Have you ever noticed small spots, specks, or thread-like shapes drifting across your vision? These are very common and are known as eye floaters. While they might seem alarming at first, they are usually a normal part of the eye’s aging process. Let’s take a closer look at what they are, what causes them, and when you should be concerned, according to expert advice from eye doctors.
What Exactly Are Eye Floaters?
To understand floaters, it’s helpful to know a little about the inside of your eye. The space between the lens and the retina is filled with a clear, jelly-like substance called the vitreous humor. As we get older, this jelly can begin to shrink and become more liquid. This process can cause tiny clumps of protein or other debris to form within the vitreous. The shadows cast by these clumps on the retina are what you see as floaters.
Floaters can appear in many different shapes and sizes. People often describe them as:
Small dots or specks
Wavy lines or threads
Cobweb-like shapes
Tiny rings
They tend to “float” or drift as your eye moves, and they often seem to dart away when you try to look directly at them. “These are typically harmless and a natural part of getting older,” one eye doctor explains.
What Causes Them?
NEXT PAGE
ADVERTISEMENT
