Look up at the sky, why are there transparent "floating objects" in front of you?

Many people have noticed that when they look up at the sky or a white wall, they see dot- or thread-like objects floating around. Is this a superpower of the eyes? In fact, this is floaters.

Everyone must be familiar with the term "moscidosis", but many people may think: Isn't this a disease that only the elderly will get? Actually, it is not!

What are floaters?

Floaters refer to the symptom of seeing translucent or dark gray floating objects like mosquitoes or gossamer flying around a fixed position in front of the eyes. It is easier to find its existence when looking at a brighter background such as the blue sky or white wall. Current research has found that vitreous liquefaction and posterior vitreous detachment are the main causes of floaters.

Types of floaters

Min Hanyi, director of Tianjin University Aier Eye Hospital, said that floaters are mainly divided into physiological floaters and pathological floaters . When the number of "floaters" is small, they are transparent or translucent floating dots, and the shape and number are relatively stable, they are mostly physiological floaters. About 80% of floaters are physiological floaters. Physiological floaters do not cause the risk of blindness and generally have no effect on vision.

Pathological floaters are caused by lesions in the retina, optic nerve, ciliary body and other structures near the vitreous body, which lead to the sudden appearance of a large number of floaters, distorted vision, poor vision, and visual field defects. Pathological floaters are a more serious vitreous opacity that may affect visual function and requires timely medical treatment.

Floaters are a common disease among the elderly and myopic people . Especially for patients with high myopia , the probability of developing floaters is much higher than that of normal people. High myopia will cause significant traction on the retina, and the continuous thinning of the retina may lead to retinopathy, which is more likely to cause floaters. Patients with hypertension and diabetes also need to be alert to the occurrence of floaters. These patients are prone to ruptured and blocked retinal blood vessels and vitreous hemorrhage, which can cause floaters.

If you notice an increase in the number of dark shadows in front of your eyes, you should have a professional eye examination and receive targeted treatment based on the different types of floaters.