Are there always "flying bugs" in front of your eyes? Learn more about floaters

It feels like there are always mosquitoes flying in front of your eyes, but you can't catch or hit them. These "little mosquitoes" have different shapes, such as round, oval, dot, line, sheet, etc. They are more likely to appear when you look at a white or bright background. This is very likely a case of floaters!

What are floaters?

Floaters are generally caused by vitreous degeneration. The normal vitreous is transparent and located between the lens and the retina. It has the functions of transmitting light, shaping the eyeball, and stabilizing the intraocular tissue.

Min Hanyi, director of Tianjin University Aier Eye Hospital, said that with age, the vitreous is prone to "aging", that is, the vitreous liquefaction and degeneration, causing turbidity in the vitreous cavity. These turbidities are projected onto the retina by external light, and people can feel floating black shadows in front of their eyes, which is what we call "floaters."

How are floaters classified?

1. Physiological floaters

Floaters are caused by the vitreous "aging" as we age. Most floaters belong to this type, and the main feature is that there are small black shadows floating in front of the eyes. The floaters will not increase or change over time, and generally do not require excessive intervention, but you should pay more attention to rest and reduce the time you use your eyes.

2. Pathological floaters

If a large number of "floaters" suddenly appear, the eyeball is covered by a fixed black shadow that does not move with the eyeball, and when the eyeball is turned in a dark environment, there are frequent "lightning sensations" like lightning in front of the eyes, you should pay attention to the possibility of pathological floaters, and a detailed fundus examination and intervention are needed.

Who is at high risk of eye floaters?

Middle-aged and elderly people: With the increase of age, the vitreous body gradually liquefies and degenerates, and the risk of developing floaters increases significantly. The middle-aged and elderly people are the main group of people who suffer from floaters.

People with high myopia: Long-term high myopia can cause changes in the eyeball structure, making the vitreous body more susceptible to degenerative changes, thereby increasing the incidence of floaters.

People with a history of eye trauma: Eye trauma, especially blunt or penetrating trauma to the eyeball, may cause vitreous hemorrhage or posterior detachment, which in turn causes floaters.

Diabetic patients: Diabetic retinopathy is one of the common complications of diabetes, which can affect the vitreous body, causing it to become cloudy and indirectly leading to the appearance of floaters.

People who use their eyes improperly for a long time : those who work or read at close range for a long time, and those who rely too much on electronic products, are prone to visual fatigue, accelerate eye aging, and indirectly increase the risk of disease.