Sometimes Floaters Do Require Intervention

There are times when floaters in the eye may indicated that more drastic action is warranted, but only in a limited number of cases.

Floaters In Eye

Ophthalmologists recognize that if you have a large detachment or tear in the retinal wall (it may not be a detached retina, itself, but a large tear in the tissue), then action is called for. But how do you know if the eye floaters that are bothering you required intervention?

It’s quite simple really! If you suddenly have a large mass of floaters appear in your eye, then you may have a tear in the retina that has also introduced a small pool of blood as a bubble at the top of the vitreous (where these things most likely occur). You can tell if you are the victim of this if you suddenly experience a large number of eye floaters that seem to be floating around and getting worse.

For the most part, the floaters in your eye, if this is the case, though they may seem to be rising in your vision are actually floating downward from the tear in the retina. It is at this time that the ophthalmologist will look through his microscope device (it’s also the device that measures the pressure of your eyeball with a blue cone of light as the doctor tells you to sit still, “it will only take a minute”) and as he flips over to white light, he will scan the back and top of the vitreous for health which is when he will notice the small pool of blood collecting at the retinal tear.

 Eye Floaters

If this is the case, then a laser procedure is called for, most ophthalmologists agree.  They have to seal the tear and ensure that it is cleaned up and laser surgery is an excellent way to do this. Like most doctors, ophthalmologists don’t do this willingly because no doctor likes to operate unless he has to but, if the tear is there, intervention is called for.

On the day of the operation, they will numb your eye (as well as relax you with various drugs) it has to stay open for the surgery to occur. Not to worry because what you might see will be a small blue or green flash of light as the laser being used seals the tear in the retina and cleans up the pool of blood that has gathered and is causing this whole issue. It is possible, if the inclusions left are large enough, that the ophthalmologist may zap them as well to break them up and erase them. When you are finished you will likely have to avoid bright light for a day or two and may possibly need some antiseptic eye drops, however, when it’s all finished, your eye health will be restored.

This isn’t to say you may not experience eye floaters in the future, but, they will likely be the “normal” kind, you can ignore.