Surely you have encountered the phenomenon of floating spots in front of your eyes and glare. These are tiny shapes, lines, shadows or specks that feel like they are drifting across the surface of the eye. You may have wondered what this is and whether it is a dangerous symptom. Most often, the appearance of floating spots is normal and does not indicate problems with vision or eye condition. However, when this symptom becomes too frequent and is accompanied by glare, it may indicate a more serious problem.
Flares are flashes of light in the form of threads or stars. This can be either one flash in one visual zone, or multiple flashes in a wider area. Sometimes flashes may not be noticed because they most often appear on the side or in the periphery.
If you suddenly feel this unpleasant symptom, or the flashes and flickers become very frequent, you need to urgently make an appointment with an ophthalmologist to rule out any serious eye diseases.
What causes the floating fly effect?
The vitreous humor of the eye is a clear gel that fills most of the eyeball and resembles raw egg white. Inside the vitreous are small clumps of protein that shift and move with your eyes. When these tiny clumps of protein cast shadows on the retina, the light-sensitive surface at the back of the eye, you see floating shadows.
As we age, the vitreous shrinks, producing more proteins. This is why, over time, it becomes more and more common to feel like you are seeing floating shadows. Opacities are more common in nearsighted people and diabetics and are more likely to occur after cataract surgery or eye injury.
If you get tired of the effect of floating shadows, try moving your eyes up and down or side to side to gently move them to the periphery of your vision.
Types and causes of pain in the head and eyes
Most often, headaches in the forehead and eyes occur after emotional breakdowns. Many patients experience it in the evening, when the work day ends. In most cases, the cause of pain is simple overwork.
Often the headache radiates to the eyes. Sometimes, first there are ripples in the eyes, then a headache. The eyeballs may first become tense, and then the pain moves to the forehead. Floaters, flickering before the eyes and headache are symptoms of various diseases:
- glaucoma (increased intraocular pressure);
- migraine;
- myopia (myopia);
- arterial hypertension (high blood pressure);
- damage to soft tissues and bones of the head;
- traumatic brain injury.
A headache in the forehead area can occur due to eating unhealthy foods. These are chocolate, tea, coffee, which contain a large amount of caffeine, nuts, cheese, and processed meats. Headache pressing on the eyes after drinking alcohol and smoking. Head pain is caused by the following diseases:
- migraine;
- hypertonic disease;
- diseases of the organs of vision;
- brain tumors;
- Horton's syndrome;
- vegetative-vascular dysfunction;
- encephalitis;
- stroke.
What causes glare?
Glare occurs as a result of movement or tension of the retinal nerve cells. As the vitreous shrinks over time, it can pull on the retina, causing you to “see stars” or flashes of light. The process of separation of the vitreous from the retina is called “posterior vitreous detachment.” This is not a health hazard.
In about 16% of cases, the detachment process creates tiny tears in the retina, which can lead to retinal detachment. This is already a dangerous condition; if it is not treated, blindness is possible.
Other possible reasons why you are seeing strange flashes are an eye injury or a migraine.
Treatment used
Before starting treatment, the patient undergoes a complete ophthalmological examination, including the fundus with a dilated pupil. For this purpose, traditional and the latest diagnostic research methods are used (including OCTA - optical coherence tomography in angiography mode).
If necessary, the patient receives consultation with a neurologist, endocrinologist, and other specialized specialists.
Fig. 2 If lightning appears in your eyes, you should consult an ophthalmologist. If necessary, he will refer you to other specialists.
Very often, the symptom of a “flash of light in the eyes” is a one-time occurrence; once it occurs, it does not recur and is not treated.
In the case of posterior vitreous detachment, flashes in the eyes occur periodically, they practically do not bother the person and do not require special treatment.
For inflammatory processes (retinitis and chorioretinitis) that cause flashes before the eyes, doctors at our clinic prescribe pathogenetic, specific and nonspecific hyposensitizing therapy, use physical (laser coagulation) and physiotherapeutic methods of influence.
In case of retinal dystrophies and ruptures, our laser surgeons perform its strengthening - a restrictive laser coagulation procedure (a painless procedure that can be done on the day of treatment).
Fig. 3 Rupture and detachment of the retina - situations requiring urgent surgical treatment
For retinal detachments, vitreoretinal surgeons at our clinic use the most modern surgical methods:
- laser coagulation;
- cryotherapy;
- scleral filling;
- pneumoretinopexy;
- vitrectomy.
Thanks to the clinic’s equipment with innovative diagnostic and surgical equipment, the necessary medical care can be provided immediately and urgently. The professional experience of the center's microsurgeons guarantees patients minimizing the risk of possible intra- and postoperative complications and rapid recovery even in the most serious cases.
When to see a doctor about floaters
If you experience any of the following symptoms, contact your eye doctor immediately for emergency eye care.
Symptoms that should not be ignored:
- The sudden appearance of floaters accompanied by flashes (which can be of any shape or size).
- An increase in floating particles, accompanied by a darkening of one side of the visual field.
- Shadows in peripheral vision
- Do you see glare all the time?
In many cases, the appearance of floaters before the eyes is not a cause for concern; however, the above symptoms may indicate a retinal detachment, and if left untreated, it can cause permanent vision loss or even blindness.
If you experience the above symptoms, you should see a doctor within 24 hours. You will have to endure the discomfort of having your pupils dilated during an eye exam so that the ophthalmologist can get a good look at the peripheral retina and diagnose or rule out a retinal tear or other serious condition. It is worth finding out whether there is a threat to vision. If it's just an uncomplicated posterior vitreous detachment, which is quite common, or an ocular migraine, then you can breathe a sigh of relief.
Causes of flies flashing before the eyes
Destruction of the vitreous body
With age, collagen and hyaluronic acid dissociate, leading to fibril aggregation. The resulting fibers cause light to scatter. Due to the liquefaction of the vitreous body, lacunae are formed, which disrupt the process of refraction of light rays. Patients with destruction of the vitreous body indicate the flickering of floaters before the eyes, the floating of “web-like” dark threads or translucent “glass” rods.
Detachment of the posterior hyaloid membrane
The cortex is the densest structure of the vitreous body, lying preretinal. Due to vitreal collapse, it moves anteriorly and separates from the retina. Patients with cervical tumor detachment notice the sudden appearance of spots before their eyes. The passage of photons through the Weiss ring (peripapillary glial tissue) leads to a shadow falling on the retina, which patients describe as a dark circle.
Hemophthalmos
Bleeding can be provoked by tractional retinal detachment or cervical retina with vascular damage, trauma, or rupture of newly formed vessels in diabetic retinopathy. Blood clots not only disrupt the transparency of optical media, but also contribute to secondary destruction. The severity of visual dysfunction in hemophthalmos depends on the volume of hemorrhage. As the blood is absorbed, vision is restored, but the flickering of spots before the eyes persists.
Floaters before eyes
Asteroid hyalosis
The etiology of asteroid hyalosis remains not fully understood. It is known that with this disorder, multiple punctate deposits of phospholipids and calcium form inside the eye. In most cases there are no symptoms, which indicates a benign course. Often the only manifestation of the disease is the flickering of flies before the eyes.
Inflammatory diseases
Inflammatory pathologies such as vitreitis, endophthalmitis and uveitis, regardless of etiology, lead to an increase in the amount of proinflammatory cytokines in the vitreal cavity. The resulting cellular aggregates and secondary destructive changes cause the development of complaints about the flickering of flies.
Postoperative complications
Remaining bubbles of silicone oil or perfluorocarbon after vitreoretinal interventions provoke the appearance of floaters before the eyes. Similar symptoms can be observed after intravitreal injections. The introduction of inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF) can promote the formation of complexes with macromolecules of the vitreous body and change its structure.
Myopia
High axial myopia leads to the development of myopic vitreopathy. Patients report that the opacities range from small dots, linear beaded patterns, to “spider-like” objects. There is a tendency for them to increase in size over time. When you move your eyes and head, or stay in a room with bright lighting, they become more noticeable.
Cardiovascular pathologies
Maintaining normal blood pressure in the body is ensured by the tone of blood vessels. If blood pressure readings are below 100/60 or above 140/90 mm. rt. Art. the tone of the intraocular vessels changes. Flashing flies before the eyes is characteristic of the following diseases:
- Arterial hypotension.
A drop in blood pressure is manifested by dizziness, a transient decrease in visual acuity, and the appearance of spots or fog before the eyes. Patients note increased fatigue and drowsiness. Normalization of blood pressure helps to improve the general condition. Common causes of hypotension: dehydration, blood loss (Mallory-Weiss syndrome, hemothorax, gastrointestinal bleeding). - Hypertonic disease.
Against the background of increased blood pressure, patients develop complaints of headache, tinnitus, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath and “floaters” before the eyes. Taking antihypertensive drugs eliminates clinical symptoms. - Hypertensive crisis.
An increase in blood pressure to critical values provokes the flickering of flies before the eyes. Violation of cerebral hemodynamics leads to neurovegetative disorders, which are manifested by headache, tinnitus, transient visual dysfunction, and increased sweating.
Pathologies of the musculoskeletal system
Diseases of the cervical spine often lead to increased blood pressure, as well as hypoxia of the membranes of the eyeball. These changes potentiate a transient decrease in visual acuity, headache, and dizziness. Flashing flies before your eyes may be a sign of:
- Cervical spondyloarthrosis.
Degenerative changes in the intervertebral joints are accompanied by impaired circulation in the system of the basilar and carotid arteries. The disease develops after 40 years. Characterized by a gradual onset. - Kimerli anomalies.
With this pathology, an abnormal bone ring is formed around the vertebral artery. This limits the mobility of the craniovertebral joint and the artery itself. A related symptom is impaired eye movements.
Iron-deficiency anemia
With anemic syndrome, the concentration of hemoglobin in erythrocytes is reduced. In this case, the blood cannot provide sufficient oxygen saturation to the tissues. One of the early signs of iron deficiency anemia is floating floaters in the field of vision. There are complaints of pale skin and mucous membranes, general weakness, and hair loss.
Other reasons
- Deficiency of vitamins and...
- Poisoning with methyl alcohol and alcohol substitutes.
- Mountain sickness.
1.General information
There are symptoms so universal, informative and, at the same time, difficult to describe verbally that the doctor and the patient sometimes have to make great efforts to correctly understand each other. In neuropsychiatric practice, such situations probably arise more often than in other medical fields. Indeed, widespread complaints that a patient has a “headache”, “feels bad” or “insomnia” may seem exhaustive and explain everything, although in fact such formulations acquire diagnostic significance only after numerous clarifications.
A huge number of nuances and options are implied, in particular, by the concept of “floaters before the eyes” (“floating circles”, “transparent spots”, “black dots”, etc.). Separated from other existing symptoms, these visual sensations in themselves do not even indicate which doctor should be consulted: an ophthalmologist, a neurologist, an endocrinologist, or perhaps several specialists at the same time. Only in the context of other, more specific health disorders, the situation gradually becomes clearer. It should be emphasized that such an ephemeral, obviously illusory and difficult to describe phenomenon, like foreign objects in the field of vision, most often serves as an alarm bell about latently growing problems, sometimes very serious ones.
A must read! Help with treatment and hospitalization!
4.Treatment
Based on the diagnostic results, treatment will, of course, not be “floaters” as such (since this is only a symptom), but the causes that caused them: vertebrological, neurological, endocrine, oncological, cardiovascular or ophthalmological pathology. In this case, there is no way to even review all possible therapeutic strategies. Treatment in modern medicine is prescribed according to the etiopathogenetic principle (the maximum possible elimination of the root causes and risk conditions of the disease), taking into account many individual characteristics. It is much more important to understand the non-randomness and interconnectedness of all processes occurring in the body, incl. visual, and do not miss precious time to “build up” before visiting the doctor.
3. Symptoms and diagnosis
The term “floaters before the eyes” (or “in the eyes”) is a common one and is heard often, although in reality these visual images, as a rule, do not even remotely resemble insects. Upon careful questioning, patients describe something like floating spots, clouds, translucent clots, threads, bacteria, dots, sparkles, etc. Such objects can be motionless or, after sudden movements, smoothly fall down until they go out of sight (more typical for the presence of real clots in the vitreous body); black networks or “veils” of black dots often accompany retinal degeneration and detachment, while translucent circles, ovals or balls that subtly escape from the central visual axis usually indicate vascular problems. In general, in self-diagnosis of the condition it is very important to monitor:
- Is the sharpness and clarity of vision impaired at such moments (far, near, at any distance), do blind spots (scotomas) appear in the visual field, is there a feeling of fullness, pain, etc.;
- what factors are associated with the appearance of such images (physical activity, fatigue, medication, etc.);
- in which situations they worsen and in which they disappear (excitement, peace, awakening, etc.);
- what additional symptoms, usual or unusual, appear together with the “flare spots” (headache and/or dizziness, speech and/or coordination of movements are impaired, lack of air, pulse quickens, heart beats intensely or hurts, etc.).
For diagnostic purposes, a neurologist will most likely prescribe a consultation with an ophthalmologist, and vice versa. The blood supply to the eyeballs and cerebrovascularity, the functioning of neuronal pathways, metabolic processes in the brain and visual system are one way or another interconnected, so cross-diagnosis is very important and necessary.
In the most acute of the situations described above (polytrauma with internal bleeding, stroke, poisoning), the clinical picture is usually obvious, severe and polysymptomatic; it simply does not leave time for a detailed analysis of visual sensations. However, during the initial visit against the background of satisfactory general health, to establish the true causes, a fairly lengthy in-depth examination may be required, incl. instrumental methods (MRI, CT, EEG, etc.), laboratory tests, consultations with specialized specialists. At the same time, treatment of harmless and harmless (seemingly) “floaters in the eyes” often makes it possible to identify serious and dangerous diseases in the early stages, the insidiousness of which lies precisely in the duration of the latent, asymptomatic stage of the course (for example, arterial hypertension or slow growing tumor).
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