Eye Floaters and Vitreolysis

Eye floaters are seen in many people in society and reduce the quality of life. In some people, they can cause serious problems that reduce vision.

Eye floaters can sometimes be seen in one eye and sometimes in both eyes. In both cases, it may be a symptom of underlying diseases such as retinal detachment, eye inflammation, diabetes and high blood pressure.

If it is not caused by these diseases, the most common cause is eye floaters. It may occur due to natural changes in the structure of the structure called vitreous fluid, which fills between the lens and the retina, with advanced age.

In order to determine the root cause of the problem, it is useful to consult an ophthalmologist as soon as the symptoms appear.

Objects floating in front of the eye can be seen as dots, tails or spider webs. If the patient has a problem such as seeing flies floating in the eye, these are definitely not optical illusions, but particles floating in the vitreous fluid. These particles cast a shadow on our retina as they travel through the vitreous fluid that helps maintain the shape of the eyeball.

We see these as black objects of different shapes. They are usually noticed when looking at a plain white wall or the sky. The reason why these objects create the perception of floating is that they are in motion in the vitreous fluid and move up and down and left and right as we move our eyes. Another name for the disease is also known as degenerative vitreous.

What Causes Eye Floaters?

The light entering our eyes from outside passes through the iris layer, which gives the eye its color. It then passes the natural lens and vitreoli and focuses on the visual center in the retina.

The vitreous fluid has a jelly-like consistency and a transparent structure. This liquid contains thin and regular fibrous structures. Thanks to the transparency of this liquid, we see the surroundings clearly.

Due to age-related reasons, the order between these fibrous structures may be disrupted and the jelly-like vitreous becomes more liquid. After this transformation, the tissues, blood cells and various proteins in the vitreous fluid are seen as flies in front of the eye.

It usually occurs due to age-related changes. They can be seen in shapes such as floating objects, dots, spider webs and small hairs.

The vitreous fluid, which evolves towards a more liquid quality and also loses its transparency, can gather together over time and, in some cases, be pulled and separated from the retina. At this moment, people can see sudden flashes of light.

Because at this moment, the retina is pulled and stimulated. When this fluid is withdrawn from the head of the optic nerves, a scar that appears as a full or half ring is left behind. This trace is called Weiss ring. People may also see a floating ring along with flashes of light.

This separation usually pulls a part of the retina with it. As a result of retinal detachment, blood leakage occurs in the vitreous. This blood is seen densely in the form of small flying dots. In this type of situation, urgent intervention is required.

If the vitreous fails to separate from the retina, a tear or hole may occur in the retina. With the disruption of the integrity of the retina, the retina gathers in the middle and retinal detachment occurs, resulting in loss of vision within a few days. As a result, it is useful to consult an ophthalmologist without delay in case of sudden and frequently recurring flashes of light and intense black spots such as soot rain.

These objects seen are eye bleeding and inflammation, blood vessels. Problems can also occur with small protein spots or other substances left inside the eye while rubbing the eye while in the womb.

Eye Floaters Treatment

Floating black objects are often seen when looking at a white surface or a flat ground such as the sky. There is no need for treatment for some of these. It is decided after a detailed examination whether the person needs treatment.

Treatment of eye floaters can be performed with laser. If these objects are large enough to block vision or are disturbingly visible during the day, laser treatment may be recommended to the person. If the person has symptoms of sudden lightning strikes and very dense black dots in the form of soot, suspicion of intraocular bleeding may arise. In such cases, vitrectomy surgery may be required.

Vitreolysis Treatment

Vitreolysis is a laser treatment for these floaters. It is a painless treatment applied from the outer area of the eye. Vitreolysis treatment is an outpatient operation and takes a few minutes.

An eye drop that provides a mild anesthesia effect is applied before the operation, and then the patient does not need to stay in the hospital overnight. Treatment is usually completed after 2 or 3 sessions.

The aim of the treatment is to ensure functional recovery so that the patient can continue his daily life normally. It is possible to destroy or reduce the objects that cause these visible floaters.

Vitreolysis destroys the particles in the vitreous that cause these objects to be seen by vaporizing them with laser beams sent at a speed of much less than a second.

The sudden appearance of these objects in the field of vision, sudden flashes of light, and the appearance of these objects as soot are strong signs of intraocular bleeding.

Vitrectomy Surgery

Vitrectomy surgery is performed for the treatment of many diseases such as cleaning the bleeding in the back of the eye, treating retinal tear and removing foreign objects inside the eye.

Vitrectomy surgery< /strong> It can be performed with local or general anesthesia. During the procedure, the vitreous is removed through a thin incision. After the removal process, a different solution is injected to preserve the shape of the eye. Over time, the body naturally produces vitreous to replace this solution.