What Are Eye Floaters, and Can They Cause Vision Loss?
Key takeaways:
Eye floaters are small spots, lines, circles, or cobwebs that float across your field of vision.
Eye floaters are usually harmless and occur with age, but if you suddenly develop them, you should see an eye doctor immediately to rule out a serious underlying cause.
If floaters are interfering with your vision and causing persistent problems, there are surgical options available.
Eye floaters are small spots that appear in your field of vision. As the name suggests, they tend to float across your vision. While floaters don’t usually lead to vision impairment, they can be bothersome, especially at first. Read below to find out why they happen, when to see a doctor, and what treatments are available.
How do you know if you have eye floaters?
Different people will perceive floaters differently. They can look like:
Spots
Lines (squiggly or straight)
Cobwebs
Circles
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What causes eye floaters?
Most eye floaters are caused by normal changes that occur in your eye as you get older. When you age, the vitreous (a jelly-like substance inside the eye) gets smaller and more liquidy. This can cause small parts of that jelly to clump together, creating small particles. When these particles float around, you may perceive them as spots in your field of vision. These spots may be distracting or annoying at first, but most people get used to them, and they are usually not considered harmful.
If the vitreous pulls away from the back of the eye (the retina), this is called posterior vitreous detachment. This is also considered a common change that occurs in adulthood, usually after the age of 60, but sometimes earlier.
Rarely, eye floaters can be caused by more serious issues, such as a retinal tear or retinal detachment. In these cases, immediate attention is needed to prevent further damage to the retina, which can lead to blindness.
Who is most at risk of eye floaters?
You are more likely to develop eye floaters if you:
Are nearsighted
Have diabetes
Have had problems with inflammation in your eye in the past
Have had cataract surgery
Are older than 50
Can eye floaters cause blindness?
Eye floaters themselves do not cause blindness. However, if the eye floaters are caused by a serious underlying retinal condition that you don’t treat, that can lead to blindness. That’s why it’s important to reach out to your eye doctor about any sudden changes to your vision.
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When should you see your eye doctor about vision spots?
You should reach out to your eye doctor immediately if:
You are suddenly experiencing eye floaters for the first time.
You have more eye floaters than usual.
You experience new flashes of light.
You experience any partial loss of vision (this could be a blurry area or dark shadow in your side vision or central vision, like a curtain covering part of your field of vision)
What is the treatment for eye floaters?
The treatment often depends on the cause. If your eye floaters are caused by aging, then you typically won’t need any treatment. Even though they can be annoying, most eye floaters will not lead to blindness. Over time, most people get used to the floaters and don’t notice them as much. They may also start to fade over time.
Some people aren’t able to get used to them and can experience a significant decrease in quality of life. If eye floaters are persistently affecting the way that you see, there are two main surgical options:
1) Vitrectomy: This is a procedure in which an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) removes the vitreous gel from your eye and replaces it with a solution that is similar to the vitreous. This procedure carries risks, such as retinal detachment and the development of cataracts later in life. Since it is an elective procedure, you should discuss all of the pros and cons with your ophthalmologist to see if they recommend surgery.
2) Laser vitreolysis: In this procedure, your provider uses a laser to break up clumps of floaters into very tiny pieces, so that they are less likely to remain in your field of vision. Some studies show good results, but there are no studies that look into the long-term effects of this procedure.
If your floaters are caused by a problem with your retina, then your doctor will recommend a treatment depending on how severe the problem is. They can treat retinal detachment or tears with freeze treatment, laser therapy, or surgery.
The bottom line
Eye floaters are a common symptom of aging and are usually harmless. Over time, eye floaters usually become less noticeable or bothersome. If you have a sudden onset of floaters or they suddenly get much worse, you should contact your eye doctor immediately to rule out more serious causes.
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References
American Society of Retina Specialists. (2016). Posterior vitreous detachment.
Boyd, K. (2021). What are floaters and flashes? American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Broadhead, G. K., et al. (2020). To treat or not to treat: Management options for symptomatic vitreous floaters. The Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology.
National Eye Institute. (2020). Retinal detachment.
Souza, C. E., et al. (2020). Objective assessment of YAG laser vitreolysis in patients with symptomatic vitreous floaters. International Journal of Retina and Vitreous.
Wagle, A. M., et al. (2011). Utility values associated with vitreous floaters. American Journal of Ophthalmology.
