What is it
Posterior vitreous detachment
It is a physiological process related to the aging of the eye that occurs when the vitreous humor, which is the transparent gel that fills the eyeball, modifies its consistency so that some areas liquefy and others condense. Over time, the vitreous degrades naturally, causing the hyaloid, the membrane that surrounds it, to spontaneously separate from its attachment points on the retina.
Among the causes that can cause the appearance of a posterior vitreous detachment, in addition to advanced age (it is more common around the age of 60), are high myopia, trauma or ocular inflammatory processes.
SYMPTOMS
The most frequent symptoms when the vitreous is detached are the sudden sight of a multitude of dark spots that the patient perceives in the form of a spider web or web and that move from one place to another accompanying the movement of the eyes.
There are patients who also describe the appearance of flashes of light (photopsias) on one side of the visual field, mainly at night or in low light conditions, as well as a certain visual decrease.
Unlike vitreous detachment, the patient who suffers from floaters (floaters) should know that the main symptom to identify them is the vision of small, floating, translucent spots, which have been manifesting for a long time without suffering any change in their form of presentation. As long as they are detected in time, they do not constitute an emergency.
However, if the patient notices a sudden increase in the size and number of floaters that may be accompanied by the appearance of flashes of light, it is advisable to go to the ophthalmologist for an assessment that rules out retinal detachment or similar lesions.
