Eye Floaters

Shadows of gel opacities drifting in vision

Overview

Floaters are spots, threads, cobwebs, or rings that drift across the field of vision. They are shadows cast on the retina by small clumps of collagen fibers, cells, or other material within the vitreous gel, and they move as the eye moves, most noticeably against bright, uniform backgrounds such as a clear sky. The historical Latin term muscae volitantes means flying flies. Floaters become more common with age as the vitreous liquefies, are especially common in people with myopia, and frequently appear suddenly with posterior vitreous detachment. Most are harmless and become less noticeable over time through neuroadaptation. A sudden increase in floaters, especially with flashes or a shadow in the vision, can indicate a retinal tear, retinal detachment, or vitreous hemorrhage, and inflammation can also produce floaters. Treatment is rarely needed. For severely disabling floaters, vitrectomy can remove them, and YAG laser vitreolysis has been used for some, although evidence for it is limited.