You’re minding your own business when you notice a spot in your vision. Is it a bird? A plane? Superman?
No, it’s likely just an eye floater. If you move your eye, it moves too.
Eye floaters happen when the gel inside the eye becomes more liquid, which happens over time. Some of it may form into clumps that cast tiny shadows onto the back of the eye.
Most of the time, floaters aren’t dangerous, but they can be symptoms of more serious eye conditions.
“It’s always best to get eye floaters checked, especially if they are new or worsening,” says UNC Health optometrist Kyra Dorgeloh, OD.
We asked her about why eye floaters happen and when they’re an urgent concern.
What are eye floaters?
Floaters can show up in your eyes in a variety of ways.
“They can look like black specks, a fly going by, strings, clear waterdrops or a spider web,” Dr. Dorgeloh says. “They should move when your eye moves. If it’s a constant black spot or part of vision is missing, that may be more concerning.”
Floaters won’t completely cover your vision, so if you can’t see out of one or both eyes, that’s an emergency and you need to see a doctor.
Eye floaters also are distinct from flashes, which can look like flashing lights or streaks of lightning in your eye. These can be caused by migraine auras, the sensory changes that can accompany migraines.
“Migraine auras typically start small and involve both eyes, gradually worsen over 20 to 30 minutes, then resolve,” Dr. Dorgeloh says. “Floaters or flashes due to a retinal issue tend to stick around for the long term.”
Eye floaters are more likely to happen as you age, and they tend to appear earlier if you’re nearsighted.
“They are most often a normal part of eye aging because the gel that fills the eye becomes more liquid with time, and that causes some parts of the gel to form into clumps and strands. Eventually the gel separates away from the retina, which is a normal process,” Dr. Dorgeloh says. “That’s what you’re seeing, as those parts cast shadows onto the back of the eye.”
That’s why you’ll notice more floaters in bright places, like a sunny room with a white wall or when you look at the sky.
When should I see a doctor about eye floaters?
It’s always important to mention floaters to your doctor, but some symptoms are red flags that might require an urgent visit.
“Our biggest concern is a retinal tear or detachment,” Dr. Dorgeloh says; an untreated retinal tear or detachment could lead to permanent vision damage. “If you have a sudden onset of floaters or flashes of light, or if it feels like there’s a curtain over your eye and you’re missing part of your vision, those are very concerning symptoms.”
If you notice that your floaters are getting much worse or that they don’t move when your eye moves, or if you had an injury to your eye right before seeing the floaters, those are also red flag symptoms for a possible retinal tear. Call your doctor.
But if you have one or two floaters that don’t get worse over time, that’s probably no big deal. A few age-related floaters don’t require treatment. In fact, the only treatment available is a surgery to remove the gel from your eye, which is very rarely recommended because of risks to your vision, Dr. Dorgeloh says.
“Eye floaters often become less noticeable in time, because your brain will adapt to them being there,” Dr. Dorgeloh says.
Questions about your eye health? Talk to your doctor or find one near you.