Symptoms Of Vitreous Detachment

The most common sign of vitreous detachment is blurred vision. However, it is a very nonspecific symptom, so patients should pay special attention to the appearance of photopsia (flashes of light that last for several seconds and are perceived especially at night or in poorly lit environments) and floaters, also called myodesopsias.

Floaters are small fragments of vitreous humour that fall out of their place and, instead of becoming completely liquid, they do not dissolve completely, remaining in suspension within the eyeball.

They are called floaters because they are small dark or straight black spots or threads that appear to float or fly inside the eye. They move at the same time that we move our eyes and interfere with normal vision.

Treatment Of Vitreous Detachment

Vitreous detachment is a phenomenon associated with aging and falling eyes (ตาตก which I the term in Thai). It is not usually serious, although it can sometimes create some alarm in patients who experience floaters of a specific size or persistent flashes.

In this way, it does not usually require specific treatment. However, it is advisable to visit the ophthalmologist regularly to check the evolution of myodesopsia and flashes and to differentiate these banal episodes from posterior vitreous detachment. This circumstance does require urgent ophthalmological care.

Posterior vitreous detachment causes more extensive and more numerous spots than normal floaters, and they appear suddenly in the visual field. Also, the patient usually reports a significant loss of vision, while with myodesopsia, he sees correctly, except for the interference of small dark shadows.

Likewise, the control of vitreous detachment is necessary because suffering it in one eye multiplies the risk of experiencing it in the other and because when detaching it can drag the retina with it or tear it, in which case it is necessary to intervene quickly.

Likewise, this disorder is closely related to other pathologies such as uveitis or high myopia, a visual condition that in turn, is closely linked to retinal detachment.

Retinal detachment is a first-level ophthalmological emergency whose only solution is surgical. For its part, uveitis can permanently affect vision and even lead to blindness if not treated correctly.