Everyone must have experienced what people call "flies before the eyes". They are also called vitreous floaters or Muscae volitantes (flying flies syndrome in Latin). The official name of this phenomenon – destruction of the vitreous body.
The bizarre shapes (dots, tiny threads, fibers, cobwebs) that a person sees in front of the manholes are not an optical illusion – these little particles really "travel" by your eyes. Everything about the reasons for the appearance of flies before the eyes will tell estet-portal.com.
- Flies before the eyes: the anatomy of the human eye
- Are flies before the eyes dangerous for vision
- Flies before the eyes – available treatments
Flies before the eyes: the anatomy of the human eye
In order to understand the cause of the appearance of flies before the eyes, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the basic anatomy of the human eye. The upper layer of the eye is called the cornea, behind it is the pupil (the dark circle in the center of the eye) and the iris (the colored framing of the pupil). The pupil communicates with the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye, which are filled with the aqueous humor of the eye.
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The layer of light-sensitive cells lining the back of the eye is called the retina. When the neurons that make up the retina are fired by light, they send a signal through the optic nerve to the brain, letting it know what you're seeing. However, there is an "ocean" between the lens of the eye and the retina. a fluid called the vitreous.
The vitreous body is transparent and colorless, it consists mainly of water and has a jelly-like consistency. Unlike aqueous humor, the vitreous fluid never renews itself; a person dies with the same vitreous body of the eye with which he was born. And this means that when foreign objects enter the vitreous body, for example, blood or other cells, they remain there. And when these particles block the light passing through the eye, they cast a shadow on the retina. This is the shadow we call flies in front of the eyes.
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As we age, this jelly-like substance becomes more liquefied, so particles that have accumulated in the eye can stick together. As a result, they also cast a shadow on the retina and appear as flies before the eyes.
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According to the reports of opticians, the destruction of the vitreous body – a fairly common occurrence. For example, in the UK, an average of 14 patients a month complain about flies before their eyes.
In a study using phone apps, out of 603 users, about 446 (74%) reported having flies before their eyes. At the same time, only a third of them complained about the negative impact of flies on vision.
Are flies in front of the eyes dangerous for vision
Despite the fact that most people learn to live with flies before their eyes, and despite the passing nature of this phenomenon, most researchers and practitioners consider this phenomenon to be harmful.
In some people, destruction of the vitreous can lead to further vision problems. A sharp and intense "influx" flies before the eyes in older people, for example, may indicate posterior vitreous detachment (when the vitreous detaches from the retina). This phenomenon can lead to retinal tear and blindness. Therefore, with a sharp appearance of a large number of flies in front of the eyes, it is recommended to be examined by an ophthalmologist.
Flies before the eyes – available treatments
The first thing to do if you have flies in front of your eyes, – contact an ophthalmologist. On the Internet, you can find many methods of getting rid of flies before the eyes, most of which, to put it mildly, are dubious. The same applies to various kinds of drops and tablets.
Today, medicine offers several ways to get rid of flies in front of the eyes, but they are resorted to only in extreme cases and far from everywhere, since effective methods of eliminating flies are invasive and involve great risk. Such methods include:
- Use of yttrium aluminum garnet lasers (not yet approved by the FDA).
- Vitrectomy (removal of the vitreous body or part of it, followed by its replacement with saline solution).
Due to the high risks that often do not justify treatment, such methods are rarely used – only if the flies in front of the eyes significantly impair the patient's vision.
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As for the vast majority of people who get flies in small numbers from time to time, for example, if you look at the blue sky, there is nothing to worry about – they will disappear as suddenly as they appeared, and will disturb you once again when the particles again floating in the vitreous cast a shadow on the retina.
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