Joel Kestenbaum O.D. is a VSP provider in Long Island, NY.

Today we welcome VSP provider Joel Kestenbaum, O.D. from Long Island N.Y. His guest blog gives an overview of those annoying floating spots we sometimes see …

Often patients either complain of or casually mention that they see little floating spots in front of their eyes.  They are described as worms, dust, feathers, spiders, mites, flies on a wall, or just plain floaters.  What makes these floaters and why do we see them?

Did you ever put your hand in front of a beam of light and see its projection on a screen? Lets think of the inside of the eye just like the inside of a movie theater.  If you stand up and get in the way of the projection, you are seen as a shadow on the screen.  In the same way, if something gets in the way of the beam of light coming into the eye, the image is projected onto the retina, the eyes’ movie screen, and seen as a floater with a particular shape.

Where do floaters come from?  This is a complicated question and there are two basic answers:

The first is that there is a jelly inside the eye called the vitreous humor that occupies about 80% of the eyes structure.  As we age, the consistency of the vitreous changes, part of it gets harder and other part gets more liquid.  Sometimes parts of the harder gel break off and float around in the liquid causing a shadow on the retina that will move when you move your eye.  The second is that a tear can occur in the retina causing pieces of the retina to float around inside the eye.

Are floaters dangerous?  The answer is no and yes.  The first type mentioned above is likely not vision threatening, just annoying.  The second type has potential sight threatening consequences and must be addressed quickly by your eye doctor.  In either case, go see your eye doctor immediately so that treatment, if necessary can begin as soon as possible.

Dr. Joel Kestenbaum
www.optixeyecare.com

Editor’s Note: Have a question for Dr. Kestenbaum? Ask in the comments below.

Liz B. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month and as a National Strategic Partner of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), VSP is committed to joining to the fight to STOP DIABETES.

Studies show that diabetes accounts for about 24,000 new cases of vision loss each year.  The most prevalent eye disease in patients with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, a condition in which blood vessels in the eye leak fluid and cause vision impairments including: blindness, blurred vision, floaters, shadows or missing areas of vision.

It is imperative that people with diabetes have annual eye exams as most diabetes-related blindness can be avoided.

Throughout the month of November, you’ll see multiple posts on the VSPBlog educating about the impacts of diabetes to millions of Americans affected by the disease.

Let’s start with the basics on why we must stop diabetes:

• Nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States live with diabetes. In fact, if trends continue, one in three children born today will face a future with diabetes.
• Type 1 Diabetes – For people with type 1 diabetes, their bodies cannot make insulin, the hormone that allows the cells in the body to admit glucose, which they use as fuel.  Without glucose, your body doesn’t have enough energy to live. That’s why people with type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin (through a shot or pump) to stay alive.
• Type 2 Diabetes – People with type 2 diabetes can make insulin, but the body fails to use it properly. About 90-95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. Typically type 2 of diabetes affects adults, but as obesity rates have increased in kids, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise in kids and teens.

Join the movement and STOP DIABETES.  Find out how you can help at stopdiabetes.com or call 1.800.DIABETES.