Visiting your optometrist
Even though floaters are usually harmless and do not affect your vision, it is important that you visit an optometrist (optician) on a regular basis (at least once every two years). You should tell your optometrist if you have the symptoms of floaters.
Your optometrist will ask you about your:
- symptoms, for example, how long you have had floaters
- medical history, for example, whether you have previously injured your eye or had eye surgery
You should visit your optometrist immediately if a new floater appears suddenly or if there is a rapid increase in the number of floaters that you can see. They may refer you to an ophthalmologist (a specialist in treating eye conditions).
Floaters may be a sign of retinal tears or retinal detachment, although this is rare. The ophthalmologist will be able to check for this by examining your retina.
Eye examination
By looking through your pupil, the ophthalmologist will be able to see a small part of your retina. The pupil is the hole at the front of your eye that increases and decreases in size depending on light conditions.
If your ophthalmologist needs to get a clearer view of your retina, you may have a procedure known as dilation. This is where eye drops are used to make your pupil wider, allowing the whole of your retina to be examined.
The ophthalmologist may use an instrument called a slip lamp to examine your eyes. A slip lamp uses a lens and a bright light to enable the ophthalmologist to examine the inside of your eye. After the examination, your vision may be a little blurry and you may be sensitive to light for a few hours.
Other tests
To get a better understanding of your eye symptoms, the ophthalmologist may also carry out a number of other tests. For example, they may:
- ask you to look in different directions
- push on your eye using a special instrument
- examine your retina more closely using a very bright light
Eye pressure test (tonometry)
An eye pressure test (tonometry) uses an instrument called a tonometer to measure the pressure inside your eye (intraocular pressure). A small amount of anaesthetic (painkilling medication) and dye is placed onto your cornea (the transparent layer of tissue that covers the front of the eye).
A blue light from the head of the tonometer is held against your eye to measure the intraocular pressure. If the intraocular pressure is reduced it may be a sign of retinal detachment.
