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What causes floaters?
What do floaters look like?
What are flashes?
What can you do about floaters?
Floaters are particles that seem to be in front of the eye but are actually floating in the vitreous humor, which is the transparent gel-like fluid that fills the inside cavity of the eyeball between the lens and the retina (See Anatomy of the Eye).
Floaters may be small flecks of protein or other matter that were trapped in the clear vitreous fluid during the formation of the eye prior to birth. As you mature, vitreous fluid deteriorates, which can also cause floaters to develop. The vitreous gel starts to thicken or shrink as middle-age approaches, forming clumps or strands inside the eye. The shrinking of the vitreous gel causes it to detach from the retina, and this pulling can cause small amounts of bleeding, which appear as floaters or flashes of light. It happens frequently in nearsighted people and those who have had cataract surgery. This posterior detachment, which causes floaters, also can occur in people who have had Yag laser eye surgery or who have had inflammation inside the eye. You can also get floaters from injuries to the eye, diseases of the eye, or crystal-like deposits that form in the vitreous, although these causes are not as common as other causes.
Floaters appear as different shapes to different people. They can look like small dots, circles, lines, clouds, or cobwebs. Some floaters appear to be strung together with a web-like thread. Floaters are actually shadows cast on the retina, the nerve layer at the back of the eye that senses light and allows you to see. Many people occasionally experience the sensation of spots floating in their field of vision, especially when looking at the sky or at a blank background. These spots usually come and go in very short order; but as you mature, the spots can appear more frequently.
Most floaters are harmless. However, they can also be symptomatic of serious retinal problems such as diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration. These conditions can lead to a retinal tear or a retinal detachment, both of which are a more serious situation because either can lead to partial or complete loss of vision. Consult your eye doctor if spots or floaters suddenly increase in number or frequency. Also, if the spots appear fixed and do not move around when you move your head or eyes, they may be a sign of macular degeneration and should be checked.
A symptom that sometimes accompanies floaters is flashes. Flashes are bright spots of light that burst into the visual field when eyelids are closed. They are usually comprised of tiny dashes that form either an oval or a circle, somewhat like a sparkler in a dark room. Flashes occur when the vitreous shrinks and pulls on the retina, causing retina cells to fire and create the perception of light flashes.
Floaters are generally not treated but there are ways to cope with the inconvenience. Moving the eye around when a floater appears in the line of vision will help get rid of it. Eye movement causes the fluid inside the eye to shift allowing the floater to move out of the way. Looking up and down, as opposed to from side to side, may be a more effective means of removing floaters from the line of sight. Floaters sometimes fade over time and become less bothersome.
If floaters are caused by a retinal tear, the tear must be repaired as soon as possible before it leads to retinal detachment and serious vision loss. A retinal tear can usually be successfully treated by a laser that tacks the tear back in place -- a simple, virtually painless procedure performed in an ophthalmologist's office.
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