Eye Floaters

When microscopic fibers within the eye clump together, they cast shadows on your retina that cause spots in your vision.

Eye floaters can sometimes indicate a damaged or detached retina and could result in vision loss. Eye floaters are a normal part of the aging process. When small flecks of collagen clump together they can cast shadows on your retina, although they usually aren’t noticed until you are looking at the sky or a blank, bright surface. Floaters can take several different forms, including:

• Dark specks
• Knobby, transparent strings floating in your vision
• Small, shadowy spots that quickly move out of your vision when you try to look at them
• Other irregular shapes

Retinal Detachment

A sudden increase of noticeable floaters in your vision could be a sign of retinal detachment, which could lead to blindness if left untreated. A doctor should be contacted immediately if there is an increase in eye floaters.

Treatment Options

Treatment is not usually required for eye floaters. They do not pose a direct threat to your vision, and in most cases will eventually settle to the bottom of the eye, out of the field of vision. In the rare case that floated become so dense that they disrupt your vision, surgery is available.