What Are Eye Floaters? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

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, see an eye doctor right away 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 get medical attention, and what treatments are available.

How do you know if you have eye floaters?

Different people will perceive floaters differently. Eye floaters can look like:

Spots
Lines (squiggly or straight)
Cobwebs
Circles

You’re more likely to notice a floater when you look at something plain, like a white wall.

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 your 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’re 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, you’ll need to get medical attention right away to prevent further damage to the retina, which can lead to blindness.

Who is most at risk of eye floaters?

You’re 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

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Can eye floaters cause blindness?

Eye floaters themselves don’t 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.

When should you see your eye doctor about vision spots?

Reach out to your eye doctor immediately in these cases:

You’re 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, 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. Over time, most people get used to the floaters and don’t notice them as much. They may also start to fade over time.

However, some people aren’t able to get used to eye floaters 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.

Vitrectomy

Vitrectomy is a procedure in which an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) removes the vitreous gel from your eye and replaces it with a solution that’s similar to the vitreous.

This procedure carries risks, such as blindness and the development of cataracts later in life. Since it’s an elective procedure, make sure to talk about the pros and cons with your eye doctor to see if they recommend surgery.

Laser vitreolysis

In this procedure, your eye doctor uses a laser to break up clumps of floaters into very tiny pieces, so that they’re 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 eye 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.

How can you prevent eye floaters?

Since eye floaters are a normal part of aging, there’s no way to completely prevent them. But there are some things you can do to promote eye health in general and lower your risk of complications:

Eat a well-balanced diet that’s rich in vitamins A, C, and E, along with other nutrients like beta carotene, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids. All of these support eye health.
Use protective eyewear when doing activities that could result in damage to your eyes. This includes wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays.
Manage health conditions, like diabetes and high blood pressure, which can affect your eyes.
Don’t smoke, or take steps to quit if you do smoke. Smoking can damage your blood vessels and worsen eye conditions like retinopathy.
Get regular eye exams. If you’re over age 65, plan to have an eye exam every 1 to 2 years.
Connect with your eye doctor right away if you notice sudden changes in your vision.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, eye floaters are very common as you age, especially after age 50. Eye floaters are even more common among people with a history of cataract surgery, diabetes, and nearsightedness.

No, anxiety isn’t a known cause of eye floaters. But you may be more likely to notice an eye floater if you’re stressed or anxious. If eye floaters are getting in the way of your day-to-day routines, connect with a healthcare professional to discuss treatment options.

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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Written by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

Edited by:

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN, is a California-based registered nurse and staff medical editor at GoodRx, where he focuses on clinical updates and Latino health.

Reviewed by:

Farzon A. Nahvi, MD

Farzon Nahvi, MD, is an emergency medicine physician and author of “Code Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER.” He works at Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire, and teaches at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

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