What are floaters?
At some point in their lives, many people see what looks like
small specks of dust or wispy threads drifting across their vision.
They notice, however, that blinking does not get rid of the specks
or threads. And when the eye moves, the specks or threads move too.
These are called floaters.
Why do people get floaters?
There are a few different types of floaters, and each has its
own cause. In general, though, eyes that are injured, inflamed, or
nearsighted (cannot see objects far away) are more likely to get
floaters.
The jelly-like fluid in the posterior chamber, which is the
space between the back of the iris and the front face of the
vitreous, is surrounded by a very thin membrane. The fluid also
contains many fibers that are usually invisible. This whole
structure is called the vitreous body.
Sometimes the fibers in the vitreous body pull loose from where
they are normally attached. When this happens, they can make
shadows inside the eye. This is what causes the floaters that look
like wispy threads.
Very rarely, something that looks like a floater turns out to be
tiny droplets of blood from the inside lining of the eye. This
could be caused by an injury or by several conditions of the eye.
When there is bleeding, there is a greater danger of losing
vision.
When are floaters dangerous?
There is no way of knowing the cause of floaters without a
careful examination. This is why it is important for anyone who
starts seeing floaters to schedule an appointment with their eye
doctor as soon as possible.
Most of the time, floaters are not the sign of anything
dangerous. Floaters caused by loose cells, for example, are usually
not that bothersome and often go away on their own in a few weeks
or months.
The floaters that look like wispy threads tend to be more
visible, and in most cases they will also go away with time. In
some cases, however, they can signal other problems.
The fibers that cause the wispy-thread type of floaters are
usually attached to the inside of the back of the eye. This surface
is called the retina, and it contains the special nerve cells that
react to light.
When the fibers of the vitreous body separate from the retina,
floaters in a small area of vision are usually the only problem. In
some eyes, however, many of the attachments between the vitreous
body fibers and the retina will be broken.