Understanding Floaters
Floaters are small pieces of debris in the eye's vitreous humor. They cast shadows on the retina, leading to the floating spots you see. They become more common with age as the vitreous humor becomes more liquid.
Our Approach to Floaters
You don't have to learn to live with your eye floaters. Treatment is safe, easy, and effective. ​
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What are my options?
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Observation: If the floaters have been there a long time and aren't bothering you, nothing needs to be done.
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Supplementation: 66% of patients improve with a 6 month course of VitreousHealth oral supplementation.
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Laser: Laser treatment is safe and effective for most floaters. Treatment is painless and takes about 5 minutes. 95% percent of patients notice a significant improvement.
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Vitrectomy: In rare cases, a surgical procedure to remove the vitreous humor and replace it with a saline solution may be recommended.
At Maple Grove Eye Care we use the Ultra Q Reflex™ “Floater-Treatment Laser,” this advanced, FDA-approved technology can vaporize floaters in just a few minutes—safely & painlessly!
Supplementation with VitreousHealth
Treating floaters with supplementation involves a six month course of treatment at a cost of approximately $130. VitreousHealth is available in our online shop, or at our office. ​
Researchers conducted a study to see if taking a specific combination of micronutrients (small amounts of vitamins and minerals) could help reduce the visual discomfort caused by vitreous floaters, which are small specks or clouds that appear in a person's field of vision due to changes in the gel-like substance inside the eye called the vitreous.
The study involved 61 patients with bothersome vitreous floaters who were randomly assigned to take either a supplement containing l-lysine, vitamin C, grape extract, zinc, and bitter orange or a placebo (a pill with no active ingredients) daily for 6 months. The researchers measured the change in visual discomfort from floaters using a questionnaire and also looked at other aspects of vision, such as clarity and contrast sensitivity.
After the 6-month period, the group taking the active supplement reported a significant decrease in their visual discomfort from floaters, while the placebo group had no significant change. The supplement group also showed a decrease in the size of the vitreous floaters and an improvement in their ability to see contrast in bright light conditions.
The results suggest that this specific combination of micronutrients may help improve the quality of life and visual function of patients with bothersome vitreous floaters. The researchers believe that this targeted dietary supplement should be considered as a way to support patients with this condition.
Laser Treatment
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a treatment called YAG laser vitreolysis for patients with bothersome vitreous floaters, which are small specks or clouds that appear in a person's field of vision.
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After the treatment, 36 out of 51 patients (70.59%) reported significant or complete improvement in their symptoms.
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In conclusion, the study found that YAG laser vitreolysis improved both the subjective symptoms and objective visual quality measures in patients with bothersome vitreous floaters. The treatment was found to be effective and safe for both types of floaters.
Treating floaters with laser involves a 5 minute painless in office procedure with no down time and is highly effective.