What are myodesopsias?

Have you ever heard of myodesopsias? You may have heard the term eye floaters. 7 out of 10 people see them at some stage in their lives; however, chances are that you have never heard of them, since they are rarely talked about.

Myodesopsias are inside the eye and look like almost transparent dots or filaments with a slightly darker edge. They are easier to see against a bright, clear background such as the sky or a white wall, and they are hard to focus on because they move with your eyes. They seem to be in front of us, but they are actually floating inside the eye, in the vitreous humor.

Myodesopsias are pieces of the gelatinous substance that makes up most of our eyes, called the vitreous humor. Occasionally small amounts of this substance gather into clumps and cause the light that reaches the eyes to be distorted, casting shadows on the retina and creating the effect that we have spots floating in our eyes.

The most common causes of myodesopsias are age and advanced myopia, although they are also frequently linked to diabetes; however, they can have other causes.

Myodesopsias by themselves do not require treatment. Over time they can settle out of sight, or the brain can get used to them and eventually ignore them. It is also possible to undergo certain laser surgical procedures to remove them, although these carry risks and are rarely recommended.

Myodesopsias do not normally cause serious vision problems and can be ignored. However, in some cases they can cause complications or be a sign of a more serious problem. This happens if there are too many or they are too dense and impair vision. It also happens if many myodesopsias appear suddenly, especially together with flashes of light or a shadow in the visual field, because they can indicate a serious injury or disease, such as retinal detachment or vitreous hemorrhage. In that case you need to see a doctor as soon as possible to rule out those possibilities and prevent health problems.