Eyeball Floaters

[Donger]

Does anyone happen to know if there is a medical name for the little floating things inside one's eyes? If so, please share.

Thanks.

[Braincase]

IIRC, they are the remnants of tiny blood vessels that were formed in the womb while your eyes were becoming your eyes. Nothing you can do about it.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Braincase

IIRC, they are the remnants of tiny blood vessels that were formed in the womb while your eyes were becoming your eyes. Nothing you can do about it.

That's not what I asked, but thanks anyway.

[Pants]

Does anybody ever see the little transparent things floating around in mid-air sometimes, but as soon as you try to focus on them - they disappear?

[KCFalcon59]

eye boogers? sandmen?

[Bob Dole]

They're oxygen bubbles in your eyeball fluid.

Edit: Or little strands of eyeball crap.

The technical name is "floaters," apparently.

[Fire Me Boy!]

If we're talking about the same thing, they're called phosphenes.

[Braincase]

Originally Posted by Metrolike

Does anybody ever see the little transparent things floating around in mid-air sometimes, but as soon as you try to focus on them - they disappear?

That's what I was referring to.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Metrolike

Does anybody ever see the little transparent things floating around in mid-air sometimes, but as soon as you try to focus on them - they disappear?

No. Something's terribly wrong with you.

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

If we're talking about the same thing, they're called phosphenes.

Phosphenes are the white spots you see when you close your eyes or sit in the dark.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

If we're talking about the same thing, they're called phosphenes.

No. Phosphenes are sudden and brief spots of light. Floaters are more like specks floating around.

[bkkcoh]

Link




Vitreous floaters ( eye floaters, vitreous opacities) are tiny, cloudy, clumps of cells that appear in the otherwise clear fluid (vitreous) that fills the back three-fourths of the eye. People see floaters as small specks, cobwebs, or clouds moving in their field of vision. The specks appear to be in the air out in front of the eye because they cast a shadow on the retina. They range from being a nuisance that can be ignored, to interfering with essential daily activities such as reading or driving. Floaters that are not close to other ocular structures are ideal for laser disruption because they have no blood supply and can not bleed.
FASCINATING FLOATER FACTS
· Almost always the patient will be told that nothing can be done to help their vitreous floaters.
· But in reality, laser disruption of the floaters in experienced hands is a simple, in-office procedure. (see Our Procedure page)
· The vitreous floaters can be treated in a 20 minute laser procedure in which there is no discomfort and no limitation of activities.
· The floaters to a very great extent are obliterated by the laser, not just broken into many smaller floaters (see Science Background page).
· People unfamiliar with this operation assume it to be risky, but the world medical literature does not report significant complications for this procedure (see World Literature page).
· In my hands, I believe the success rate to be high, approximately 92% (see Floater Types--Success page). My rate of significant complications has been zero.
· The only alternative to laser treatment of floaters is the vitrectomy procedure. With it the rate of significant complications approaches 50 percent (see Vitrectomy page).
· The treatment requires an unusual eye laser and other specialized equipment.
· Dr. Karickhoff had the procedure done on his eye.
· Of the 21,000 eye surgeons in the United States, only two do the procedure regularly. Both are located on the east coast. (See Frequent Questions).
· Although this procedure is almost unknown to both patients and eye doctors, for years almost all insurance companies including Medicare pay on the procedure and it is listed in their code books.
· The contact Laser Lens designed by Dr. Karickhoff is the most frequently used device for floater evaluations and pre-laser drawings in the United States.
· Dr. Karickhoff has designed the only contact lens for laser treatment of floaters not in the central visual axis.
· Dr. Karickhoff has designed a Floater Finder. With this simple test, the patient can tell the doctor the direction to look for the floater and how far it is from the retina.

[alanm]

Originally Posted by Donger

Does anyone happen to know if there is a medical name for the little floating things inside one's eyes? If so, please share.

Thanks.

Dust particles.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by bkkcoh

http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/spotsfloats.htm

"If you suddenly see new floaters, or eye floaters accompanied by flashes of light or peripheral vision loss, it could indicate serious conditions such as diabetic retinopathy"

Great. Now I have to try to look at and identify each floater in each of my eyes.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by The Bobinator

Phosphenes are the white spots you see when you close your eyes or sit in the dark.

"Phosphene

Phosphenes are signals from the neurons of the retina to the visual cortex of the brain which are interpreted by the brain as lights and visual patterns, but are not caused by visual light. They can be produced by neurons randomly firing (similar to what causes muscle twitches) and a variety of other causes, including pressure to the eyeball and (less commonly) various diseases of the retina and nerves. Phosphenes are most easily noticed with the eyelids closed, or in a darkened environment."

http://www.answers.com/phosphenes&r=67

By that definition, they are only MORE noticable when your eyes are closed, but not exclusively apparent at that time.