What are floaters?

What are floaters?

Floaters are spots in your vision. They often look like dark strings or spots and they may drift when you move your eyes. Floaters are usually caused by age related changes. 

The vitreous inside your eye that liquifies and then contracts get clumps of collagen fibers that cast tiny shadows on your retina. These shadows are floaters. 

Symptoms

• Spots that appear when you look at a plain bright background like the sky or white wall. 
• Spots that move when you move you eyes
• Small shapes or strings that settle or drift out
• Small shapes in your vision that appear as dark specks

Causes

• Age related eye changes
• Bleeding in the eye
• Torn retina
• Inflammation in the back of the eye
• Eye surgeries 

When should you see a doctor?

• When you notice more eye floaters than usual
• Darkness in your side vision
• A blurry area that blocks your vision
• Flashes of light in the same eye as the floaters
• New floaters