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Eye Floaters
Vitreous Floaters
Floaters are small dark shapes or squiggly lines that float across your vision. Most people have floaters that come and go, and they often don't need treatment, but sometimes they can be a sign of a more serious eye condition. People are at higher risk if they are very nearsighted or have diabetes. Learn what causes floaters and how they can be treated.
Graphical view of a floater
Image by Nbarbapapa/Wikimedia
Floaters
Image by PFrankoZ
Floaters are small dark shapes that float across your vision. They can look like spots, threads, squiggly lines, or even little cobwebs.
Most people have floaters that come and go, and they often don’t need treatment. But sometimes floaters can be a sign of a more serious eye condition. So if you notice new floaters that appear suddenly and don’t go away, it’s important to tell your eye doctor.
Source: National Eye Institute (NEI)
Diabetic Retinopathy
Image by TheVisualMD
Almost everyone develops floaters as they get older, but some people are at higher risk. You’re at higher risk if you:
Source: National Eye Institute (NEI)
Human eye cross section detached retina / Human eye cross section scleral buckle
!) Human eye cross section detached retina 2) Human eye cross section scleral buckle
Interactive by Erin Silversmith from an original by en:User:Delta G derivative work: RexxS (talk)
Human eye cross section detached retina / Human eye cross section scleral buckle
Floaters usually happen because of normal changes in your eyes. As you age, tiny strands of your vitreous (the gel-like fluid that fills your eye) stick together and cast shadows on your retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye). Those shadows appear as floaters.
Sometimes floaters have more serious causes, including:
Source: National Eye Institute (NEI)
Impression of floaters against a blue sky.
Image by Acdx assumed (based on copyright claims).
Floaters move as your eyes move — so when you try to look at them directly, they seem to move away. When your eyes stop moving, floaters keep drifting across your vision.
You may notice floaters more when you look at something bright, like white paper or a blue sky.
Source: National Eye Institute (NEI)
Von Hippel-Lindau Disease
Image by National Eye Institute of the NIH
Sometimes new floaters can be a sign of a retinal tear or retinal detachment — when the retina gets torn or pulled from its normal position at the back of the eye.
Symptoms can include:
Retinal tear or detachment can be a medical emergency. If you have these symptoms, it’s important to go to your eye doctor or the emergency room right away.
Source: National Eye Institute (NEI)
Dilated Pupil / Undilated Pupil
Undilated Pupil / Dilated Pupil
Interactive by National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health
Dilated Pupil / Undilated Pupil
Your eye doctor can check for floaters as part of a dilated eye exam. Your doctor will give you some eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil and then check your eyes for floaters and other eye problems.
This exam is usually painless. The doctor may press on your eyelids to check for retinal tears, which may be uncomfortable for some people.
Source: National Eye Institute (NEI)
Dilated Eye Exam
Also called: Comprehensive Dilated Eye Exam, Dilated Fundus Exam
A dilated eye exam is the best thing you can do for your eye health. It’s the only way to check for eye diseases early on, when they’re easier to treat — and before they cause vision loss. Learn what happens during and after a dilated eye exam and how often you need one.
Human Eye with Visible Retina, cilia, lens, Uvea, optic nerve, sclera, cornea
Image by TheVisualMD
Treatment for floaters depends on the cause. If your floaters are caused by another eye condition, you may need treatment for that condition.
If your floaters are caused by aging and they don’t bother you, then you probably won’t need any treatment.
If your floaters make it hard to see clearly and interfere with your daily life, your eye doctor might suggest a surgery called a vitrectomy to remove the floaters. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of this surgery.
Source: National Eye Institute (NEI)
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