In life and work, people often ask, what is the black shadow in front of the eyes, affect vision, will aggravate in the future, will not be a big problem, why a long time with the drug treatment is not improved at all? The black shadow is always floating in front of the eyes and annoying ah! So the black shadow in front of the eyes is really a problem, let’s discuss it in detail.
The black shadow in front of the eyes is caused by vitreous turbidity, so what is the vitreous?
The human eye is a sphere, the inner 3/4 of the eye accommodates the vitreous, the vitreous is a transparent jelly-like object, composed of collagen fibers, hyaluronic acid, water, etc., collagen fibers form a mesh structure, other substances filled in it.
The vitreous humor is a completely viscous jelly-like substance after birth, and as people age, the collagen fiber scaffold and the fillers in it gradually depolymerize and liquefy. In old age, the vitreous body decondenses and liquefies in all people, only to varying degrees.
This is the same reason why human degenerative diseases such as graying hair, sagging skin, wrinkles, and age spots occur in people as they age.
Vitreous turbidity is divided into physiological and pathological two categories: physiological vitreous turbidity (mosquitoes): some studies have reported that the earliest people can occur at the age of 4 years old vitreous depolymerization, liquefaction, depolymerization, liquefied components floating in the collagen fiber scaffold, we can see the physiological vitreous turbidity.
The vitreous is surrounded by the retina, which is the basic structure of human vision. Some of the normal metabolic products of the retina enter the vitreous and then return to the retina, but if at some point the metabolic disorder enters the vitreous and cannot return to the retina and floats in the vitreous, vitreous opacities arise.
Both of these causes of vitreous opacities are normal human physiological activities that do not affect human vision and therefore do not require intervention.
Physiologic vitreous clouding predisposes people to it: We mentioned that liquefaction of the vitreous occurs as early as 4 years of age, so does everyone have dark shadows floating around during childhood?
Some studies suggest that vitreous liquefaction occurs in most people by the age of 30 years, but the fact that few people feel a floating black shadow in front of their eyes is due to the limited extent and degree to which it occurs.
Two groups of people are prone to clinically significant vitreous opacities: the nearsighted and the middle-aged and elderly.
In myopic people, the vitreous body cannot keep up with the volume changes in the eye because of the gradual elongation of the eye axis and the enlargement of the eye.
Both of these causes of vitreous opacities do not require any medical intervention because there is no medical intervention that can delay aging and there is no medical measure that can completely cure myopia.
So this is the reason why many people with physiological opacities have no effect even with various treatments such as prolonged blood activation and iontophoresis.
So what is pathological myopia?
As the name implies, it is vitreous clouding caused in the presence of a disease. Because this is a popular science article, we will just briefly introduce it: we have already talked about the fact that the normal vitreous body is transparent.
In the event of some disease, the most common is diabetic retinopathy, followed by retinal vascular embolism due to hypertension, as well as uveitis, retinal detachment, ocular trauma and many other causes that lead to hemorrhage or inflammatory factors entering the transparent vitreous, just like putting cloudy material in clear water, at this time there will be a black shadow in front of the eyes, leading to vision loss.
Usually it may worsen without treatment, but it may also gradually decrease with time and worsen again after several months.
These conditions require prompt medical attention and appropriate treatment depending on the cause. We recommend not to use medication, especially vasodilators, until the cause is determined, as dilating the blood vessels in the early stages of bleeding before it has completely stopped can lead to rebleeding.
In summary, if you have just noticed a black shadow in front of your eyes, you need to visit a hospital to see if there is a pathological disease, and it is best to dilate the pupils for a triple microscopy. If it is normal, do not worry about it and just follow up for three months.
If the dark shadows increase or worsen or if there is a flashing sensation in front of the eyes, the examination will be performed again. If the dark shadows appear for more than three months and do not affect your vision, then you do not need to be examined and the dark shadows may stay with you for the rest of your life. There are many natural degenerative processes in human life, some of which may cause you some discomfort that humans cannot resist.
Cherish a healthy life, abandon unnecessary worries, and enjoy a happy life!