What's going on when there's a black shadow in my eyes?

If you can always see some dark shadows in your eyes, you must pay attention to it. This is because floaters caused by macular degeneration is a relatively serious disease, mainly caused by vitreous liquefaction and basement membrane thickening. If it is not treated well, it may even cause greater harm to the patient's vision and may cause the risk of blindness. Let us learn about this aspect.

What's going on when there's a black shadow in my eyes?

Floaters are a common subjective symptom in clinical practice, most of which are physiological. Patients with floaters have black shadows in front of their eyes, which have various shapes such as dust, lines, cotton wool and clumps. The black spots float irregularly when the eye moves, sometimes more and sometimes less, and are more likely to appear against a bright background. What causes eye floaters?

Floaters generally do not affect vision and are more common in myopic people and the elderly. Myopia usually occurs after the age of 30, mainly caused by vitreous liquefaction and basement membrane thickening.

In 70 percent of cases, vitreous liquefaction and posterior detachment are the cause, but in about a quarter, vision-threatening lesions, primarily retinal tears, are the cause.

What are the categories of floaters?

Floaters, as the name suggests, are a symptom, not a disease. It refers to an eye disease symptom in which small black spots, mosquito shadows, or even clouds and spider web-like objects appear in the field of vision.

Floaters can be divided into three categories: the first category is physiological, accounting for 20%, which means that there are impurities in the eyes. Most of these patients are under 40 years old, and they only see a few floaters in front of their eyes; the second category is degenerative, accounting for 75%, which means that the vitreous body of the eye has degenerated, causing the vitreous body to separate from the retina. Most of these patients are over 40 years old, and they only see a few floaters in front of their eyes; the third category is pathological, although it only accounts for 5%, it will affect vision and sometimes even cause blindness. This type of pathological floaters also has many causes, such as vitreous hemorrhage, retinal tears, retinitis, etc.

Can I have myopia surgery if I have floaters?

Experts say that patients with floaters in front of their eyes need to focus on the degree of vitreous opacity and retinal condition. If there are no obvious abnormalities, it is benign floaters and myopia surgery can be considered if other examinations are qualified. Therefore, this requires myopic friends to go to a regular ophthalmology hospital for a strict preoperative examination. The doctor will determine whether the myopic friend is suitable for surgery based on the results of the preoperative examination.

In addition, ophthalmologists pointed out that if it is pathological floaters, patients must go to the hospital for a comprehensive examination to find out the cause. Drug treatment can be done according to the cause. Some causes require consideration of fundus laser, and severe cases require surgical treatment.