FAQs About Eye Floaters

FAQs About Eye Floaters

Eye floaters can be annoying because the small spots that drift through your field of vision can become distractions. Fortunately, these are usually benign, so there’s little cause for concern unless your eye doctor at Pearle Vision finds a severe underlying cause. However, here are a few facts you may want to know about this eye issue.

What Are the Signs?

Eye floaters seem to move around in your affected eye, thus, their name. Interestingly, these will likely move away when you focus on them, so you have floaters in another part of your eye. These become more pronounced when looking at a bright background, such as a blue sky or a piece of white paper.

These come in different shapes, such as black or gray dots, threadlike strands, and squiggly lines. Many people report floaters shaped like rings and cobwebs.

You may be able to ignore them, and they become less noticeable over time. You don’t even have to get treatment unless the floaters worsen or an underlying disease is causing them.

What Are the Causes of Eye Floaters?

The vitreous is a gel-like substance in the back of the eye, made of protein fibers. With age, the protein fibers (i.e., collagen) shrink until these are tiny shreds that form clumps. The small dots of collagen cast a shadow on your retina that, in turn, become the floaters you see.

Note: If you see small flashes in your eye along with the floaters, you should see your ophthalmologist immediately! These flashes mean that the vitreous has separated from the retina; thus, the medical treatment.

While floaters can occur in children and adults, people between 50 and 75 years old are more likely to have them. In addition, people who have undergone cataract surgery or nearsightedness are more likely to have floaters.

Severe eye disorders can cause floaters, including:

  • A torn or detached retina
  • Bleeding in the vitreous
  • Eye tumors
  • Inflammation in the retina or vitreous from either an autoimmune condition or an infection
  • Diabetic retinopathy
  • Crystal-like deposits in the vitreous

Again, floaters are usually benign, so no medical treatment is necessary. However, you can adopt measures to lessen their impact on your life. For example, a simple action moves your eyes up and down to shift the fluid.

In addition, you may ask your doctor about a vitrectomy, although there are serious risks, albeit low, to the surgery.