Blurring the field of vision

Health

Floaters and dark flashes are two eye ailments that people need to be aware of.

Vision is known to degenerate with age. But another, lesser known effect of age on the eyes is the occurrence of floaters and dark flashes. Normally, most people have some floaters but don't notice them until they multiply or become more prominent. And when they do become prominent, floaters can be extremely irritating for the vision, obstructing your ability to see clearly.

Floaters are small, dark specks that move in the field of vision and look like cobwebs, squiggly lines or floating bugs. They may appear to be in front of the eye but are actually floating inside it. As one gets older, the vitreous "" a clear gel-type substance in front of the retina "" tends to shrink and slightly detach from the retina, forming a clump inside the eye. The floaters are a consequence of the shadows cast on the retina by these clumps.

However, there may be other reasons for the occurrence of floaters besides vitreous detachment, which usually happens after the age of 50. If floaters begin to obstruct your vision before you hit 35 years of age, it could be due to the high minus power of your eye, retinal disease, or damage or even some swelling or bleeding in the eye.

"Normally, if the floaters are a result of damage to the retina or any other part of the eye, they can be either removed through surgery or laser therapy," says Dr Rohan Chawla, retina consultant, Max Eyecare. But if the cause is simply degeneration of the retina, then there is almost no remedy for the floaters. In such a case, the patient will have to live with obstructed vision. "And while in some cases the floaters may dissolve into the gel, in others they may simply increase with age," adds Chawla.

The only caution, suggest experts, is to undergo regular eye checks and in case of a fresh floater formation or sudden flashes before the eye, consult an ophthalmologist immediately to rule out or treat any eye damage that may have caused their occurrence.