Medical Questions » Eyes Questions » Question No. 339
| Question: | Can you give me information on what causes vitreous floaters in the eye. How long do they last? |
| Answer: | Floaters are abnormal clumps of cells in the centre of the eyeball that cast a shadow on the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye, and the brain perceives this shadow as an object (spot) in front of the eye.
The ' floater' can occur at any point in the field of vision, but the closer it is to the centre (ie. when looking straight ahead), the more annoying it becomes.
The cells can form in the centre of the eye because of bleeding into the eye, a detached retina, infection or no apparent cause may be found.
Diseases such as diabetes, leukaemia, high blood pressure, and a number of rarer conditions may cause bleeding into the eye. A detached retina can be repaired by laser therapy in the early stages, but if left, may result in permanent blindness.
Because there may be a serious disease causing the problem, all patients with floaters must be appropriately investigated to exclude these problems.
The condition is only treated if it is causing significant trouble, as most floaters dissipate with time.
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