Have you ever noticed a black spot floating around in your eye? Or experienced light flashes? Ever wondered how serious they are? If you have flashes or floaters it is important to see an eye doctor.
Anyone at any age can get floaters. They can take different shapes, clumps, threads, and spots. They can be not so serious, drifting pieces of cell debris just floating in the fluid in your eye. Or, an urgent condition such as a torn or detached retina.
Vitreous humor is the gel like substance that fills the eye. Condensation often forms in this gel as we get older and appear as floaters, similar to strands in jello.
“Young people can experience floaters, but it’s more common in your 50s and 60s. As people age, the structure of vitreous humor changes, from gel to liquid. As the gel shrinks, it can pull on the retina — the light-receiving membrane at the back of the eye that transmits images to the brain — and cause light flashes, says Rahul Khurana, a clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “It’s a bit like looking at the headlights of a Mack truck — not something you’d miss.”according to a recent article in the Washington Post.
Flashes of light are not the same as floaters and can be caused by a number of conditions. They need to be checked out by a doctor. Both flashes of light and floaters are an indication there is something going on in the eye. A tear or detachment of the retina can occur with a change in the eye’s vitreous structure.
The article goes on to say, “Left untreated, the retina can detach from the back of the eye. In that case, you might see something like a curtain or shade being pulled over the eye. The retina loses its blood flow and nutrient source, and it will start to die.” This can result in permanent vision loss.
Regardless of your physical well-being or your age, routine eye exams are vital to healthy eyes. Many eye disease threaten more than just our vision, they can affect our overall well being. During an eye exam Dr. Ward and the Team at Lake Nona Eye Care do much more than just establish your prescription for contact lenses or eyeglasses. A compressive exam will include checking for eye diseases and other issues leading to vision loss.
Don’t put if off any longer, schedule your comprehensive eye exam today with Lake Nona Eye Care or call us at 407-658-9990.