Eye Floaters


Between the crystalline lens of the eye and the retina, there is a clear, gel-like substance called the vitreous.  Floaters are small cell fragments that appear in the vitreous humour, and seem to drift through the field of vision.  They can appear to be many shapes and sizes and can look like a small dot to a short straight line.   

Causes of Eye Floaters

Floaters may be caused by trapped particles from eye development, before birth.  As the vitreous fluid deteriorates with time, floaters may develop as the vitreous gel shrinks and detaches from the retina.  Some pulling occurs and can cause bleeding, which is when floaters appear because bits of vitreous gel or cells cast shadows on the retina. 

Floaters are most common if you suffer from myopia (nearsightedness) and if you have had cataract surgery.  Other causes include, other eye surgery procedures, eye injury and eye disease.  What people see is a shadow, cast on the retina.  Floaters often disappear themselves and are harmless but they can also indicate serious problems such as diabetic retinopathy and age related macular degeneration, which can lead to retinal detachment and loss of vision.  Floaters can also occur due to retinal tears, eye infection, eye inflammation or eye injury.  Flashes of light may also be seen and this can be due to migraines.

Symptoms of Eye Floaters

Black coloured spots or strange shapes including those that look like spider webs, which appear to float across the field of vision.  There may only be one or a cluster of floaters.  Not all floaters move and some may appear to remain in the same place.  Flickering or flashes of lights may be seen particularly when looking at something bright.

Floaters should be taken very seriously if vision also becomes impaired or if there appears to be some kind of curtain covering your sight or if the number of floaters, suddenly rises.

Treatment for Eye Floaters

There is usually no treatment for floaters and they can disappear on their own.  It may help to move the eye around to get rid of a floater, particularly up and down.  If vision is severely affected, surgery may be an option.  This involves removing the vitreous.  However, in most cases floaters either disappear or settle where they are and are not particularly bothersome to overall vision.

Visit the Eye Floaters & Flashes Guide, to find out more about this condition.


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