Floaters are the small shapes that some people see floating in their field of vision. They can be different shapes and sizes, and they appear to be floating in front of everything that a person is looking at. They may appear as:
- tiny black dots
- small, shadowy dots
- larger cloud-like spots
- long, narrow strands
For more information, see Floaters - symptoms.
Floaters occur in the vitreous jelly of the eye, which is usually clear. They are pieces of debris that cast shadows onto the retina. It is the shadows that someone who has floaters is able to see.
Floaters most commonly develop as part of the natural ageing process, as the eyes get older. In most cases, they do not cause any significant problems and do not require treatment.
Do floaters affect vision?
Sometimes, a person may have floaters without noticing them. This is because the brain constantly adapts to changes in vision and learns to ignore floaters so that they do not affect vision. Most people with floaters will notice them at some point, although they do not permanently affect a person’s vision.
Most floaters are not a sign of another eye problem. However, developing floaters or having floaters that get worse can be signs of other eye conditions that may affect sight, such as retinal detachment (when the retina becomes separated from the inner wall of the eye). See Floaters - causes for more information.
You should have your eyes examined immediately if you suddenly develop floaters or if you notice an increase in floaters. See Floaters – diagnosis for more information.
