Maintaining proper eye health and maintenance is indicative of good overall health and extremely important for your vision and eyes. Often times, we are asked about certain eye conditions in order to continually keep patients updated on proper eye care techniques. One of the frequently asked topics are those annoying spots in you vision: eyespots. While normally harmless, it is important to pay attention to the signs if eye spots and flashes become a frequent issue as it could be a sign of something more serious.
An eyespot is the proper name for those dancing specks of dust that sometime appear in your field of vision. These eyespots can appear as anything from spots to cloud like formations and even lines in some cases. While they can be incredibly annoying, you should not be alarmed unless they happen very suddenly and are accompanied by flashes, are incredibly persistent, or begin to impair your vision. Eye spots and flashes can be sign of something that could be detrimental to your eye health while anything that impairs your vision is dangerous to you and those around you.
Eye spots with flashes could mean that the gel-like substance known as vitreous might be pulling away from your retina. It could also mean that the retina is actually becoming dislodged from the back of the inner part of your eye.
One study found that one in seven people who witness a sudden presence of eye floaters or eye spots can be a sign of a retinal tear or or detachment. Up to 50% of people with a retinal tear who do not seek medical attention will soon have a dislodgement. If a dislodgement of the retina is not fixed immediately, it can cause permanent eye damage, including vision impairment as well as permanent blindness.
Eye surgery is required for all cases in which a retinal tear is found. If you are suffering from eye spots or sudden flashes, seeking medical attention could save your eyesight.
While many floaters are considered harmless, a constant onslaught of these annoyances can be incredibly distracting and even affect your vision in some cases. In these sorts of cases, a vitrectomy is often used to clear these away by removing the vitreous and repairing the damage it has caused by pulling away from the eye.
If you suffer from a sudden eyespot and flashes or are having issues with persistent eye spots that impair your vision, you should look into eye surgery. Most are relatively simple and can be done quickly and safely so long as you have access to a respected and experienced Houston eye surgeon.
If you are concerned about eye spots or flashes or have any other eye issues that need examination or care, contact the offices of Dr. John Goosey, one of Houston’s experienced and proven eye specialists.
Contact us today for an appointment or consultation!
