If you have ever looked at a plain backdrop and noticed the odd dark dot or squiggle swimming around in your vision, the chances are you have eye floaters.
This common condition is not usually anything to worry about, especially if you have experienced it for a long time and the number of floaters you can see stays roughly consistent.
Patrick & Menzies’ Dan Edwards explained: “Many people suffer from eye floaters. In the vast bulk of cases they don’t need any form of treatment. Typically, as you get older the vitreous – the gel inside your eyeball – becomes less jelly-like, liquefies slightly, and gets less stable. When tiny parts of the vitreous membrane that surrounds the vitreous forming a barrier between that and the retina, break away and float around in the vitreous, it creates floaters.”
What do eye floaters look like?
Usually, floaters are black or dark in colour and they can vary in size. Once you experience floaters they won’t disappear. They can sink so they are less visible. Often people get so used to them they no longer notice them.
People who suffer from floaters are often more aware of them when they look up at a cloudless sky or other blank canvas. If you look at a busy background, they tend to be less noticeable.
If you have medium to high levels of short-sightedness there’s a higher chance of floaters as the vitreous membrane and retina are under more tension.
Should I be concerned if I have eye floaters?
Dan continued: “99.99% of the time eye floaters are completely innocent and nothing to worry about. However, in rare circumstances this can be a sign of some sort of detachment within the eye.”
It is important to book an appointment with your optician if:
- you experience a sudden onset of floaters
- the number increases significantly
- and particularly if you start to notice flashes of light in your peripheral vision.
If I’m worried about eye floaters what should I do?
If you are concerned we will always want to have a look and talk through your eye history to find out what’s going on.
Dan added: “We would always encourage our patients to book in to see us as soon as possible if they are worried about anything to do with their vision. It’s much easier if we can catch something early on.
“With eye floaters, in a rare situation they can be an early sign of retinal detachment. If that’s the case, we can refer you to an ophthalmologist, providing them with all of the details they need to help.”
Contact your local branch if you are concerned about eye floaters.