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Dr. Nilah Nicole Bonham
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Seeing Spots or Floaters?Reported by: Dr. Nilah Nicole Bonham, O.D.
Sunday, May 18, 2008 @09:56pm EDT
Spots (often called floaters) are small, semi-transparent or cloudy particles within the vitreous of your eye. The vitreous is the clear jelly-like fluid that fills the inside of the eye. Specks within the vitreous vary in appearance, from thread-like strands to circle shape or ‘bug’ like. These floaters may appear to be outside the eye or on the front surface, but in reality they are deep inside the eye. As you move your eyes the floaters will move, but will seem to dart away if you look at them directly.
So if every eye is made up of vitreous, why doesn’t everyone see floaters?Not everyone’s visual system is sensitive enough to be distracted by floaters. Because floaters are often caused by flecks of protein or other matter during the formation of your eyes before birth, many people are just not aware. As we age, floaters tend to become more noticeable, as the vitreous fluid deteriorates and can even detach from the retina. When the vitreous detaches from the retina, it can cause the appearance of lights flashing and ultimately leave the perception of a large ‘cob-web’ like figure in your vision. Any flashing of lights should immediately be reported to your eye doctor, so that a dilated eye exam can rule out the possibility of a retinal tear or detachment.
Reference: www.aoa.org
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