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What Causes Eye Floaters?
Question: What causes floaters? I am seeing what looks like a black string of dots in my left eye. Should I go to the doctor? I have had both Lasik and cataract surgery.
Brief Answer:
Please go to the ER to be evaluated
Detailed Answer:
Since this is a new and unusual symptom for you, and you have other risk factors for this needing to be checked out, please go to the ER to have your eyes examined.
It is not clear from your description that these are floaters. Most floaters are not harmful, but you likely have an elongated eye from having been near sighted, (I am assuming this because you had Lasik surgery for myopia) which puts you at more risk for a retinal tear. Also, if either of your surgeries were recent, that makes it necessary to evaluate quickly too. In addition, this is an atypical description so better to get it checked out, and quickly.
What causes floaters are parts of the back of the posterior chamber of the eye shedding or shrinking and floating in the vitreous (the gel like part of the posterior chamber that maintains the shape of the eye). This is usually not harmful. Benign floaters just look like specs floating around.
Please go to the ER now as it is the only way you will know for sure that this is a non harmful process. Without a doctor visualizing the back of your eye (retina) we cannot know what is going on.
Please go to the ER to be evaluated
Detailed Answer:
Since this is a new and unusual symptom for you, and you have other risk factors for this needing to be checked out, please go to the ER to have your eyes examined.
It is not clear from your description that these are floaters. Most floaters are not harmful, but you likely have an elongated eye from having been near sighted, (I am assuming this because you had Lasik surgery for myopia) which puts you at more risk for a retinal tear. Also, if either of your surgeries were recent, that makes it necessary to evaluate quickly too. In addition, this is an atypical description so better to get it checked out, and quickly.
What causes floaters are parts of the back of the posterior chamber of the eye shedding or shrinking and floating in the vitreous (the gel like part of the posterior chamber that maintains the shape of the eye). This is usually not harmful. Benign floaters just look like specs floating around.
Please go to the ER now as it is the only way you will know for sure that this is a non harmful process. Without a doctor visualizing the back of your eye (retina) we cannot know what is going on.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
I saw my doctor today and there is no retinal tear. I will see him again in one month unless this gets worse.
Brief Answer:
I am glad to hear there is no retinal tear.
Detailed Answer:
That is good news that your retina is intact and that you are being monitored.
A new symptom like an appearance of a string in one eye is unfortunately something that we can't assess unless we look in the eye. I am glad you got it checked out.
If you have no further concerns that I can help you with, please go ahead and close the exchange and rate it.
Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD
I am glad to hear there is no retinal tear.
Detailed Answer:
That is good news that your retina is intact and that you are being monitored.
A new symptom like an appearance of a string in one eye is unfortunately something that we can't assess unless we look in the eye. I am glad you got it checked out.
If you have no further concerns that I can help you with, please go ahead and close the exchange and rate it.
Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
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