Beware of Floaters: Understanding and Preventing Eye Disease

Graphic/uho Youhuo Health Network

After middle age, many people will experience several black spots in the eyes, light in the corner of the eye, or the feeling of lightning flashing away. This may be caused by the friction of the vitreous in the eyeball or pulling it to the retina, resulting in flashes of eyes accompanied by floaters eye disease. Often when looking at the sky, there will be obvious black shadows of floating mosquitoes and partial visual field defects. At this time, it is necessary to seek a professional ophthalmologist as soon as possible to check whether there is detachment of the retina, which may seriously risk blindness.

Hong Dazhan, Chief Physician of the Department of Ophthalmology at Guo General Hospital, said that the vitreous body in the eye structure accounts for about four-fifths of the eyeball volume and fills between the lens and the retina. The main components are 0.5% collagen, 0.5% hyaluronic acid, and 99% aqueous humor. .When suspended matter appears in the vitreous body, the light will project the suspended matter on the retina to form a shadow, and the eyes will feel that the black shadow in front of them is floating, which is called floaters.About 8 out of 10 people have symptoms of floaters, and the number of patients increases with age.

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eyes flashing watch out for floaters

Hong Dazhan explained that the common causes of degenerative floaters are mostly due to old age or long-term exposure to sunlight. The vitreous body wrinkles and shrinks with the loss of hyaluronic acid and collagen, and cannot support the surrounding gel and begins to collapse, resulting in more suspended solids. This condition can also occur with eye injury, eye inflammation, bleeding or intraocular surgery.Most degenerative floaters are harmless to the eyes, but occasionally there may be complications such as flashes, retinal holes, hemorrhage, and retinal detachment.

When the patient’s eyes see hallucinations of light or lightning, which are called “flashes”, this is caused by the shrinking vitreous body in the eyeball, rubbing or pulling on the retina. The flashes may appear intermittently for weeks or even months.If there are visual abnormalities such as flashing lights accompanied by a group of floating mosquitoes, and partial visual field defects, you must consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible to check whether there has been retinal detachment, which may seriously cause blindness.

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Floaters and retinal detachment may cause blindness

Hong Dazhan further pointed out that degenerative uncomplicated floaters will not harm the eyes, but among patients with acute flashes and floaters, there is also the possibility of retinal breaks:

• About 90% have no retinal break
• The remaining 10% of patients have a hole, and there is about half of the chance of retinal detachment and blindness within 6 weeks

Special attention should be paid to the fact that retinal breaks usually have no obvious symptoms, because the retina is the nerve tissue inside the eyeball, and usually does not cause pain and soreness. If patients have retinal breaks, they are most often found in routine ophthalmological examinations; although most In most cases, acute symptoms will gradually subside, but with age, new symptoms may still appear, or the risk of related complications.

3 ways to maintain the eyes of floaters

Hong Dazhan reminded that when you go to the doctor to check for floaters, it is recommended that relatives and friends accompany you, or wear sunglasses. Before the examination, you will apply mydriatic eye drops, wait for about 30 minutes, and check the fundus after the pupil is dilated.After the examination, it is not advisable to drive or ride a motorcycle, as there will be blurred vision and photophobia, which will gradually recover after about 4 to 6 hours.

He provides 3 tips for eye care for floaters:

• Can supplement lutein, vitamin C, colloidal food, delay the speed of aging
• Avoid staying up late and excessive use of 3C products
• Avoid violent and rapid head-turning sports, such as high-altitude bungee jumping, roller coaster, etc.

Hong Dazhan added that the precautions for patients with floaters include the sudden appearance of more or larger black shadows, frequent flashes, sudden blurred vision, and visual field defects. They should seek medical attention immediately for detailed examination. If there is retinal detachment, doctors usually use laser to coagulate the surrounding tissues to prevent retinal detachment from causing blindness. If there is retinal detachment, surgery is required.

The article is authorized to be reproduced from: “uho》Dark shadows and flashing eyes… Beware of floaters, “10% are afraid of retinal detachment” Medical teaching 3 ways to save eyes