“Constant eye floaters--what's wrong?”

Floaters not necessarily due to old age. They are quite harmless but it is best to have your eyes dilated to be sure that your retina is intact. Most cases its just floaters.

While these floaters may be a normal deterioration of the vitreous gel inside your eyes, they can also be signs of other things, among them diabetes, hypertension, and retinal tearing. You should have a comprehensive dilated eye examination.

Yes. But must have an eye exam to be checked for retinal holes or tears.

Floaters are common. Most of the time they are benign; however, sometimes the can be an early sign of retinal problems. It's probably best for you to see your eye doctor. In the meantime here is an article that goes into greater depth https://theeyedocblog.com/facts-flashes-floaters/

It would be best to get your eyes dilated and examined by an Optometrist since it has been such a long time. There are multiple things that "floaters" can be. Yes, floaters can get worse as we age because the vitreous in our eyes starts to liquefy as we get older and this liquefying causes floaters. You can also have a Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD) which can happen as we get older. The biggest reason to get your eyes dilated and checked is because this could be a sign that you have a retinal hole or tear that could be the beginning of a retinal detachment. The only way to know for sure is to have a dilated eye exam with an eye care professional.

Floaters are tiny pieces of tissue, red blood cells, or proteins floating in the vitreous that casts a shadow on the the light sensitive tissue located in the back of your eye called the retina.

As we age, the jelly-like structure called the vitreous which holds the shape of our eyes becomes more liquefied, and may tug/pull on the retina, which may cause tiny amounts of retinal pigment/tissues to come apart and float in the vitreous, which we call floaters. Remember, theses floaters cast a shadow on the retina, so you can see them. It’s normal to see a few floaters in either one or both eyes (we just ignore it), but if you’re seeing a lot of new floaters (either black or clear spots or a spider-like web) in your vision with constant flashes of light (like lightning bolts), then it may be a more serious sign that the vitreous is pulling on the retina and is causing a tear in the retina, which may cause fluid to leak through into the retina, and may lead to a detached retina, which may cause you to see a gray or black curtain of vision. If that occurs, then you will need to be referred immediately to a retinal specialist for surgery to repair the retinal detachment to prevent further vision loss.

If you are concerned about your floaters then I would recommend seeking care from an eye care professional for an ocular health assessment that includes a dilated eye exam. At the visit, your eye doctor may use dilating eye drops to view the back of your eye. These drops will enlarge the black colored structures in front of your eye that allow light to enter your eyes called the pupils, so that your eye doctor can shine light and utilize specialized lenses to get a better view of the back of your eye. There are possible side effects to the eye drops such as light sensitivity and difficulty reading up close for a couple of hours, so it’s best to bring your sunglasses to the visit. So to reiterate, if you are seeing a lot of new floaters and/or flashes of light, then go seek the care of your eye care professional immediately.

Very often with age, the "jelly" of the eye (vitreous) thins out and can sometimes separate from the back of the retina. Typically, this change is benign. However, occasionally this separation could take along with it a piece of the retina causing either a hole or tear. If this is the case, and it is left untreated, it could advance to a retinal detachment which could have dire visual consequences.

I would certainly follow-up with a local eye care provider as soon as you are able.

And for the record - even if your vision is 20/20, you should still have a complete eye exam at least every 2 years to ensure that the ocular health of the eye is maintained. There are eye and vision conditions that don't necessarily have up-front symptoms, but if go undetected, could lead to permanent vision changes.

Be well!

Floaters can be a benign occurrence, or a sign of a problem inside the eye with the retina. You should get a comprehensive examination with dilation to have this checked immediately. The eye is filled with a gel-like substance called the vitreous. As we age, the vitreous liquefies. As it liquefies, little pieces can break off and float around inside the vitreous and you see them as floaters. The vitreous as it liquefies can also separate from the back of the eye. If it pulls on the retina, you can have a detachment and this can be sight threatening and may not have symptoms. Sometimes, though you will see flashes of light. Any of these things are a reason to get an eye exam immediately.

FLoaters are the gel particles in the gel sack of the eye. Sometimes people get these as they get older. If you haven't had an eye exam in a while it may be time to make sure things are ok.

First, you need to schedule an eye exam. Ten plus years is way too long. Most people get a physical once a year and see their dentist every 6 months. Why ignore your eyes until something goes wrong. Floaters can be serious and due to a retinal tear or detachment or as less serious as the vitreous or gel inside the eye pulling loose. Only a thorough eye exam can deferentiate. There is so much more to check than just can one see. Schedule an exam with an eye doctor of your choice as soon as feasible.

Hi there,
Floaters can happen for many reasons. Increase in floaters are a good reason to come in for an eye exam to get dilated to make sure everything in the eye is healthy and make sure your floaters are age related vs. other ocular reasons. Have you noticed any flashes? If you do, you want to come in sooner than later.

Dr C Li, OD


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Could be PVD (posterior vitreous detachment) or retinal detachment. Please get your eyes dilated.

Yes "floaters" can come about with increasing age as the vitreous gel atrophies. However, any recent onset of floaters or large numbers of floaters should be evaluated by an eyecare professional as this can be a sign of retinal tears, holes, detachments or hemorrhage inside the eye. Better to have someone look at it if you haven't been getting routine eyecare.