Question: Can you give me information on what causes vitreous floaters in the eye. How long do they last?
Floaters are abnormal clumps of cells in the center of the eyeball that cast a shadow on the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye, and the brain perceives this shadow as an object (spot) in front of the eye.
The ‘floater’ can occur at any point in the field of vision, but the closer it is to the center (i.e. when looking straight ahead), the more annoying it becomes. The cells can form in the center of the eye because of bleeding into the eye, a detached retina, infection or no apparent cause may be found. Diseases such as diabetes, leukemia, high blood pressure, and a number of rarer conditions may cause bleeding into the eye. A detached retina can be repaired by laser therapy in the early stages, but if left, may result in permanent blindness. Because there may be a serious disease causing the problem, all patients with floaters must be appropriately investigated to exclude these problems.
The condition is only treated if it is causing significant trouble, as most floaters dissipate with time.

Question: I have floaters in the inside of the eye. Could you tell me if there is any treatment for this?
Patients with floaters can ’see’ one or more fine, dark spots or lines that appear to ‘float’ across their field of vision. Floaters are actually extremely small particles that are formed from clumps of cells, and drift in the fluid that fills the eye. This fluid has the consistency of half-set jelly. These cell clumps break away from the inside lining of the eye, or are caused by bleeding from or damage to the lining of the eye ball. Most of them are not an indication of any serious disease, but because some floaters are caused by diseases such as diabetes, leukemia, high blood pressure and other rarer but more serious conditions, every patient with floaters must be carefully examined by a doctor.
The only treatment necessary in the majority of cases is reassurance, but where a particular disease is found to cause the problem, this must be treated. Persistent, annoying floaters are treated by eye specialists using lasers.

Question: My mother has been diagnosed as having mild glaucoma, but all the doctor has done is give her some eye drops. How is glaucoma treated?
Your sight is one of your most valued possessions. Any disease that can reduce your vision, or worse still, make you blind, is of great concern. One such disease is glaucoma.
Glaucoma is an increase in the pressure of the fluid inside the eye. If this pressure becomes too high, the eye can be permanently damaged. It is diagnosed by measuring the pressure inside the eyeball. There are two methods of measuring the eyeball pressure. In the older method, special drops to numb the eye are used, and then an instrument is rested on the eye for a few seconds. A more sophisticated method is to use a machine that puffs air onto the eye for a fraction of a second and measures the amount of air pressure reflected from the eye. Both can give very accurate measurements of the eye pressure. Looking at the outside of the eye at different angles, and examining the back of the eyeball with a magnifying instrument also help make the diagnosis. There are more than 20 different types of glaucoma, with different causes and therefore different treatments. It is a complex area, that once suspected or diagnosed, is best dealt with by an ophthalmologist (specialist eye doctor).
Treatment involves the use of one or more eye drops on a regular basis, every day, usually for the rest of the patient’s life. Some types of glaucoma may also require the taking of tablets. Occasionally the disease settles spontaneously in old age. Glaucoma cannot be prevented, but it can be controlled successfully in nearly all patients, and sometimes it can be cured by surgery. The surgery increases the rate of drainage of fluid from the eye, and may involve the use of lasers to burn microscopic drain holes in the corner of the eye. With modern treatment techniques, the outcome for patients with glaucoma is normally very good, but continued follow-up by a doctor is essential.