“Are floaters a symptom of cataracts?”
I am a 40 year old male and I have eye floaters. Are floaters a symptom of cataracts?
10 Answers
No.
Some times
Floaters are usually due to opacities in the vitreous cavity of the eye that are mobile. Floaters warrant evaluation to ensure the health of the eye and specifically the retina. Cataracts do not typically cause floaters.
NO
CAUSES OF FLOATERS:
(Cataracts are not a sign or symptom for floaters.)
Retinal detachment, especially if you have flashing lights.
Eye floaters may be caused by the normal aging process or as a result from other diseases or conditions:
Age-related eye changes. As you age, the vitreous, or jelly-like substance filling your eyeballs and helping them to maintain their round shape, changes. Over time, the vitreous partially liquefies — a process that causes it to pull away from the eyeball's interior surface. As the vitreous shrinks and sags, it clumps and gets stringy. This debris blocks some of the light passing through the eye, casting tiny shadows on your retina that are seen as floaters.
Inflammation in the back of the eye. Posterior uveitis is inflammation in the layers of the uvea in the back of the eye. This condition can cause the release of inflammatory debris into the vitreous that are seen as floaters. Posterior uveitis may be caused by infection, inflammatory diseases or other causes.
Bleeding in the eye. Bleeding into the vitreous can have many causes, including diabetes, hypertension, blocked blood vessels and injury. Blood cells are seen as floaters.
Torn retina. Retinal tears can occur when a sagging vitreous tugs on the retina with enough force to tear it. Without treatment, a retinal tear may lead to retinal detachment — an accumulation of fluid behind the retina that causes it to separate from the back of your eye. Untreated retinal detachment can cause permanent vision loss.
Eye surgeries and eye medications. Certain medications that are injected into the vitreous can cause air bubbles to form. These bubbles are seen as shadows until your eye absorbs them. Certain vitreoretinal surgeries add silicone oil bubbles into the vitreous that can also be seen as floaters.
Risk Factors that can increase your risk of floaters include:
Age over 50
Nearsightedness
Eye trauma
Complications from cataract surgery
Diabetic retinopathy
Eye inflammation
Again, cataracts are not a symptom of floaters.
(Cataracts are not a sign or symptom for floaters.)
Retinal detachment, especially if you have flashing lights.
Eye floaters may be caused by the normal aging process or as a result from other diseases or conditions:
Age-related eye changes. As you age, the vitreous, or jelly-like substance filling your eyeballs and helping them to maintain their round shape, changes. Over time, the vitreous partially liquefies — a process that causes it to pull away from the eyeball's interior surface. As the vitreous shrinks and sags, it clumps and gets stringy. This debris blocks some of the light passing through the eye, casting tiny shadows on your retina that are seen as floaters.
Inflammation in the back of the eye. Posterior uveitis is inflammation in the layers of the uvea in the back of the eye. This condition can cause the release of inflammatory debris into the vitreous that are seen as floaters. Posterior uveitis may be caused by infection, inflammatory diseases or other causes.
Bleeding in the eye. Bleeding into the vitreous can have many causes, including diabetes, hypertension, blocked blood vessels and injury. Blood cells are seen as floaters.
Torn retina. Retinal tears can occur when a sagging vitreous tugs on the retina with enough force to tear it. Without treatment, a retinal tear may lead to retinal detachment — an accumulation of fluid behind the retina that causes it to separate from the back of your eye. Untreated retinal detachment can cause permanent vision loss.
Eye surgeries and eye medications. Certain medications that are injected into the vitreous can cause air bubbles to form. These bubbles are seen as shadows until your eye absorbs them. Certain vitreoretinal surgeries add silicone oil bubbles into the vitreous that can also be seen as floaters.
Risk Factors that can increase your risk of floaters include:
Age over 50
Nearsightedness
Eye trauma
Complications from cataract surgery
Diabetic retinopathy
Eye inflammation
Again, cataracts are not a symptom of floaters.
They are unrelated and not a symptom of nor causative of each other. At your age, cataracts are very unlikely.
No. But they can be a sign of inflammation or bleeding inside the eye. A tear in the retina can lead to floaters. If they are new, a dilated examination by an ophthalmologist should be undertaken. If there is a loss of peripheral or central vision such an examination should be undertaken soon.
No, cataracts and “floaters” are two different conditions.
No
Hello,
No floaters are typically not a symptom of cataracts. New onset of floaters, especially if associated with any unusual light phenomena, should be evaluated by an eye doctor
No floaters are typically not a symptom of cataracts. New onset of floaters, especially if associated with any unusual light phenomena, should be evaluated by an eye doctor
