What Are Floaters?

The back of the eye is filled with a gelatinous substance called Vitreous Humor. It is a clear jelly-like fluid that holds the eye’s shape and structure. It needs to be optically clear for the light to pass through to the retina in the back of the eye. The same goes for the cornea and lens inside the eye. As we age the fluid breaks down from its jelly-like consistency into a liquid. As the fluid liquifies, the collagen fibers within the gel may clump together, and the light no longer passes through it. This will cast a shadow on to the retina. These shadows are what you observe whenever you see floaters. They are more easily observed in bright backlight conditions. They can look transparent or dark grey in appearance, and they will move or swim around when you try to look at them. This is why they are so hard to chase because they are “floating” around. 

The vitreous is contained in its own sack and anchored to the retina at various points. The normal progression of the vitreous is changing from jelly to liquid. When that happens the vitreous becomes more volatile, causing it to tug on the retina when the eyes are moving. This stimulates flashes of light known as phosphenes. Certain risk factors may cause an increase in floaters:

• Myopia or Nearsightedness

• Aging

• Diabetes

• Smoking

• History of Eye Injury or Surgery.

The vitreous sack will eventually degenerate and pull away from the retina, known as a Vitreous Detachment. This is normal and will likely cause an increase in floaters. However sometimes those anchor points are too sticky and will cause the retina to tear instead of releasing the vitreous. This will also stimulate flashes of light and may cause an increase in floaters. Most of the time floaters are harmless. However, there is no way to determine whether this is a normal change or sight-threatening event, so be sure to get your eyes checked as soon as possible to properly diagnose and identify if you have a retinal tear or detachment, which can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness.

Is there anything that can be done to get rid of floaters? If the floaters are large enough and cause a decrease in vision, occasionally they can be treated. The treatment may cause cataracts to develop so we need to be sure it is absolutely necessary in order to restore your vision. Certain Treatment options include:

• Laser to break apart large floaters

• Vitrectomy which involves sucking out the vitreous and replacing it with a clear liquid

• Specific Eye Vitamins called VitreousHealth by MacuHealth, which were designed to reduce floaters

Remember, to maintain the health and performance of your eyes, we recommend regular, annual comprehensive exams to identify any risk of retinal holes, tears, or detachments, along with any sight threatening issues or eye disease.