What are Floaters?

Have you ever been gazing up at the sky and noticed strange little shapes floating around in your vision? When you try to examine one of them, it darts away and continues to drift lazily around, maybe shimmering or vibrating a little. They may gradually change their shape and may disappear, or not. This drifting behavior occurs because they exist in fluid.

Floaters Related to Aging and Usually Not a Danger

Our eyes are filled with fluid -- aqueous fluid in the anterior chamber (in front of the lens) and vitreous fluid in the much larger posterior chamber, behind the lens. As we age the vitreous fluid (often referred to as just "the vitreous"), starts to shrink, with cells clumping together here and there and casting little shadows on the retina, the light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye. These shadows are floaters.

You are more likely to develop floaters if you:

• Have diabetes
• Have had a cataract surgery
• Are very myopic (nearsighted)

Floaters can arise because of an infection, eye injury, inflammation, bleeding in the eye, or tears in the retina. These causes will have consequences more damaging than just floaters.

Vitreous Detachment May Require Immediate Care

In some older people (over about 50), the vitreous can abruptly pull away from the retina. You may notice this by a sudden increase in the numbers of floaters, or by light flashes at the side of your vision. It usually does not need any treatment, as it does not threaten vision. If it happens in one eye, it will likely happen in the other eye too, although perhaps not for a few years.

However, in some cases, vitreous detachment pulls hard enough on the retina that it can pull the retina itself out of position -- known as retinal detachment, and definitely sight-threatening. Or it can cause damage to the macula, which is the central area of the retina where the fovea centralis is. The fovea is the small area that gives us our clearest visual focus.

If you experience any sudden increase in light flashes at the sides of your vision, or in floaters, do contact your eye doctor immediately. Your vision could be in danger. Retinal detachment can cause blindness, and any tears or breaks in the retina can lead to retinal detachment. So it's better not to delay in seeking advice and care.