Where do flies come from?
The vitreous humor is a clear gel composed primarily of water and fine collagen fibers. With age, the gel liquefies, the fibers curl and stick together into compactions. The light passing through the eye casts shadows from them onto the retina, and the person sees floating formations. When the vitreous detaches from the retina, a large ring or cloud may appear in the field of vision. At the time of detachment, the gel sometimes pulls on the retina, causing flashes of light, and at the sites of fusion, a rupture of the retina is possible, through which fluid penetrates under it.
- Destruction of the vitreous body - age-related compactions
- Posterior vitreous detachment
- Vitreous hemorrhage
- Inflammatory opacities due to uveitis
- Asteroid hyalosis - small shiny particles
Causes and risk factors
The main reason is natural aging of the eye. In myopic people, the eyes are longer, and changes in the vitreous begin earlier, sometimes at a young age. Destruction is accelerated by eye injuries, operations, such as cataract removal, and inflammatory eye diseases. The appearance of dark dots or a reddish veil occurs with hemorrhage into the vitreous body - in people with diabetic retinopathy, after retinal vein thrombosis, or with a retinal rupture. Floaters are not associated with liver function, blood pressure or cervical osteochondrosis, as is sometimes believed.
- Age over 50
- Myopia
- Eye surgeries, including cataract removal
- Eye and head injuries
- Diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy
- Uveitis and other eye inflammations
Symptoms
Flies look like translucent dots, worms, threads, webs or rings. They move when the eyes move and continue to float after the gaze stops. They are best seen against a bright, uniform background and in good lighting, worse in the dark. Over time, the brain gets used to it and stops noticing the constant clouding. Other alarming symptoms include a sudden shower of dark spots, flashes of light in the side of the visual field, especially in the dark, and a shadow or curtain looming from the edge. These signs may indicate a retinal tear or detachment.
- Floating Points and Threads
- Cobweb or ring in front of the eye
- Enhance on a light background
- Moving with your gaze
- Flashes of light are a warning sign
- Shadow in sight - see a doctor immediately
Diagnostics
When floaters appear, the ophthalmologist instills drops to dilate the pupil and examines the fundus of the eye in detail, especially the periphery of the retina, using special lenses. This is the main way to find tears and areas of thinning. Biomicroscopy shows changes in the vitreous body, and optical coherence tomography shows the condition of the retina and the zone of its fusion with the vitreous body. If the vitreous body is cloudy, for example due to hemorrhage, and the bottom of the eye is difficult to see, an ultrasound scan of the eye is performed. Visual acuity and intraocular pressure are also checked. After pupil dilation, you should not drive a car for several hours.
- Fundus examination with pupil dilation
- Examination of the retinal periphery with a lens
- Biomicroscopy of the vitreous body
- Optical coherence tomography
- Ultrasound of the eye with turbid media
- Follow-up examination a few weeks after vitreous detachment
Treatment
Harmless flies do not require treatment: over time, some of the seals fall down, and the brain adapts. Drops, tablets, vitamins and absorbable agents do not eliminate clouding; the effectiveness of such drugs has not been proven. If a retinal tear is found, laser photocoagulation is performed, which strengthens the retina around the break and prevents detachment. Retinal detachment requires urgent surgery. For very severe opacities that significantly interfere with life, in some cases laser vitreolysis or vitrectomy—removal of the vitreous—are discussed, but these interventions have risks and are not suitable for everyone.
- Observation and adaptation
- Follow-up examinations by an ophthalmologist
- Laser photocoagulation for retinal tears
- Surgery for retinal detachment
- Treatment of diabetic retinopathy
- Vitrectomy - according to strict indications
- Sunglasses to reduce the visibility of floaters
