Eye Floaters Should Be Checked

Do you ever have floaters? Little spots or lines that appear in your line of vision, although there’s nothing there?

Most of the time, these floaters are harmless. I have quite a few of them and they’re most obvious when I’m looking at something monochromatic (one color), such as the snow outside or when I’m reading a book. I had the floaters checked because, although floaters are often nothing serious, they could be a sign of retinal detachment. A retinal detachment is an ophthalmological emergency – surgery is needed most of the time and the earlier it’s done, the higher the chances of your sight being ok.

The retina is the part of the eye found in the inside at the back. It’s light sensitive and is often compared to film in a camera. As the images are picked up by the eye, they focus on the retina, which sends them to the brain through the optic nerve. When the retina pulls away or tears away from the eye, the images are interrupted.

Researchers in Ontario, Canada, found that sudden floaters and flashes of light could be a sign of retinal detachment and may be found as often as in one out of every seven patients with retinal detachment.

The researchers analyzed the findings of 200 articles in the medical literature, addressing retinal tears.

They

noted that a retinal tear occurred in 14 per cent of the cases of new onset floaters associated with an age-related change in the eye’s jelly.

“If new floaters are associated with visual loss, a defect in the visual field, or the presence of blood or ‘tobacco dust’ in the eye jelly, the risk of retinal tear is significantly higher,” says Dr. Sharma. “Since retinal tear can lead to detachment in up to 50 per cent of cases, new floaters and flashes is a medical condition that needs urgent assessment.”

So, don’t take chances. It’s very likely, you’ll be told that all is fine and not to worry. But you may as well get floaters checked. Your vision is precious – don’t lose it to something that could be treated.

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