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.