Interesting fact is that the human eye consists of two elements. The first of them is called anterior - it lies in front of the lens. It is filled up with aqueous humor. The second segment is the so called posterior and it is filled up with vitreous material.
When we are still children the vitreous is like a jelly but when we grow up and become adults it changes and turns into fluid material. This whole process is called vitreous syneresis and during it the vitreous forms strands into the eye. Moving your eye, these strands will also move, causing strands.
Other way to form floaters is posterior vitreous detachments. There are adhesions situated between the vitreous and the retina and when you grow up or you have some trauma or myopia these exact adhesions will released. In that way they will cause detachments from the retina itself. This is the mechanism of the floaters and by each eye movement the vitreous will cause floaters, because it is collapsed already.
The posterior vitreous detachment is usually found in old aged or myopic patients. It occurs without complications and you will have no complains of floaters because it will disappear after approximately a month. There are cases in which the posterior vitreous detachment from the retina is not complete and in that way some of the parts will stay attached to the retina. This will cause its traction. You will realize you have traction if you see flashes of lights. You have to take the needed measures because if you do not, after some time this can lead to retinal detachment.
Here is some more information about floaters for you to know. There are some more causes of floaters. One of them is deposits on the vitreous humor. This can occur after ileitis during which the white blood cells are going to deposit and after them the red blood cells will deposit. All this happens after resolved vitreous hemorrhage.
- What are the main causes of deposits in the vitreous humor?
1 - Multiple sclerosis, leukemia, causes of ileitis like sarcoidosis and many other of intra-ocular inflammation
2 - Causes of intra-ocular infections like toxoplasmosis, CMV retinitis, syphilis
3 - After cataract surgery and most often with posterior capsule rupture
4 - After YAG laser capsulotomy (if the laser is used to create a hole in fibroses capsule)
- How can floaters disappear?
1 - They can disappear by brain adaptation during which your brain will ignore their presence and you won’t be able to see them.
2 - By natural absorption of the eye
3 - Treatment - something like anti-inflammation and antibiotics
4 - Vitrectomy - this is the surgery performed to remove the vitreous. It is performed when the medications has not helped the patient to clear his vision.