Yes, an ophthalmologist can see eye floaters during an eye exam. While floaters are usually harmless, they can sometimes indicate a serious eye problem that threatens vision, such as retinal detachment. Can an optometrist treat eye floaters? Yes, they can. According to the Mayo Clinic, eye floaters are spots in your vision that can look like black or gray specks, ropes or cobwebs that move when you move your eyes and seem to disappear when you try to look directly at them.
This particular eye condition is often caused by changes that occur in a person as they age. While they may indicate a serious problem, they are usually considered harmless. The ophthalmologist will usually diagnose eye floaters during an eye exam. Your eyes will be dilated so that your provider can clearly see the inside of your eye.
This allows the provider to see the floaters you have and check your retina. Making sure that the retina is not damaged and that there are no signs of retinal detachment or tear is an important part of the eye exam. Located at the back of the eye, the retina transforms light entering the eye into electrical signals. You should tell your eye professional about floaters and have your eyes checked regularly to make sure there are no other vision problems, but this is not an emergency.
If eye floaters are found, the optometrist will develop a treatment plan for the patient to address their specific case of eye floaters. These are commonly referred to as “eye floaters” and generally do not warrant any cause for concern; however, if they remain an ongoing problem, they can result in other conditions that require immediate attention from an ophthalmologist. Through your education, previous experience, and ever-evolving ability to apply new technologies to resolve minor and major eye conditions, it is important to schedule regular eye exams with a qualified ophthalmologist of your choice and make sure you stay consistent throughout the healthy vision process. It can be difficult to notice these symptoms, as eye floaters tend to settle near the bottom of the eye, below the field of view, which is another good reason to have regular eye exams with your ophthalmologist.
This can be frustrating for people who notice that floating eyes dance throughout their eyesight frequently, but it is the safest option in most cases. A typical diagnosis is made with an eye exam with dilated vision, but more tests may be needed if the vitreous gel is very clear, since PVD can be difficult to see. If you plan to be outdoors, you'll want to protect your eyes from the sun's rays, but have the right pair of glasses to keep your vision effective. You may want to talk to your ophthalmologist about persistent floaters you see at a younger age, as they could be a sign of a more serious eye condition.
Eye floaters are solidified parts of a gel-like substance found in the center of the eye, called the vitreous or vitreous humor. When it comes to treating someone who has been diagnosed with eye floaters, it will depend on each patient's particular situation. Risk factors include being over 50 years old, being short-sighted, experiencing some type of eye trauma, experiencing eye inflammation problems, and complications from cataract surgery. However, if you start to notice a lot more floaters than you've experienced in the past or a lot of flashes of light in your vision, you should call your doctor immediately for further evaluation.