Why you get 'squiggly floaters' in your eyes as expert explains what to do if you see them
Sometimes you might be looking off into the distance when you feel like you need to put the windscreen wipers on.
And I’m not talking about when you’re literally at the wheel of a car but rather the metaphorical wipers for your own eyes.
You know, when there’s those odd little squiggly lines floating in your vision?
It’s almost like there are smudges on your eyes but in reality, there’s nothing actually there. Instead, it’s ‘floaters’ and it can be worth knowing just why they’re there.
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Sure, they might just be totally harmless and something to ignore when they appear or it could potentially be a bit of a concern for your health.
The NHS says it could be a process called posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) when the gel in your eye changes. And while that’s pretty much harmless it could also be caused by retinal detachment in more serious situations.
When to see an expert
You may see them in your eyes from time to time, but the time to see an optician is when new ones show up.
Dr Daniel Polya from Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists’ highlighted that it's ‘so important to see an optician when a floater first appears’.
The eye expert said that though we can learn to ignore them, we should start paying a bit more attention, adding: “Laser surgery can also be performed to break up big, problematic floaters, but it has risks associated.”
Why do floaters appear in my eyes in the first place?
Dr Polya explained the science behind it to Daily Mail Australia, saying that they are a result of vitreous fibres (which make up about 80 percent of the eye) clogging together.
He said: “It's the condensation of the collagen fibres. Large molecules of collagen clog together and cast shadows on your retina which you perceive as eye floaters.”
It turns out that these clogs then create the shapes of blobs or squiggly lines that pop up when we look at plain walls or lights.
What do floaters really mean?
They can sometimes be a more serious problem as Dr Polya explained: “What's really disappointing is when someone will come in with retinal detachment from a posterior vitreous detachment that hasn’t been examined earlier.”
PVD is a harmless process, but what are the exact chances that it's a cause for concern?
Dr Polya said: “For those that get PVD, there's a five percent chance it's developing a tear in the retina, and if a tear does occur, there's a 50 percent chance of retinal detachment.”
Though laser surgery can treat a retinal tear, it is crucial to catch on to the issue early on to prevent further damage.
“PVD is common and not that disappointing to see, whereas retinal detachment is disappointing to see in a patient who could have had an earlier exam when they first got floaters,” the expert added.
Always seek out a healthcare professional for medical advice.
Topics: Health
Jess Battison