Where do the flies in the eyes come from and is it possible to get rid of them
Many are familiar with such a phenomenon as flies in front of their eyes. These are floating muddy spots and dots of different densities, constantly eluding the eye to the sides. Someone does not pay attention to them, and for someone this phenomenon causes serious concern. But very few people know that these flies are scientifically called myodesopsy, or rather, "vitreous turbidity". What is it, how dangerous is it and is it possible to cure it?
It should be said right away that the flies in front of the eyes are not optical phenomena, but a consequence of the processes that occur in the eyeball. To better understand what is happening, let's first look at the structure of the human eye.
The front part, which looks like a convex lens, is called the cornea. Behind it is the pupil– a black hole in the center surrounded by an iris that gives our eyes color. Behind the pupil there is a lens covered by muscles that change its curvature. But the main part of the eye is the vitreous body, consisting mostly of water.
The vitreous body cannot recover – the volume of this part of the eye remains unchanged throughout life and all the processes taking place inside it leave their mark. Foreign objects that have entered the vitreous body, for example, blood clots or foreign bodies, remain in it and block the rays of light passing through the pupil and falling on the retina located at the back of the eyeball.
Because of these interferences, shadows are formed, which we perceive as flying flies. With age, the structure of the vitreous body changes and mineral particles distributed throughout the contents of the eyeball can stick together, forming sufficiently large objects. They also become annoying flies in our field of vision.
This phenomenon cannot be considered a disease – most of the inhabitants of the planet are familiar with flies in their eyes. Statistics show that each ophthalmologist receives an average of 14 patients a month complaining about this phenomenon. To understand how many people see flies, scientists have released a special mobile application. The collected data told doctors that out of 603 Android smartphone users, 446 people admitted to seeing floating objects in front of their eyes.
It turns out that 74 percent of people have flies, but a further survey showed that they interfere with only a third of them. Doctors try to convince their patients that this is normal and that there is no need to pay attention to this feature of the eye. But not everyone agrees with the arguments of experts. Some people want to get rid of flies and require treatment. Is it possible?
Yes, modern medicine knows ways to get rid of myodesopsy, but, unfortunately, treatment can cause much more serious problems. The most common method is laser surgery using a yttrium-aluminum garnet crystal laser (YAG or YAG laser).
This method of gentle intervention is very popular all over the world, but in very few countries it is recognized as effective and safe. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration has been denying this method certification for many years and there are good reasons for that.
Exposure to the vitreous body with a laser is a serious procedure that has many contraindications and serious risks, but improvement after it is observed only in 30 percent of patients. A more radical intervention is called "vitroectomy" and this is no longer a point effect on the vitreous body, but its complete replacement with a special saline solution.
Needless to say, serious indications are needed for a victroectomy and it is done only in cases when there are so many flies that they significantly affect a person's vision. The risk of this type of surgery is even higher than with laser correction and complications can lead to partial or complete blindness.
But it is important to distinguish the usual turbidity of the vitreous body from other processes with more serious consequences. Sometimes spots and dots in the field of vision are associated with serious diseases, such as cataracts or retinal detachment. Therefore, if there are too many flies or they have become unusually large, you need to see a doctor urgently.
All over the world, for more than a decade, doctors consider enlightenment to be the best treatment for flies. People who come to an appointment with ophthalmologists with such complaints are simply explained that as long as the flies do not interfere with their vision and do not worsen the quality of life, then they cannot be considered a pathology in need of treatment. The main thing is to follow the simple rules of preserving vision and not to be too suspicious.
Keywords: Health and medicine | Surgery | Eyes | Vision | Doctor | Symptoms