Understanding Eye Floaters – What You Need to Know

1. Understanding Eye Floaters – What You Need to Know Eye floaters can be frustrating for anyone who is unlucky enough to have them. You can get floaters in one or both eyes. The good news before we discuss these in more detail is that they are common and they will not result in vision loss. So with that peace of mind in the back of your mind, you can now find out more about them and the only way to treat them to identify how you want to continue moving forward. The first step to identifying if you have eye floaters is to understand what these are. They are flecks, spots and cobwebs that move around in your field of vision. They are usually more noticeable if you are looking into light or a blank page. Most people experience them when working on a computer or looking at something that is light, such as a white wall or light coloured wall. These are more frustrating than dangerous, but they can have quite a negative impact on your overall vision in the long run. So what are floaters and why do more people get them than others? Well the answers are simple. Floaters are when the vitreous gel behind the eye starts to break loose, leaving fibrous tissue moving around the eye. This is at the back of the eye so while you can see them when you look at something, you wont be able to actually see them if you look in a mirror to identify them. The most common cause of eye floaters is age. When we are young, the vitreous gel remains in the gel like state, but similar to our skin which loses elasticity over the years, the vitreous gel behind your eye starts to liquefy and dissolve. This causes bits of the gel to break loose and as a result, it forms floaters, with can be seen by the patient when looking at light. It is important though if you suddenly notice that your floaters become increasingly worse, maybe similar to a shower of rain. So your floaters start to shower or you experience flashes of light, then medical attention should be sought immediately. Why? Well these are not normal floaters and experiencing showers of floaters or flashes of light could mean the vitreous gel is actually pulling away from the retina and this is something you will want to have treated immediately, as this is a serous situation. The only way to treat floaters is surgery. If your floaters aren’t bad and they are not worrying you too much, then you can hold off on surgery. Surgery is offered to those that find that their floaters are causing serious problems and they find them irritating and

2. frustrating and want them eliminated without delay. The surgical procedure used to treat floaters is called a vitrectomy. This is a common procedure which takes an hour to a couple of hours to complete, depending on whether they are working on one or both eyes. The procedure is relatively straight forward and is carried out as a day case, so you can go home and recover in comfort. The procedure is often carried out under local anaesthetic, which means you remain awake throughout the procedure. In some instances, this is down to the surgeons discretion, you may have general anaesthetic, which means you sleep through the procedure, but chances are you will have to have one overnight stay in hospital. The process requires the surgeon cutting the outer layer of the eye to reach the vitreous gel, which is then removed and replaced with a gas or solution. It is imperative that you follow your surgeons at home recovery instructions to ensure the best end result. About Us: Mahi Muqit is a leading consultant ophthalmologist, cataract and vitreoretinal surgeon at two private clinics in London, United Kingdom. He provides patients with superior service and support with a range of surgical procedures to meet their eye sight requirements. He has built up a solid reputation for his eye services in the London area as an expert eye doctor and surgeon offering surgical retina, medical retina and complex cataract surgery. He also offers surgery to patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy. Mahi Muqit is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, a member of the British and Eire Association of Vitreoretinal Surgeons and the UK and Ireland Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. To find out more, visit http://www.retinasurgeon.uk 119 Harley Street London United Kingdom (W1G6AU) Contact Us: 7717203564 www.retinasurgeon.uk.com