Question:
Last week I had an eye exam before getting new glasses and he saw white dots on the back of my eyes. He called them "hard exudates" and said I needed to discuss them with my doctor when I go in for a physical. What are they and what causes them?
Answer:
I would recommend that you see an ophthalmologist, an Eye M.D. He or she can review your retinal exam and let you know what could be causing the "hard exudates." There are many potential causes of this, including diabetes, hypertension, retinal vein occlusion, or other retinal conditions or diseases. Hard exudates are typically lipid deposits in or under the retina and are usually from some abnormality of the retinal vessels. Exudates could also be a sign or choroidal neovascularization, or bad blood vessels growing under the retina. A good retinal exam should help in answering your questions.
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