Eye Floaters – Symptoms and Causes
Overview
Eye floaters appear as dark spots, strings, or cobwebs that move across your vision. These spots seem to drift away when you try to look at them directly.
Most floaters develop due to age-related changes in the vitreous, the jelly-like substance filling your eye.
As this material liquefies and shrinks over time, small clumps of collagen fibers form inside it. These clumps cast tiny shadows on your retina, which you see as floaters.
It’s important to monitor any changes in your floaters. A sudden increase in their number, especially when accompanied by flashes of light or vision loss, requires immediate medical attention.
These symptoms could indicate a serious eye condition that needs prompt evaluation by an ophthalmologist.
Signs and Symptoms
Eye floaters show up as small, dark spots or stringy shapes in your vision. These floating specks are most obvious when looking at bright, plain surfaces like a blue sky or a white wall.
When you try to focus on them, they often drift away quickly. The shapes may eventually settle down and move out of your sight.
When Medical Help is Needed
Get in touch with an eye doctor right away if you notice:
- A sudden increase in the number of floaters
- New floaters appearing all at once
- Flashes of light in the same eye as your floaters
- A gray curtain or blurry spot blocking part of your vision
- Loss of vision on the sides of your visual field
These symptoms don’t cause pain, but might signal a retinal tear or detachment. This serious condition can threaten your eyesight and needs immediate medical care.
As people age, the jelly-like substance in the back of the eye (vitreous) can break down and form small clumps.
These clumps cast shadows on your retina, creating the floating spots you see. People who are nearsighted face a higher risk of developing floaters.
The biggest worry with floaters is their potential link to retinal tears. A torn retina can allow fluid to get underneath, causing it to lift away from the eye wall like wallpaper peeling. This detachment can lead to blindness if not treated quickly.
If you experience new floaters or vision changes, you should have a dilated eye exam within a few days. While most eye floaters don’t need treatment, regular check-ups with your eye doctor are important to monitor your condition.
Causes
Eye floaters result from several factors, with age being the most common trigger.
The vitreous humor, a gel-like substance that fills the space between your eye’s lens and retina, changes as you age. This clear substance contains water, proteins, and carbohydrates that help maintain your eye’s round shape.
Age-related changes happen when the vitreous begins to liquefy and shrink, pulling away from the eyeballโs inner surface. When this occurs, protein fibers clump together, forming the shadows you see as floaters.
Eye inflammation, particularly posterior uveitis, can also cause floaters. This condition affects the back of the eye, including the retina and choroid layer. Infections, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory diseases may trigger this type of inflammation.
Bleeding within the eye produces floaters as blood cells float in the vitreous. Several conditions can cause this bleeding:
- Retinal tears or detachments
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Blocked blood vessels
- Eye injuries
A torn retina develops when the shrinking vitreous pulls on the retina with enough force to tear it. Without treatment, fluid can leak behind the tear and separate the retina from the back of your eye.
This serious condition requires immediate medical attention to prevent permanent vision loss. Certain medical procedures and medications can temporarily cause the appearance of floaters.
For example:
| Cause | How It Creates Floaters |
|---|---|
| Eye injections | Can create air bubbles that appear as shadows until they are absorbed |
| Eye surgeries | Silicone oil bubbles used in some procedures may be visible as floaters |
Risk Factors
Several factors may increase the chance of developing eye floaters:
- Being over 50 years old
- Having nearsightedness
- Experiencing eye injuries
- Having complications after cataract surgery
- Suffering from diabetic retinopathy (eye blood vessel damage caused by diabetes)
- Dealing with eye inflammation
