This is even more concerning because it may indicate retinal damage, such as the retinal tissue tearing or detaching from the wall of the eye. Sudden flashes of light along with eye floaters.This can indicate the development of a posterior vitreous detachment (also called a PVD), where the vitreous humour separates from the retinal tissue. A sudden increase in the number of eye floaters.In particular, seek attention if you experience: Should you get eye floaters checked?Īlthough eye floaters are generally nothing to worry about, it’s very important that you have your eyes checked to rule out serious conditions such as a retinal tear or detachment. Many people experience eye floaters after the age of 40. These shadows are the floaters that you see in your vision.īoth the thinning of the vitreous and the clumping of collagen fibres are a natural part of ageing, so it’s more common for older people to get floaters. When light enters the eye, these clumps get in the way and cast shadows onto the retina. The collagen fibres within the vitreous humour also begin to clump together and can float freely in the now-watery surroundings. It then starts to degenerate with age, and its consistency becomes less gelatinous and more liquid. Once we reach adulthood, formation of the vitreous is complete. The vitreous humour is a jelly-like substance, made up mostly of water along with small amounts of salts, sugars, collagen and proteins. Light travels through the lens to the retina, where it is transmitted to the brain for processing into the image that you see.īefore the light gets to the retina, it has to travel through a transparent viscous fluid that sits between the two structures and fills the back of the eye – this fluid is called the vitreous humour. The lens is at the front of the eye and the retina is at the back of the eye. To understand what an eye floater is, you need to know some basics about how the eye works. They can look like dots, flecks, threads, cobwebs or even clear little bubbles."įloaters are caused by shadows and are common with age. "Floaters come in various shapes and sizes. If you’re experiencing floaters, it’s important to get your eyes checked. However, while floaters themselves are not harmful, they can be a sign of a more serious condition. It is rare that an eye floater will significantly impair vision, and the majority of people can learn to live with them. While they may be annoying, eye floaters are generally harmless. And it’s common to have several floaters of different shapes and sizes at the same time. They can look like dots, flecks, threads, cobwebs or even clear little bubbles. If you try to focus your vision on them, they may seem to move or float about.įloaters come in various shapes and sizes. Floaters are particularly obvious when looking at a clear sky or a white wall. As you look around, they follow your eye movements and drift through your field of vision, often with a slight delay.
Eye floaters are tiny spots or threads in your vision.