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Do you occasionally see threads, squiggles, or spots in your vision? First, you’re not alone! Second, for the most part, these floaters, as they are called, are nothing to worry about. Most people experience floaters, and it begins to happen more often as we age. Only on a few occasions are seeing floaters cause for concern. In this article, we’ll give an overview of what they are, why they happen, and when to seek out professional eye care.
What Are Vitreous Eye Floaters?
The scientific community has a perfectly logical explanation for floaters and the flashes of light called photopsias that some people experience. Floaters or flashes happen when the vitreous humor, which is the liquid in your eye, gets lifted from your eye and creates tension on the retina. The pieces of solidified vitreous humor break off, creating the specks or eye floaters you see on your vision. The reason you can see them is because they pass in front of the macula, creating a shadow and making them visible to you.
Floaters or flashes of light might be more noticeable when looking at a bright background, such as white walls, when staring at the sky, or when you are tired. Most people see floaters as dark dots, thread-like stands, squiggly lines, shadowy shapes, or cobweb-like structures, some people also see flashes of light. The floaters in your eyes may appear in one more than the other, and not at the same time. And, while we are all more likely to experience more floaters with age, floaters may also appear after an injury, with inflammation, or post-surgery. If you experience a sudden onset of floaters or start to see way more floaters than normal, contact your eye care doctor. They will make sure the floaters in eye disease are nothing serious.
Common Risk Factors for Developing Floaters
As we age, the vitreous humor in the eye starts to pull away from the retina, creating the floaters. Individuals who have a family history of floaters or flashes are more likely to have them, as are individuals that are nearsighted. Additionally, older individuals tend to be more at risk as the hardening of the vitreous humor is part of the natural aging process of the eye. However, if you are 50 years old or younger and seeing an abundance of floaters, schedule an appointment to meet with your eye doctor today to confirm it is not a more serious issue. Over time, you may become accustomed to seeing floaters, but they do not go away without treatment.
What Are Signs You May Have Floaters?
Seeing shapes, such as thread-like strands, cobweb type lines, squiggly lines, or black spots in vision is a sign you may be experiencing floaters. You may notice floaters when you stare at yourself in the mirror as well. Unfortunately, if the floaters come on suddenly or abundantly, it may mean you have a more serious issue, such as a retinal detachment, tumor, inflammation of the eye, or blood in the eye.
Eye Floaters Treatment Options
Most people will not undergo treatment for floaters, rather, the process will be to observe and wait. As long as your doctor has confirmed that there is no underlying condition, the floaters do not require treatment. However, if you have an abundance of floaters, or they are impacting your ability to complete your favorite activities on a daily basis, you have a few options. The two most common treatment options for floaters are laser eye floater surgery to disrupt the floaters and a vitrectomy.
With laser treatment, your doctor will use a laser very similar to the one used in LASIK surgery to break up the floaters so you cannot see them. A vitrectomy is a surgical procedure in which the eye doctor will remove the vitreous humor from your eye. Luckily, your eye will replace humor with a similar liquid over time, effectively getting rid of the floaters. Unfortunately, complications from the surgery can be very serious, including retinal detachment, cataracts, infections, bleeding, and glaucoma, so be sure to speak with an experienced, trusted surgeon before undergoing care.
A third solution that can reduce symptoms but will not rid the eye of floaters are eye drops. The eye drops work by dilating the pupil which may help to reduce the appearance of floaters. However, eye drops may also cause blurry vision. Most eye drops, aside from atropine drops, claiming to reduce or diminish floaters, have not been proven to work so proceed with caution and only after consulting your eye doctor.
How Can You Reduce Vitreous Eye Floaters Naturally?
When it comes to reducing your risk for developing floaters, it is important to follow your eye doctor’s general recommendations for superior eye health. You can reduce your risk for floaters, and many other eye diseases, by adhering to the following eye-health guidelines.
- Eat an eye-healthy diet full of whole foods, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Foods high in zinc, lutein, vitamins A and E are especially good for your eye health.
- Exercise regularly. Not only is exercise good for your overall health, but it can also benefit your eyes and prevent you from developing floaters and diabetes which impact eye health.
- Schedule regular eye appointments with an OCLI expert. They will be able to pinpoint any serious eye conditions before they become expensive and more invasive to treat.
- Practice preventative eye-care tips, including wearing UV-blocking sunglasses, taking regular breaks from screens, and wearing protective eyewear for contact and adventure sports and when working in construction or other hazardous industries.
- Quit smoking! Smoking negatively impacts every organ and system in your body. If you would like help quitting, reach out to your doctor today.
When to Book an Appointment with OCLI Vision
Most cases of floaters are more annoying than harmful! However, that is not the same for everyone. If floaters are impacting your ability to complete your daily activities or they have come on suddenly, schedule an appointment with an OCLI Vision specialist today. We can help determine if something more serious is going on or put together a treatment plan to get your vision back to excellent.
