Floaters

What are floaters?

Floaters are dots, lines, circles, and cobweb-like images floating around in your field of vision. 

They appear to rush away when you try to look at them directly and appear more pronounced when you look at a plain bright background like a perfectly clear or overcast sky or a white screen.

Most floaters are made up of particles in the vitreous fluid inside your eyes. When you’re born, your vitreous has a uniform gel-like consistency, but as you age, it starts to change and becomes more liquid in some areas and solid in others.

Vitreous fibers then clump together and break away, blocking some of the light entering your eye and causing the appearance of floaters. Although floaters look like they’re in front of your eye, what you see are actually shadows cast onto your retina in the back of your eye.

What causes floaters?

Floaters are usually harmless. However, they sometimes result from other eye conditions and can be a sign of a serious issue.

Floaters can also result from inflammation or from bleeding in the eye. In these cases, what appear to be floaters are actually debris or blood, not benign vitreous particles. 

When the changing vitreous pulls on your retina, you can experience a retinal tear or detachment. A sudden increase in floaters combined with light flashes could be a warning sign of a retinal problem.

Occasionally, people experience an increase in floaters after cataract surgery. This complication, however, is rare and usually improves within a few months. You’re more likely to get floaters if you’re very nearsighted (myopic) and are over 50.

When should I be concerned about floaters?

Call Holmdel Eye Center if you notice:

• Sudden onset of floaters
• Flashes of light
• Difficulty seeing
• Eye pain

If you have these symptoms, you could have a retinal tear. A retinal tear can lead to a retinal detachment, where the retina separates from the back wall of your eye. A retinal detachment is an emergency and requires treatment to prevent vision loss.

If your floaters are severe enough to interfere with your vision, Dr. Abdelhady will refer you to a retinal specialist. Although rare, it’s sometimes necessary to undergo surgery or laser treatment that targets the clumped vitreous in your eye in order to restore your vision.

If you’re concerned about those floaters in your field of vision, schedule an appointment at Holmdel Eye Center by phone or request one online today.