye doctor Dubai. The doctor may notice a white or yellow blob in the region of the pupil or abnormal growth of blood vessels at the back of the eye. Cholesterol deposits may be seen on the retina when the pupil is dilated during an eye exam for children by your family eye specialist.

One very popular case that was recently reported on the media was the case of a three year old being diagnosed by the excessive reflection of the flash on the affected eye, which showed one eye to have an obstruction near the pupil. Close range pictures with good flashes can also help detect the onset of Coat’s disease.

Although the disease is rare, it would be advised to have your child checked specifically for coats disease from the stage of infancy. Regular eye exams at Ebsaar Eye Surgery and Vision Correction Solutions Clinic will not only prevent further complications in relation to Coats Disease, but will help in diagnosing any other vision affecting disease early on.