The top 5 things you should know about the vitreous humor, vitreous detachment and your vision
Vitreous humor is the clear, colorless, jelly-like substance that shapes and makes up about 80% of the volume of the eyeball. It fills the space between the lens of the eye and the retina lining the back of the eye to hold the retina in place.
The gelatinous material in the vitreous humor is permanent, so if particles like blood and cells get into the vitreous gel, they remain trapped there and become known as floaters.
As people age, the vitreous humor slowly shrinks. During the aging process, the vitreous body can develop pockets of liquefaction, causing the vitreous to collapse.
As the the vitreous shrinks and the fibers break down, the vitreous pulls away from the retina. When the vitreous separates from the retina, it is called a detached vitreous.
If the vitreous begins to pull away from the retina but does not detach and remains attached to the retina, the retina may pull away from the back of the eye and become a detached retina.
While a detached vitreous will only have a small and usually temporary effect on vision, a detached retina can cause blindness if not treated.
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