Have you ever experienced a black spot or thread like structures floating in front of your eyes? And no matter how hard you try to chase them, they just appear to be drifting away? Ever wondered what exactly are these things which you see in your field of vision most of the times? These are nothing but floaters, an eye related condition that can prove to be quite irritating.
What are floaters?
The term floater is actually a bit misleading because although they appear to be constantly moving or floating, but they are not actually moving even a bit. They are basically deposits of varying sizes, shapes and refractive index which are located inside our eyes’ humor. It is transparent in nature.
What causes Floaters?
As mentioned earlier, vitreous humor present in our eyes is transparent in nature. However, with age or due to some deficiencies, imperfections begin to develop, which lead to depositions in it. It occurs due to degenerative changes of humor. The condition, in medical terms, is known as myodesopsia or Muscae volitantes. The thread or web like structures we see in front of our eyes are caused due to shadows which are caused by these depositions on retina. They can differ in shape and sizes. Therefore, they cannot be treated as optical illusions.
Is it dangerous?
Most of the floaters are relatively harmless. However, if they constantly tend to obstruct your vision, then you must visit an eye specialist so that the condition can be treated to make your vision obstruction free.