Eye floatersare small shapes that appear in your field of vision.
They can look like cobwebs, spots, squiggly lines, or threads.
Floaters can be harmless and a normal sign of aging.
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Abnormal blood vessels can bleed spontaneously, and sometimes normal blood vessels can rupture because of stress or trauma.
Some people also see a haze or have vision that is red tinted.
It can cause sudden floaters and/or reduced vision.
You may also experience flashes of light.
Retinal detachment requires immediate medical attention.
Delaying treatment can cause permanent vision loss.
Uveitis
Uveitisis an inflammation of the uvea.
The uvea is the part of the eye that supplies blood to the retina.
These symptoms often develop suddenly.
Uveitis can be treated with steroid medication to help reduce inflammation.
Vitreous Detachment
Vitreous detachment orretinal tearoccurs when the vitreous pulls away from the retina.
The vitreous is the gel-like fluid in the center of your eye.
Besides floaters, vitreous detachment can cause symptoms like flashes of light in your side vision.
Most of the time, vitreous detachment is not vision-threatening.
If the detachment doesnt lead to a more serious condition, it probably wont need to be treated.
Instead, your healthcare provider will monitor floaters.
In rare cases, your eye care provider may recommend treatment for them, such as surgery.
Vitrectomy
Vitrectomyis a surgery to remove the vitreous.
During this procedure, the surgeon removes the vitreous through a small incision.
They then replace it with a fluid that mimics the vitreous and helps your eye keep its shape.
However, a vitrectomy doesnt always remove all of your floaters.
This surgery is helpful for some people but not others.
Laser vitreolysis remains controversial.
Therefore, more research is needed to guide when this treatment would be most valuable.
Summary
Eye floaters are visual disturbances that look like spots or wavy lines.
They are often not a cause for concern and are usually due to aging.
Floaters that look like black, squiggly lines or pieces of string are a common age-related optical complaint.
This throw in of floater is caused when the vitreousa jelly-like substance in your eyesbegins to break down.
The microscopic fibers then clump together causing string-like shadows on the retina.
Weiss rings are shaped like a circle or oval and can be large enough to obstruct fields of vision.
If you suspect you have Weiss ring floaters, make an appointment to see an ophthalmologist.
Eye floaters can be a sign of retinal tear or detachment.
You should also see an ophthalmologist if you have never experienced floaters before.
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