Floaters before the eyes: causes, description of symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and advice from doctors

Small spots or dots that appear before the eyes are one of the most common vision problems. People call it floaters, since a person with such a defect actually gets the impression that when looking at any object, the view is blocked by a swarm of small insects. This phenomenon does not cause serious discomfort, and most people eventually get used to the new condition, but it should not be ignored, as it can be a signal of all sorts of pathologies in the body. What is the reason for the appearance of flies and is it possible to get rid of them?

Floaters before the eyes - causes and treatment

Why do flies appear?

The mechanism for the appearance of floaters can be different and consists of disturbances in the function of the eyes, metabolic processes and blood circulation, activity of the nervous system, etc. As a rule, with ophthalmological pathologies, spots and dots have a black or brown tint, and with disorders of the nervous system, white spots appear . It is impossible to independently determine the cause of this phenomenon - only a specialist can diagnose the disease and prescribe treatment.

Types of flies before your eyes

Vitreous lesions

Most often, floaters are observed in people who suffer from vitreous defects. The vitreous humor is the jelly-like contents of the eyeball, which is located in the cavity between the retina and the lens.

Vitreous body

Factors that cause changes in this part of the eye include destructive changes, trauma, inflammatory processes and other pathologies.

1. Destruction of the vitreous body. Degenerative lesions of the vitreous body manifest themselves as follows: over time, certain parts of it lose their original characteristics and become cloudy. When a light beam passes through the structures of the eye, the opaque segments are reflected on the retina in the form of black dots of varying sizes. When the gaze shifts, the flies move with it, after which they slowly return to their original place. Destruction of this part of the eyes is harmless only in cases when it develops due to age-related disorders in the body - in other cases, this pathology requires medical consultation.

   
   Destruction of the vitreous body

2. Mechanical damage to the organs of vision . In case of serious injuries, hemorrhage occurs in the ocular structures, blood enters the vitreous tissue, which also impairs its transparency. As a result, dark spots appear before a person’s eyes.
3. Inflammatory processes . Infections and inflammations localized in the tissues of the eyes also cause a violation of the transparency of the substance that fills the eyeball, which causes spots and dots that “float” in front of the eyes.

Retinal detachment

In addition to the above factors, degenerative changes in the tissues of the vitreous body and the appearance of dots can cause complications of diabetes mellitus, neoplasms in the tissues of the eye, and surges in intraocular pressure.

The characteristics of flies depend on the characteristics of the lesion of the vitreous body - if the pathological process affects single fibers, a person sees threads, stripes and cobwebs, and when the fibers glue together, figures similar to octopuses and jellyfish appear before the person’s gaze. The clarity of the spots is affected by the distance between the retina and the lesions - the smaller, the clearer the outlines of the spots.

Granular destruction of the vitreous body

Attention: the most dangerous situation is when the vitreous body separates from the back wall of the eye - this pathology can lead to serious complications and requires medical intervention.

At-risk groups

Floaters before the eyes are a common problem faced by people of all ages. Changes in the vitreous body are a characteristic process during physiological aging. Vulnerability increases as soon as a person reaches 40 years of age. At least 50% of people in the older age category are well aware of what floaters are before their eyes. But not only natural aging is the culprit of the destruction of the vitreous body and the corresponding optical effects.

Those at risk are those suffering from the following diseases:

• myopia;
• inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis, keratitis, uveitis);
• cervical osteochondrosis;
• eye injuries;
• metabolic disorders (for example, diabetes);
• hypertension and hypotension;
• internal bleeding;
• anemia;
• traumatic brain injuries;
• intoxication;
• helminthiasis

Floaters also occur during physical exhaustion, after infectious diseases. Destructions in a mild form have become increasingly observed in schoolchildren and students. The reason is a lot of strain on the eyes associated with prolonged work at the computer, frequent and long viewing of TV shows, due to reading in poor lighting.

Other diseases and pathologies

All processes and mechanisms in the human body are closely interconnected, therefore many diseases that at first glance do not affect visual function can provoke the appearance of dots and spots in the eyes.

Floaters before the eyes may also be caused by other diseases.

Table. Other causes of floaters before the eyes.

For reference: floaters before the eyes are not always a symptom of pathology - in healthy people they can appear with a sudden change in body position, after serious physical and mental stress.

Treatment and prevention

Treatment for the presence of flies with VSD should be comprehensive. Therapy includes medications aimed at maintaining normal blood pressure levels. Auxiliary treatment includes psychotherapeutic correction, acupuncture, normalization of sleep and nutrition, as well as taking medications that reduce the risk of an attack.

Pressure correction

To prevent the onset of symptoms, drugs that correct blood pressure are used. If you have high blood pressure, taking antihypertensive medications is indicated. Most often these are adrenergic blockers, loop diuretics and other drugs. If blood pressure levels are reduced, drugs based on caffeine, eleuthrococcus, ginseng extract, etc. are prescribed. Maintaining blood pressure at the proper level is also possible with the help of folk remedies. Hawthorn and motherwort help lower blood pressure, while coffee and black tea with sugar, on the contrary, increase it.

The holding of trainings

Psychotherapeutic training helps reduce the frequency of attacks, since the occurrence of VSD is often associated with emotional overload, stress and anxiety disorders. Group classes produce a good effect in combination with individual psychotherapy.

The doctor tries to find out the cause of the disease by asking the patient about the presence of stressful situations and other experiences that worsen the quality of life. Often, troubles in the family, at work and health problems provoke attacks. However, Gelstatt therapy methods give good results.

Carrying out reflexology

Impact on active points of the body using reflexology methods produces a good effect. The most commonly used treatment is acupuncture. This method of treatment improves blood circulation, stimulates the immune system and allows you to relax.

Acupuncture for the appearance of spots before the eyes is carried out in the area of ​​the face, scalp and ears. To get rid of the symptom, it is necessary to combine this method of treatment with medication.

Correction of daily routine

Normalization of lifestyle leads to an improvement in the condition and a decrease in the frequency of attacks. First of all, you need to get enough sleep. For proper rest, the brain needs at least 8-9 hours a day. With a lack of sleep, thought processes deteriorate, the body does not have time to recover, which creates additional stress on the autonomic nervous system.

It is important to alternate between work and rest. If a person spends a lot of time in the same position during the day, then every hour it is recommended to do a small warm-up to speed up blood circulation.

Floaters can also occur during prolonged work at the computer, when the eyes are under strain for a long period. In this case, every hour you need to take a break of 5 minutes. Some helpful exercises include circular eye movements, intensive blinking, or simply closing your eyelids for a few seconds.

Nutrition correction

Diet also affects the course of VSD and the occurrence of floaters

It is important to exclude from the menu everything that can worsen the course of the disease and provoke attacks:

• fast food;
• fried foods;
• fats;
• smoked meats;
• alcohol;
• products containing preservatives and GMOs.

Drug therapy

Groups of medications that are used when a symptom occurs:

1. Nootropic: Mildronate, Mexicor, Nootropil, etc. This line of products helps accelerate blood circulation in the brain, while improving the nutrition of the eyeballs.
2. Antidepressants. It is dangerous to take such drugs without prescription. They promote addiction and are used for treatment for a course of no more than 1-2 weeks. Tricyclic antidepressants are most often prescribed.
3. Anti-anxiety: Novopassit, Afobazol, Persen, etc. Calm and relieve the effects of stress. Improves the condition of VSD.

Additionally, when such attacks occur, antispasmodic and painkillers are often prescribed. To improve the condition of the visual system and relieve discomfort, eye drops based on taurine and other active ingredients are used. A good effect is produced by the drug Cinnarizine, which eliminates vascular spasm.

Pregnancy and spots before the eyes

During pregnancy, the load on a woman’s cardiovascular and nervous system doubles, so expectant mothers often experience unusual phenomena, including spots before their eyes . If they appear from time to time under certain conditions (for example, after sudden movements) and disappear on their own, there is no need to worry.

Pregnancy

But in cases where visual disturbances accompany a pregnant woman constantly, it is necessary to consult a specialist as soon as possible. This is especially true for women who suffered from ophthalmological pathologies before pregnancy - processes occurring in the body for nine months can aggravate the disease and cause serious complications. In addition, spots before the eyes are often a sign of eclampsia, a dangerous condition that poses a threat to the life of the mother and child.

When should you see a doctor?

Although floaters before the eyes may seem like an innocent phenomenon, sometimes they are a symptom of serious problems that require immediate medical attention.

Floaters and black spots before the eyes - the reason

You should immediately consult a doctor in the following cases:

• the number of dots and spots before the eyes is constantly increasing;
• flies appear when the brightness of the light increases;
• sensation of pain or discomfort in the eye socket, redness of the whites of the eyes;
• visual impairment is accompanied by speech defects, headaches, partial paralysis of the facial muscles, very high or low blood pressure;
• the appearance of floaters was preceded by a head or facial injury.

Medical intervention is also required for people with myopia and other ophthalmological disorders - floaters before the eyes with such diseases may indicate retinal or vitreous detachment.

What does a retinal detachment look like?

Important: if any ophthalmological disturbances appear that do not disappear for a long time, a person needs to consult a doctor, even if the visual disturbances are not accompanied by additional symptoms.

Symptom Definition

Floaters before the eyes
From a medical point of view, black dots before the eyes are polymorphic opacities in the viewing radius, which have different shapes, colors and areas. They can look like black, sometimes white threads, dotted elements or rings. Floaters before the eyes are easier to notice on a white or light blue background, such as the sky. Pathology can occur once or be a chronic symptom of the disease. Often a person does not pay attention to such a problem, but consults a doctor when the number of flies increases significantly and the duration of outbreaks increases. In this case, it is recommended to consult an ophthalmologist in a timely manner in order to promptly determine the source of such pathology.

Numerous destruction of the vitreous body (VF) is the main cause of the appearance of black spots before the eyes in young and generally healthy people. Normally, CT consists of a gel-like mass consisting of water, hyaluronic acid and fibrillar protein (collagen) and fills the space between the lens and the retina.

Over time, as well as due to exposure to irritating factors, the chemical composition of the vitreous body may change, namely, long chains of its constituent elements disintegrate into tiny particles. It is them that the human eye perceives as flies or black dots. However, there are other factors that can lead to the development of this defect.

Diagnosis when flies appear

If floaters appear, first of all, you should consult an ophthalmologist, who will conduct a full eye examination using a slit lamp, check visual acuity and measure intraocular pressure. In the absence of pathologies, the patient should consult with other specialists - a therapist, a neurologist and an endocrinologist, since the cause of the disease may lie in the dysfunction of other organs and systems. If there are symptoms such as nausea, headaches or loss of coordination, a person needs a full diagnosis, which can detect a stroke or toxins in the body.

Diagnostic features

How to diagnose

The resulting visual effect in the form of dots, “spiders”, “worms” should not be attempted to be eliminated on your own. A doctor should determine the causes of black spots in the eyes and prescribe treatment. You should not delay your visit to the ophthalmologist, especially if intrusive “insects” begin to appear regularly and for a longer period of time.

To confirm a preliminary diagnosis based on medical history, the doctor prescribes a number of diagnostic measures. These include:

• Ophthalmoscopy is a diagnostic method that allows for a detailed examination of the fundus of the eye, visualization of the features of developmental anomalies, changes in the retina, vitreous body, choroid, and optic nerve head.
• Sonography of the eye allows you to visualize the structure of the eyeball, its size, the specifics of hemodynamics, the state of the vascular wall, and measure intraorbital distances.
• Biomicroscopy is an examination of the conjunctiva, lens, eyeball, vitreous body, cornea and iris using a special microscope.
• Testing visual acuity is a study that helps determine the state of the visual analyzer of the eye.
• Non-contact tonometry - using the study, the degree and rate of change in the shape of the ocular surface is determined.
• Optical coherence tomography is a study of the visual apparatus based on principles using an interferometer.

Treatment of floaters before the eyes

There is no specific treatment for eye floaters - to get rid of this phenomenon, you need to eliminate its cause, and the method will depend on the disease that caused the visual disturbance . Thus, for disorders of the nervous and cardiovascular system, medications are prescribed to stabilize blood pressure and sedatives, for osteochondrosis - physical therapy, massage, etc., for ophthalmological pathologies - taking appropriate medications or surgical intervention.

Using eye drops

Conservative treatment

If the cause of the appearance of floaters is destructive changes in the retina, therapy will depend on the severity of the pathological process. In the first stages of the disease, conservative therapy can be used, but today there are no drugs that can completely rid a person of the problem. In this case, doctors prescribe medications that activate metabolic processes and promote the resorption of clouded areas of the vitreous (Emoxipin, Wobenzym). Treatment is accompanied by the use of mineral and vitamin complexes, but does not always give the desired results.

"Emoxipin"

In combination with medications, patients are recommended to have an eye massage, which activates blood circulation and improves lymph flow. As an alternative, you can use a device called “Sidorenko Glasses” - it has an effect in four directions at once: massage, infrasound, color pulse therapy, phonophoresis. Thanks to such methods, metabolic processes in the eye tissues improve, and the number of affected areas in the vitreous body decreases.

"Sidorenko's glasses"

Surgery

Surgical treatment of vitreous pathologies is carried out when the destructive process has gone far enough and causes serious discomfort to the person. The operation can be carried out in two ways: using a laser beam or the standard method.

Laser correction of pathologies of the vitreous body is called vitreolysis - with the help of special equipment, the affected areas are destroyed, thanks to which a person sees much better, and spots in front of the eyes disappear. In difficult cases, vitrectomy - an operation during which the vitreous body is completely or partially removed and the substance is replaced with a special saline solution. This procedure is associated with the risk of serious complications, but the level of effectiveness of this technique is very high.

Microinvasive vitrectomy - eye surgery

Attention: the use of folk remedies for pathologies of the vitreous body is not recommended, as this can lead to severe pathologies of visual function.

Folk remedies

A good adjunct to conservative therapy would be treatment with traditional methods:

1. Eye massage is very useful in preventing this disorder . It allows metabolic processes in the vitreous body to normalize, thanks to improved blood flow and lymph flow. You need to massage the edges of the eye orbits and the eyeball itself.
2. Honey drops will also be useful . They are made from honey, juice and aloe pulp. The resulting solution is used as eye drops. You need to put two drops in your eyes in the morning, afternoon and evening.
3. Propolis also provides good assistance in the fight against eye flickering . It is necessary to prepare a water-based tincture and apply eye drops three times a day.

Beekeeping products have always been famous for their healing properties, but one should not forget about the dangers of self-medication and before carrying out medical procedures, one should first consult with a specialist.

Preventing floaters before the eyes

To avoid the appearance of floaters before your eyes, you should lead a healthy lifestyle, give up bad habits, eat a balanced diet and take vitamin complexes. Vitamins A and E, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants, which are found in fatty fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, and blueberries, are especially important for eye health. When exposed to the sun for a long time or performing hazardous types of work, the eyes should be protected with special glasses and at least once a year undergo preventive examinations by an ophthalmologist to identify possible changes in the eye tissues.

Proper nutrition

Floaters before the eyes may seem like a harmless symptom, but sometimes they indicate serious diseases and pathologies, so if this disorder has been observed for a long time, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.