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Eye Floaters: Harmless or Dangerous?

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Is there anything as bothersome as an eye floater? Those flashing spots, strands, squiggly lines, and rings dart and drift away and you just cannot look directly at them, no matter how hard you try. Floaters are often most apparent when you are outside or looking at something bright or light in color. Everyone experiences eye floaters once in a while, but they can increase in number and frequency and become distracting. In rare cases, floaters can be an indicator of a more serious eye condition.

What causes eye floaters?

Most floaters are a result of the aging process. About 80 percent of the eye is filled with vitreous humor, a gel-like material that helps the eye keep a round shape. Over time, the gel reduces in volume and pulls away from the back of the eye. Protein strands in the gel, called collagen, become stringy and cast shadows on the retina. These shadows are what cause the floaters.

Some floaters have a very different origin. Eye surgery, eye disease, eye injury or diabetic retinopathy can result in floaters, so talk to your eye doctor if you think that eye floaters are a result of a previous procedure or condition.

Are floaters dangerous?

Most floaters are completely normal and gradually tend to settle at the bottom of the eye, but they do not go away completely. Most people become accustomed to floaters and they can ignore them, but there are some instances when you should not ignore floaters. It may be necessary to call your eye doctor if you notice an increase in eye floaters, eye pain, changes in peripheral vision or see flashes of light.

Although less common, floaters can be symptoms of a retinal tear, retinal detachment, inflammation (uveitis) vitreous hemorrhage, eye tumor or bleeding within the eye, so do not ignore changes in your vision.

Treatments for eye floaters

If you are simply bothered by your floaters, there is no specific treatment. Sometimes, just moving to a location that has lower light can be helpful in minimizing floaters. If your vision is significantly affected by floaters, your doctor may talk to you about a surgical procedure called a vitrectomy. In this procedure, the vitreous humor and collagen strands are removed from the back of the eye and replaced with a salt solution. This operation is not usually recommended unless your vision is being significantly compromised.

7 Health Problems Eye Exams Can Detect

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Did you know that an eye exam can be as effective as a physical in determining your health? Unfortunately, many Americans put off going to the eye doctor if they feel like their vision has not changed. Comprehensive eye exams are important for many reasons. Your eyesight may change very gradually over time, and you may not even know that you need a stronger prescription. Your eye doctor will also perform several tests during the eye examination that will rule out eye disorders such as glaucoma, cataracts or retinal problems.

Along with eye-related concerns, eye doctors may even be able to detect other health issues during a comprehensive eye exam. In fact, you may even find yourself leaving the eye doctor with a referral to another specialist because of a specific test that your ophthalmologist performed during your comprehensive eye exam. Here are just a few health issues that may be discovered during an eye exam:

  1. Diabetes: Diabetes affects the small capillaries in the retina of the eyes. These blood vessels may leak blood or a yellowish fluid, and this may be discovered in an eye exam. If your eye doctor notices this condition, you may have a condition called diabetic retinopathy.
  2. Hypertension: Blood vessels in the eye may exhibit bends, kinks or tears, and this may be an indication of high blood pressure.
  3. Autoimmune disorders If the eye is inflamed, this may be a sign of Lupus or another autoimmune disorder.
  4. High cholesterol: The cornea may have a yellowish appearance or a yellow ring around it which can be a sign of high cholesterol. There also may be plaques in the blood vessels of the retina which could indicate elevated cholesterol.
  5. Thyroid disease: One of the telltale signs of thyroid disease are bulging eyes or protruding eyeballs. This condition is also known as Graves Disease.
  6. Cancer: If your eye doctor notices that the structure of your eye is unusual, you may be referred to a specialist. Ocular melanoma can develop in the cells that make pigmentation in the eye. Your eye exam can also help detect skin cancer. Basal cell carcinomas can appear on the eyelid and could even spread to the brain through the eye.
  7. Tumors: Droopy eyelid or irregularly shaped pupils could possibly indicate a neck tumor or an aneurism (Source: Digital Journal).

Comprehensive eye exams are recommended once every two years for optimum eye health and overall wellness. If you are not currently under the care of an eye doctor, you can locate a physician in your area using our physician locator tool.

Could your headaches be due to eye problems?

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If you’re suffering from frequent headaches, ask yourself, “When was my last eye checkup?” A routine eye exam can turn up a variety of issues that may be causing headaches. In some cases staring at the computer screen too long, or working on overly bright or dim light may be the culprit. Adjusting workplace lighting, or remembering to take a break every hour or so to give your eyes a rest can remedy those problems. There are also some common eye conditions that may result in headaches if untreated. They are:

  • Astigmatism, in which the cornea is not properly shaped, and requires you to squint in order to focus your vision.
  • Hyperopia, or long-sightedness.
  • Presbyopia, a condition in which the lens has become hard and inflexible with age, making it difficult to focus.

However, those headaches could also be triggered by something more serious, such as glaucoma or cataracts. With glaucoma, pressure builds up inside the eye due to its inability to drain fluid properly. That eventually can damage the optic nerve. Open-angle glaucoma, which is a slow buildup of pressure, may not have any symptoms, but angle closure glaucoma, which causes a sharper increase of pressure, can cause pain blurred vision and headaches. Cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens, also can bring about headaches as they become more severe. As your vision becomes more limited, the eye works harder. If you’re experiencing frequent headaches, and it’s been more than a year or two between eye exams, it’s a good idea to see your eye care provider. If you already wear glasses, you may just need a new prescription. But if something else is going on, he or she can identify the problem, and take the proper steps to have you seeing clearly and headache-free.