Most eye floaters occur as part of the natural aging process. Floaters are rarely troublesome enough to cause additional problems – unless they are a symptom of a more serious condition. Though they will never fully disappear, they often improve over the course of a few weeks or months.
Most eye floaters don’t require any type of treatment. They are often only a nuisance in otherwise healthy people, and they rarely signal a larger, more serious problem. If a floater is temporarily obstructing your vision, you can roll your eyes from side to side and up and down to move the debris. As the fluid in your eye shifts, so will the floaters.
Sometimes, eye floaters may begin to impair vision, especially if they are caused by an underlying condition that worsens. The floaters may become so bothersome and numerous that you have difficulty seeing. If this occurs, in rare cases, your doctor may recommend treatment in the form of laser removal or surgery.
During laser removal in Vineland, Dr. Pernelli uses a laser to break up the eye floaters to make them less noticeable in your vision.
Another treatment option is a surgery called a vitrectomy. During this procedure, Dr. Pernelli removes the vitreous and replaces it with a sterile salt solution that will help the eye maintain its natural shape. Over time, the body will replace the solution with its own natural fluid. A vitrectomy may not remove all the eye floaters and it will also not prevent new eye floaters from developing.
While you cannot prevent eye floaters, you can make sure they are not the result of a larger problem. As soon as you begin noticing eye floaters, see your ophthalmologist. Dr. Pernelli will want to make sure your eye floaters are not a symptom of a more serious condition that could eventually jeopardize your vision entirely. Contact Eye Institute of South Jersey at 856-205-1100 or eyeinsj.com to schedule an appointment or to learn more about treatment options.