What are Floaters?
Floaters are small, collagen-based fibers within the eye’s vitreous area, projecting shadows onto the retina, which are seen as shifting visual patterns. These patterns might look like spots, streaks, or even resemble spider webs, and are often more noticeable against a bright backdrop.
While floaters are typically a benign and transient experience for most, occasionally causing no discomfort or pain, they can sometimes be a symptom of a more significant eye condition such as a tear in the retina, or a retinal detachment. It’s important to promptly inform your eye care professional at Grosvenor Eye Clinic about any new or unusual appearances of floaters, whether during a routine examination or by reaching out to the clinic.
What are the Symptoms
- Small Shapes in Your Vision: Floaters can appear as tiny shapes that float into your field of vision.
- Moving Spots: These spots move as your eyes move. When you try to look at them directly, they tend to dart away quickly.
- Changes with Eye Movement: Floaters often settle down or drift out of the line of vision, especially when your eyes are still.
- No Pain or Discomfort: Generally, floaters are not associated with pain or significant discomfort.
Eye floaters are usually caused by age-related changes in the eye:
- Vitreous Shrinkage or Liquefaction: As you age, the vitreous — a jelly-like substance filling your eyeballs — gradually becomes more liquid.
- Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD): Often associated with aging, PVD occurs when the vitreous gel pulls away from the retina.
- Retinal Tears or Detachment: If the vitreous pulls too hard on the retina, it might tear it, leading to a more significant risk of retinal detachment.
- Inflammation in the Eye: Inflammation within the eye, known as uveitis, can lead to the release of inflammatory debris into the vitreous, resulting in floaters.
- Physical injuries, which may have occurred a long time ago.
While most floaters are not harmful and are a normal part of aging, a sudden increase in their number or size could be a sign of an underlying issue, necessitating a thorough eye examination.
Where to find us
The London Clinic Eye Centre
The Circle Hospital
23 Harley Street
