Have you ever noticed dark spots, smudges, shadows, fibres, or bits of cobweb before your eyes? It may feel as though something got into your eye which you cannot get rid of. These irregular shapes that swim around within your field of vision aren`t an optical illusion. Most likely you have what is called vitreous humour opacities. No need to panic. In most cases these are entirely harmless although they can be very annoying.
What is vitreous humour?
This is a clear jelly-like matter with thin fibrous structure that fills out the eye cavity in-between the lens and the retina. The vitreous humour is what keeps the shape of the eye and maintains the intraocular pressure while all visual information passes through it. It is naturally clear to enable clear vision.
Degeneration of the vitreous humour and the appearance of vitreous humour opacities
With age the vitreous humour also shows signs of ageing and degeneration. It becomes less dense and the collagen fibres within congeal, rip apart and may form into tiny jelly-like clusters. This is precisely what we refer to as vitreous humour opacities. These miniscule shapes swim in the fluid part of the vitreous humour and with movement they cast shadows onto the retina which we then perceive as the above-mentioned annoying spots and smudges in front of our eyes.
The vitreous humour opacities while being unpleasant are normally harmless and there is no need to seek out medical attention. It is a completely natural physiological phenomenon which comes about mostly due to ageing. People suffering from short-sightedness are usually more prone to these because greater strain is exerted on the vitreous humour. Vitreous humour opacities may appear also as a result of an accident, eye infection or laser eye treatment in cases with secondary cataract.
Is it necessary to seek medical attention?
Should you register any issue pertaining your eyes that comes around out of the blue or is very intensive and affects the quality of your sight significantly, then you ought to have it looked at by a specialist as soon s possible. It may be due to an onset of a detached retina or another type of eye disease that could cause more serious issues in the future and as such it is vital to treat it without delay. Discovering issues and commencing correct treatment in good time is essential to ensuring complete recovery.
If you suffer from vitreous humour opacities but the problem is not a major issue, and it does not deteriorate rapidly and does not affect your vision significantly then there is no need to rush to see your doctor. Mention it to your doctor at your next preventive eye check-up though.
Treatment of vitreous humour opacities
Doctors usually recommend getting used to the opacities and try not to focus on them. At first this may seem impossible but the human brain really does start to perceive these gradually less and less over time and eventually learns to ignore these completely. As such these will not bother you permanently. There also is a chance that they will eventually swim out of your direct field of vision.
In case that the opacities are large or numerous and significantly affect the quality of your vision they can be removed surgically. The first option is laser eye surgery whereby the laser breaks up the larger opacities into smaller particles that are less bothersome. Another way of removing the opacities is the so-called vitrectomy. This is a surgery whereby the vitreous humour is extracted from the eye via an incision and replaced with physiological solution that is gradually replaced by your organism with tissue fluid. This method may entail complications though and as such it is considered as the very last means of a solution.
vitreous humour opacities do not mean lesser quality of life
Any perceivable change in how we see is unpleasant even if it is not dangerous. In case of vitreous humour opacities, it may take some time for you to get used to these but fear not. It is well possible to learn to live with so that they barely affect your daily life. If you have concerns, do not hesitate to ask for a consultation with your specialist. Regular preventive eye check-ups should form part of your health care and should not be omitted.