Reviewed by Jonathan Miu, B Optom / B Sci, Kellyville Optical
Eye floaters are small specks, dots, threads or cobweb-like shapes that drift across your vision, especially against a bright background like a white wall or blue sky. They're caused by tiny clumps in the clear gel (vitreous) inside your eye, and are very common, particularly as you get older. Most floaters are harmless. But a sudden shower of new floaters, especially with flashes of light, needs urgent attention.
This guide explains what floaters are, why they happen, whether they go away, and the warning signs to watch for.
Eye floaters at a glance
- What they are: shadows cast on the retina by small clumps in the vitreous, the gel that fills the inside of the eye.
- What they look like: dots, squiggly lines, threads or cobwebs that move when your eyes move and drift when you try to look at them.
- Main cause: natural age-related changes in the vitreous. It slowly becomes more liquid and can pull away from the retina.
- More common if you: are over 50, are short-sighted, have had cataract surgery or an eye injury, or have diabetes.
- Do they go away? Floaters usually stay, but they often become less noticeable over weeks to months as your brain learns to ignore them.
- Treatment: most floaters don’t need treatment. Surgery or laser is only considered for rare, severe cases.
- Get urgent care if: you notice a sudden increase in floaters, new flashes of light, or a dark shadow or curtain across your vision. These can be signs of a retinal tear or detachment.
Frequently asked questions
Eye floaters usually don’t disappear completely, but they often become much less noticeable over time. They can settle lower in the eye, out of your line of sight, and your brain gradually learns to ignore them. Many people find floaters bother them far less after a few weeks to months.
Most floaters are long-lasting, but how much you notice them changes. New floaters often seem most obvious for the first few weeks, then fade into the background. If floaters suddenly increase, or come with flashes of light, don’t wait for them to settle. Get your eyes checked promptly.
Eye floaters look like small grey or dark dots, squiggly lines, threads, rings or cobwebs that drift across your vision. They move when your eyes move and seem to dart away when you try to look straight at them. They’re easiest to see against a bright, plain background such as the sky or a white wall.
Most eye floaters are harmless and part of normal ageing. They can be serious if they appear suddenly in large numbers, come with flashes of light, or come with a shadow or curtain across your vision. These can be signs of a retinal tear or detachment, which needs urgent treatment to protect your sight.
Seek urgent care the same day if you notice a sudden shower of new floaters, new flashes of light, a dark shadow or curtain moving across your vision, or blurred vision with new floaters. Contact an optometrist straight away. If you can’t be seen quickly, go to a hospital emergency department.
Yes, floaters are common after cataract surgery. Some people notice existing floaters more once their vision is clearer. Cataract surgery can also slightly raise the risk of the vitreous pulling away from the retina. Any sudden increase in floaters or new flashes after surgery should be checked promptly.
No eye drops have been shown to dissolve or remove floaters. Some supplements, such as VitroCap N, are marketed for floaters, but evidence is limited, so talk to your optometrist about whether one is worth trying. Most people find floaters become less bothersome on their own over time.
Most floaters don’t need treatment. In rare cases where floaters are severe and seriously affect vision, an ophthalmologist may discuss surgery (vitrectomy) or laser treatment. These carry risks of their own, so they’re usually only considered when floaters significantly affect daily life.
Kellyville Optical checks the retina and vitreous as part of an eye test, at Shop 8, 90 Wrights Road, Kellyville NSW 2155, in Kellyville Village. If you have new floaters or flashes, call us on (02) 8814 7450 so we can advise how soon you should be seen. We’re a short drive from Rouse Hill, Castle Hill, Bella Vista and The Ponds.
What causes eye floaters?
Most eye floaters are caused by natural, age-related changes in the vitreous, the clear gel that fills the inside of the eye. Over time the vitreous becomes more liquid, and tiny fibres inside it clump together. These clumps cast shadows on the retina at the back of the eye, and that’s what you see as floaters.
As the vitreous shrinks, it can also pull away from the retina. This is called a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). It’s common after 50 and can cause a sudden increase in floaters and some flashes of light. A PVD itself is usually harmless, but it can sometimes tear the retina. That’s why new symptoms need checking.
Less common causes include:
- Inflammation inside the eye (uveitis)
- Bleeding inside the eye, for example from diabetic eye disease
- Eye injury or eye surgery
- A retinal tear or detachment
Who is more likely to get eye floaters?
Anyone can notice floaters, but they’re more common if you:
When are eye floaters an emergency?
Eye floaters are an emergency when they come on suddenly with other warning signs. These can mean the retina is tearing or detaching, which needs treatment quickly to protect your sight. Get urgent care the same day if you notice:
- A sudden shower of new floaters
- New flashes of light, often at the edges of your vision
- A dark shadow or curtain spreading across part of your vision
- Sudden blurred or reduced vision
Contact an optometrist straight away. If you can’t be seen quickly, go to a hospital emergency department. These warning signs matter even more if you’re short-sighted, have had eye surgery, or have had an eye injury.
What happens when you get floaters checked?
When you have floaters checked, your optometrist asks when they started and whether you’ve noticed flashes or changes in your vision. They then examine the back of your eye to look for any tear or detachment, usually after putting drops in to widen (dilate) your pupils. Dilating drops can blur your vision for a few hours, so don’t plan to drive straight afterwards.
If everything looks healthy, you’ll be told which changes to watch for. If there’s a tear or detachment, or the view isn’t clear, you’ll be referred urgently to an ophthalmologist.
At Kellyville Optical, we dilate and examine the retina in house for new floaters. If you call with sudden new floaters or flashes, we’ll do our best to fit you in as soon as possible.
How are eye floaters managed?
Most eye floaters don’t need treatment and become less noticeable over time. Things that can help in the meantime:
- Give it time: your brain usually learns to tune floaters out.
- Move your eyes: looking up and down can shift a floater out of your line of sight for a while.
- Reduce glare: sunglasses outdoors and softer lighting can make floaters less obvious.
- Keep up regular eye tests, especially if you’re short-sighted or over 50.
Some people ask about supplements marketed for floaters, such as VitroCap N, which we stock. Evidence for supplements is limited, so talk to your optometrist about whether one is worth trying for you. VitroCap N
For rare, severe cases, an ophthalmologist may discuss surgery to remove the vitreous (vitrectomy) or laser treatment. Both carry risks, so they’re only considered when floaters seriously affect your daily life.
