The eye floaters are wavy lines or dark spots in the vision. There can be ring-shaped, cobweb-like, or round eye floaters in the vision.

They dart around in the vision and disappear when they are directly looked at. They are clearly visible when there is a clear background, such as a white wall.

The eye floaters are caused due to changes in the vitreous of the eye. Vitreous is a gel-like substance present inside the eye. 

The changes mostly happen due to aging. With the advancement of age, the vitreous changes into a liquid.

Not only liquefaction but the collagen fiber present inside the vitreous start shrinking, too. The shrinkage causes them to adhere to each other and make clumps.

These clumped collagen fibers float in the vitreous and cause disruption in the light coming towards the retina. Thus, tiny shadows are formed which are seen as eye floaters in the vision.

Not only aging but nearsightedness, any trauma to the eye, inflammatory conditions can also lead to the development of eye floaters. There is also a risk of getting eye floaters after cataract surgery. 

The complications associated with eye floaters are tears in the retina and retinal detachment. Retinal detachment can lead to complete loss of vision. 

A doctor should be consulted immediately if there are suddenly new floaters or darkness in the side view of the eye. There could be an underlying serious disease that should be treated immediately.

To diagnose eye floaters, doctors use eye drops to dilate the pupil. Through the pupil, they will see the floaters in the vitreous.

Treatment of eye floaters includes procedures such as vitrectomy and laser eye therapy. Vitrectomy removes the vitreous, and laser therapy breaks the eye floaters into pieces.

Keeping eyes away from harsh light and getting proper sleep can help the eye floaters get better. Preventing the eye floaters completely might not be possible but maintaining eye health can prevent many eye diseases and preserve eyesight.

What are the symptoms of Eye floaters? 

People having eye floaters in their vision will have the symptoms such as: 

• Gray or dark spots in their vision 
• Floaters that are easily noticeable when there is a neutral background such as blue sky 
• Floaters that disappear out of the visual field when the affected person directly looks at them  
• Having floaters that move with the movement of the eye

Almost everyone in their life sees eye floaters after a certain age. Most people tend to ignore the eye floaters.

Most of the eye floaters usually fade away after a while.

What are the types of Eye floaters?

People experiencing eye floaters might notice eye floaters of different shapes or dots in their vision. Therefore, they are classified into the following types: 

1. Ring-shaped floaters

Ring-shaped floaters are also known as Weiss rings. Their appearance is due to the detachment of the vitreous from the area of the retina that is around the optic nerve. 

Ring-shaped floaters are as harmless as other, but they can also develop due to some serious eye conditions. They can be treated with laser therapy. 

• Cobweb floaters

People having cobweb floaters see wavy or squiggly lines in their vision. Cobweb floaters get their name from how they appear like fragments of cobwebs that seem to drift around. 

Cobweb floaters are the most common type and are mostly seen by young patients. Shrinkage of the vitreous leads to its collagen fibers getting clumped together which results in the formation of cobweb floaters.  

They are harmless and can be removed through laser therapy. 

• Round floaters 

Round or oval shapes are considered round floaters. They form in the same way as cobweb floaters are formed that is through vitreous shrinkage and collagen fibers clumping. 

• Shadowy, black, or transparent floaters 

Besides variation in the shape, they can also appear shadowy, black, or transparent. Moreover, some eye floaters only appear as dots in the vision. 

What are the causes of Eye floaters? 

The most common cause for the development of eye floaters is the changes that happen in the vitreous as the person gets older. When changes such as liquefaction and shrinkage happen due to age, the process is called vitreous syneresis.

Vitreous has characteristics of jelly, and it is present inside the eye in front of the retina. Before the light reaches the retina for the formation of an image, it has to pass through the vitreous, first.

With the vitreous becoming liquid and the shrinking of collagen fibers inside it, this pathway is disrupted. The shrinking fibers become little shreds that start clumping with each other.

When the light goes through the vitreous, some part of it strikes the clumped collagen fibers instead of reaching the retina. This causes the formation of small shadows on the retina; these tiny shadows will appear as eye floaters in the vision.

Besides age, the other problems that can lead to the appearance of eye floaters are:

• Inflammatory conditions of the eye
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Trauma to eye
• Retinal detachment
• Torn retina
• Crystal-like deposits in the eye
• Eye tumors
• Ocular migraine
• Myopic vision
• Bleeding in the eye

What are the risk factors?

The risk factors that make people prone to developing eye floaters are: 

• Advanced age 

Older age of above years increases the risk of seeing eye floaters. As age progresses, the vitreous starts liquefying and shrinking, which leads to clumping of its collagen fibers. 

• Nearsightedness

People with myopic vision are more likely to get eye floaters due to posterior vitreous detachment; a condition in which vitreous detaches from the retina. 

• Diabetes

Diabetes weakens the retinal blood vessels of the eye which end up leaking blood in the vitreous body. 

These blood drops will appear as dark spots in the vision. 

• Injury in the eye 

Any injury in the eye can also make them appear. 

• Vitritis

Vitritis is an inflammatory condition in which the vitreous body becomes inflamed. People having this condition are prone to the development of eye floaters in their vision. 

• Uveitis 

In uveitis, there is inflammation in the uvea of the eye. This inflammatory condition is also considered a risk factor of eye floaters.

• Cataract surgery 

Cataract surgery is another risk factor of eye floater. 

What are the complications?

Though eye floaters are a cause of annoyance and frustration for the affected population, they do not pose any threat to their life. Some of them even start to disappear after a few weeks or months.

The real problem arises when the shrinkage of the vitreous leads to tearing of the retina, which in turn might cause retinal detachment.

So, the complications of eye floaters include: 

• Retinal tears 

The eye floaters are usually caused due to the shrinking of the vitreous gel. A continuous shrinkage might start tugging the layer of the retina with enough force that it can lead to retinal tears. 

• Detachment of the retina 

When retinal tears happen, there is a high risk of vitreous gel entering the space created behind the retina. When vitreous enters the space, retinal detachment will happen.

Retinal detachment is a serious condition and it results in permanent loss of vision. 

When to see a doctor? 

Most people having eye floaters do not have to worry about them as they come and go in their own time. 

The person seeing eye floaters in their vision should immediately call their doctor in the following situations: 

• Floaters are not fading as they used to 
• New floaters have made a sudden appearance 
• Darkness in the peripheral vision 
• Seeing flashes of light in the affected eye 
• Pain in eyes 

These symptoms can be due to a retinal tear and need immediate treatment. A retinal tear could lead to detachment of the retina, which can completely blind the affected person. 

Diagnoses

Diagnosis will be done by the doctor through an eye examination. The eye exam will include:

• Vision check

The doctor will check the peripheral and central vision of the patient.  

• Pupil dilation 

Pupil dilating drops are used to dilate the pupil of the affected eye. The doctor will use the light of an ophthalmoscope to see through the dilated pupil.

The doctor will examine the eye floaters in the vitreous. They will also see if there is any damage or disease inside the eye that can make eye floaters appear.

Thus, examining the inside of the eye through pupil dilation also helps the doctors in determining the cause.

Treatment of Eye floaters 

If eye floaters are disrupting the vision of the affected person, doctors have two treatment options: Vitrectomy or laser therapy. 

• Vitrectomy 

Vitrectomy is an invasive surgical procedure in which the vitreous gel is removed. In this procedure, a small incision is made in the affected eye for the removal of the vitreous. 

As the vitreous gel is responsible for maintaining the round shape of the eye, its absence can cause the eye to lose its shape. To avoid this problem, surgeons insert a solution in its place inside the eye. 

There are some risks associated with this surgery, such as bleeding and tears in the retina. Also, there is no guarantee that all floaters are removed or that they will not come back again.

Doctors opt for this procedure when the symptoms of the eye floaters have become worse. 

• Laser therapy 

Laser therapy is another way to get rid of this condition. By aiming a laser at the vitreous, the eye floaters are broken down; breaking them down helps to remove them from the vision of the patient. 

Laser therapy has improved the eye floaters of some people, but others have reported that they have failed to notice any improvement in their floaters. 

The patient is at risk of getting severe retinal damage if the laser hits the retina by mistake. Moreover, there is a chance that laser therapy can lead to worsening eye floaters. 

Home Remedies 

Changes in lifestyle prove to be a natural remedy for eye floaters. The person having eye floaters should do the following: 

• Protecting eyes from harsh light by dimming indoor lights, using lamps, and wearing sunglasses in bright sunlight
• Preventing eye strain by reducing the amount of time spent in front of a screen
• Relaxing the eyes by getting 8 hours of sleep every night
• Drinking plenty of water
• Taking vitamin supplements daily 
• Doing eye exercises such as rolling eyes 
• Closing the eyes and massaging the temple in a gentle manner
• Having meals containing anti-inflammatory foods

What are the preventions? 

• Giving rest to eyes 

Eyes start straining when they are focused on a screen for hours. Taking a break from the screen can prevent eye strain. 

There is a 20-20-20 rule for the relaxation of eyes when sitting in front of a screen is concerned. In this rule, the person should look away from the screen after every 20 minutes and stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. 

• Protecting eyes using eyewear 

When tough sports or physical activity is a part of someone’s life, they should start wearing eyewear to prevent any trauma from happening to their eyes. 

Moreover, activities such as gardening, house cleaning should also be done with the eyewear. This way the eye vision is protected from the negative effects of dirt and debris.

• Hydrating the body

Drinking plenty of water hydrates the body and eliminates the toxins from the body. This prevents the build-up of toxins inside the eye; toxins can cause the development of eye floaters. 

Thus, increased water intake plays an essential role in the improvement of the health of the eyes. 

• Eating healthy foods 

Food has a significant impact on eye health. The foods which help to maintain eye health are: 

• Green leafy vegetables 
• Eggs 
• Citrus fruits 
• Foods rich in protein such as eggs and beans 
• Salmon