Why do flies appear before my eyes, and in which cases it is dangerous
'21.11.2019'
Source: Life hacker
If you ignore some symptoms, you can lose your sight altogether.
What are flies, and how do they appear
What we call flies - moving dark dots, translucent filaments, tiny, barely distinguishable "tadpoles" that sometimes appear before the eyes - these are the smallest opacities, shadows that the vitreous of the eye casts on the retina, says “Lifehacker ".
The vitreous is a transparent, jelly-like substance that occupies most of the eye. It is thanks to him that the eyeballs are round in shape. On one front side, the vitreous is bounded by the lens. From the side and back - the retina.
The task of the vitreous body is to conduct focused light from the lens to the retina, photosensitive cells that capture the image and send it to the brain through the optic nerve.
But here it is important to understand one nuance. The vitreous, although transparent, is not homogeneous. It is woven from the finest collagen fibers, the gaps between which are filled with liquid. Sometimes, due to the natural movement of the fibers in the gaps, so-called lacunae are formed - areas where the density of the vitreous substance is reduced. The sensitive retina captures these changes, and we see subtle glassy “worms”.
Other figures - points, "tadpoles", flashes of light - are also consequences of the "shadow" that the vitreous body casts on the retina for various reasons. And these reasons can be either completely harmless or dangerous.
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Why do flies appear before my eyes
Highlight such common causes.
1. Perhaps you have risen too sharply to your feet ...
Or overdone with exercise. Or maybe they overheated in a bathhouse or on the street in the heat. The pressure surge caused by this led to the rupture of the smallest blood vessel that feeds the retina. And maybe not one. Tiny droplets of blood falling into the vitreous body are perceived as flies in front of the eyes.
Fortunately, minor hemorrhages quickly come out of the eye by themselves, and dots or flashes of light disappear.
... or tired
When your eyes are energized for a long time, it also raises blood pressure inside the retina. Often with the same outcome as in the paragraph above.
2. You may have rubbed your eyes too actively
Or accidentally stumbled upon an object. The vitreous body was pressed down by the retina, and it sent “unformatted” signals to the brain, which he interpreted as the appearance of points or flashes of light in front of the eyes.
Yes, the famous phrase “sparks from the eyes” is about the same. When striking the head, the vitreous body presses on the retina due to inertia, and “sparks” are the consequences.
When the harmony within the eye is restored, flies and flashes of light disappear.
3. This is how hypertension can manifest itself.
High blood pressure also affects the blood vessels inside the retina. With a sharp increase in pressure, blood vessels can break, and the smallest drops of blood will fall into the vitreous body.
4. Migraine Signals
Sometimes flies and flashes of light are the harbingers of another attack. Doctors call this form of severe headache a migraine with an aura.
5. Age-related eye changes
With age, the structure of the vitreous body changes. It contracts, the fluid in the spaces between the collagen fibers becomes smaller, and there are more lacunae, respectively. Therefore, the older we get, the more often flies and “worms” appear in front of our eyes.
By the 60 years, such changes in the eye affect every fourth. By 80, this problem is diagnosed in two out of three people.
6. The action of certain drugs for the eyes
We are talking about drugs that are injected into the vitreous body. Immediately after the injection, tiny air bubbles can form inside the eye. They cast a shadow on the retina, and we see flies.
Such bubbles are not dangerous, because they are very quickly excreted.
7. Vitreous detachment
The vitreous body contracting with age pulls the retina. At some point, it may break away from her. This situation is called detachment of the vitreous, it is common and, as a rule, does not threaten vision. True, it slightly increases the number of flashes and flies before the eyes.
8. Retinal detachment
In about one in six people, the vitreous shrinks so quickly that it causes retinal rupture. And everything would be fine, but liquid from the vitreous body penetrates this gap and separates the retina from the tissues that nourish it.
Retinal detachment makes itself felt by an increase in the number of flies and flashes in front of the eyes. And this condition must already be treated, otherwise the inner shell of the eye will cease to fulfill its functions, and then the risk of loss of vision increases.
9. Glaucoma
This is the name of a disease in which the pressure of the fluid inside the eye rises sharply. Glaucoma gradually destroys the cells of the retina, which is accompanied by a more frequent than usual appearance of flies and flashes of light.
If untreated, glaucoma will almost certainly lead to blindness.
10. Uveitis
This is an infectious disease in which the choroid of the eyes becomes inflamed. In this case, the retina may be affected - hence the flashes of light in front of the eyes.
In addition, uveitis sometimes leads to the release of inflammatory particles into the vitreous. Their brain identifies as flies.
Rear uveitis is also an extremely dangerous condition that can lead to complete blindness.
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When you need to urgently see a doctor
In the vast majority of cases, flies appearing in front of the eyes are harmless and quickly pass by themselves. But the risk that they may be a symptom of dangerous diseases still remains.
Therefore, be sure and contact the ophthalmologist as soon as possible if:
- flies or flashes of light begin to appear before the eyes at the most unpredictable moments - literally for no reason;
- their number increases sharply;
- you notice blurred vision: before your eyes from time to time it seems as if a foggy or dark curtain is falling;
- dots or flashes are accompanied by pain in the eyes, which does not go away for several minutes;
- a large number of flies that do not disappear appeared after an eye injury or surgery on it.
The doctor will conduct an examination and determine the causes of your condition. Depending on this, treatment will be prescribed (up to surgical intervention).
