Are There Worms in Your Eyes?

Worms in your eyes? No, it's not a horror film … Unfortunately, it can sometimes happen. However, it is very rare and it is not because you see species of spots that seem to move in your eye that you are infected. In reality, these spots reflect a benign eye, without gravity and which rarely requires treatment. However, parasites in the eyes … Yes, it exists!

Indeed, several people sometimes complain of seeing small irregular forms that slowly move in our field of vision. We often speak of “floating body”. They appear when an object is inside our eye and projects a shadow on our retina. The latter is the structure sensitive to light and which is at the bottom of the eye. It is not a question of parasites or other particles from the outside.

These “false flies” are in different forms. We can observe small dark or black spots, wires or filaments or even verse species or even fragments that resemble spider canvases. But there, you are repeated, no animal or parasitic has taken up residence in your eyes!

However, these are not optical illusions. These small fragments are present and are in fact debris which float in the eye, more precisely in the glass body. The latter is a kind of gelatinous, transparent and colorless liquid which is located inside the eyeball, between the lens and the retina.
With the aging of the eye, we can sometimes observe a posterior detachment of this glazed body, which will result in the appearance of the famous debris and floating bodies. We are talking about a benign pathology: myodeopsia.

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Myodeopsy: “worms in your eyes” due to aging

These “verses in your eyes” therefore come from the aging of the vitreous body. The latter will liquefy and its envelope fragments and detaches itself from the retina. Stress and fatigue are also responsible for fragmentation, especially in people under the age of 30.

The fragments, by detaching themselves, then float in the cavity of the eye. They are therefore the ones who give birth to these famous “floating body”. Sometimes luminous flash can also accompany floating bodies. They are caused by pull -ups exerted by the envelope of the vitreous body on the retina when this envelope stands out. These pull -ups are translated by the brain as the impression of light lightning.

The “verses in your eyes” and the possible flash are therefore the symptoms of benign pathology, myodesopsia.
To be sure, it is possible to carry out an examination of the bottom of the eye to confirm the presence of the fragments and detect any complications.

Indeed, normally, this pathology does not require any management and no treatment. There are no impacts on the eye or vision and this detachment evolves favorably. The floating bodies gradually decrease, therefore eliminating the possible discomfort caused.

So if you have “worms in your eyes”, very often, there is no reason to worry. However, in very rare cases, there may be some complications.

Myodesopsia can be confirmed thanks to an examination of the bottom of the eye.
Credits: Shutterstock/Duxx

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Very rare complications may appear

Sometimes the posterior detachment of the vitreous can be accompanied by complications. However, they remain very rare. These are mainly tears or a detachment of the retina.

Retinal tears are characterized by the appearance of tears in the thickness of the retina. We saw it previously, the detachment of the glass body causes pull -ups on the retina. Usually these tightness has no impact, but very rarely, they can cause tears on the retina.

These tears can lead to a detachment of the retina; The liquid of the vitreous body rushes into the tear, enters the retina and takes off from the wall.

In the event of detachment of the retina, patients complain of a loss of their visual field, a loss which can extend with the progression of the detachment. This results in the appearance of a dark area, like a curtain, which clogs the field of vision.

The treatment of tears is done by laser photocoagulation. A way of “welding” the retina to the wall, which prevents the input of the liquid into the tear.
On the other hand, in the event of a detachment of the retina, it will be necessary to operate the reached eye.

As for “verses in your eyes”, the floating bodies, it happens in very rare cases that they become really annoying. Surgical treatment must then be carried out to remove these floating bodies or really painful or dangerous pull -ups for the retina.

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But… Can you really have worms in your eyes?

Well … yes! If floating bodies do not betray the presence of worms in your eyes, you can still be contaminated by parasites.

There are several parasites that can contaminate us. We find in particular the nematode, round green, Loa Loa, Endemic of the tropical forests of Central and West Africa. The latter is at the origin of the Loase, a pathology due to the presence of these parasites.

Most of the time, parasitized people have no symptoms. However, sometimes they complain of swelling that itch on the arms and legs. In addition, worms migrate in the eyes, causing more or less important pain and discomfort. Only a drug treatment allows you to overcome the verse.

Non -biting flies can also parasitize the eyes of the umis with their larvae. Infected people then suffer from an external ophthalmiase. The larvae colonize the eye tissue and cause symptoms similar to acute conjunctivitis.
Usually, these flies do not colonize humans and parasitism is accidental when the “Myia” fly accidentally strikes the person's eye and placed their eggs on it.

To summarize, you have little risk of having worms in your eyes! Most of the time, it will therefore only be debris from a natural and benign phenomenon, no worries …

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