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<h1>
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<span>Floaters</span>
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</h1>
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<div class="c-jump-menu__intro">On this page:</div>
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<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-964">Symptoms </a>
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<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-1072">Risk</a>
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<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-966">Causes </a>
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<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-15582">Diagnosis </a>
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<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-15585">Treatment </a>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/square_medium/public/2019-03/Floaters-GettyImages-922273548%20copy.jpg?itok=2XOJKIpN" width="600" height="600" alt="Profile of an elderly person's eyes" />
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<div class="c-at-a-glance__content">
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<h2 class="c-at-a-glance__title">At a glance: Floaters</h2>
|
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<ul><li><div class="c-at-a-glance__item">
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<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Symptoms:</strong>
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<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p>Small dark spots or squiggly lines that float across your vision</p></div>
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</div>
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</li><li><div class="c-at-a-glance__item">
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<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Diagnosis:</strong>
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<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p>Dilated eye exam</p></div>
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</div>
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</li><li><div class="c-at-a-glance__item">
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<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Treatment:</strong>
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<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p>None (in most cases), surgery</p></div>
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</div>
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</li></ul>
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<h2 class="c-section__heading">
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What are floaters?
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<p>Floaters are small dark shapes that float across your vision. They can look like spots, threads, squiggly lines, or even little cobwebs.</p><p>Most people have floaters that come and go, and they often don’t need treatment. But sometimes floaters can be a sign of a more serious eye condition. So if you notice new floaters that appear suddenly and don’t go away, it’s important to tell your eye doctor.</p>
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<h2 class="c-section__heading">
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What are the symptoms of floaters?
|
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</h2>
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<div class="c-text">
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<p>Floaters move as your eyes move — so when you try to look at them directly, they seem to move away. When your eyes stop moving, floaters keep drifting across your vision.</p><p>You may notice floaters more when you look at something bright, like white paper or a blue sky.</p>
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<h2 class="c-section__heading">
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Am I at risk for floaters?
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<p>Almost everyone develops floaters as they get older, but some people are at higher risk. You’re at higher risk if you:</p><ul><li>Are very nearsighted</li><li>Have diabetes</li><li>Have had surgery to treat cataracts</li></ul>
|
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<h2 class="c-section__heading">
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||
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What causes floaters?
|
||
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</h2>
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<div class="c-text">
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||
<p>Floaters usually happen because of normal changes in your eyes. As you age, tiny strands of your vitreous (the gel-like fluid that fills your eye) stick together and cast shadows on your retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye). Those shadows appear as floaters.</p><p>Sometimes floaters have more serious causes, including:</p><ul><li>Eye infections</li><li>Eye injuries</li><li><a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/uveitis">Uveitis</a> (inflammation in the eye)</li><li>Bleeding in the eye</li><li><a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/vitreous-detachment">Vitreous detachment</a> (when the vitreous pulls away from the retina)</li><li>Retinal tear (when vitreous detachment tears a hole in the retina)</li><li><a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/retinal-detachment">Retinal detachment</a> (when the retina gets pulled away from the back of the eye)</li></ul>
|
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<div class="c-callout c-callout--wide c-callout--rounded" id="section-id-15579">
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<figure class="c-callout__image">
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<img src="https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/400px_square_crop/public/2019-01/GlaucomaHelp.jpg?itok=AiS_r3Eb" alt="A person gets an eye exam." />
|
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</figure>
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<div class="c-callout__content">
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<h2 class="c-callout__heading">
|
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When to get help right away
|
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</h2>
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|
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|
||
<div class="c-text">
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
<p>Sometimes new floaters can be a sign of a retinal tear or retinal detachment — when the retina gets torn or pulled from its normal position at the back of the eye.</p><p>Symptoms can include:</p><ul><li>A lot of new floaters that appear suddenly, sometimes with flashes of light</li><li>A dark shadow (like a curtain) or blurry area in your side or central vision</li></ul><p><strong>Retinal tear or detachment can be a medical emergency</strong>. If you have these symptoms, it’s important to go to your eye doctor or the emergency room right away.</p>
|
||
|
||
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
<div class="c-link">
|
||
|
||
<a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/retinal-detachment" class="c-link__link">Learn more about retinal detachment </a>
|
||
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
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|
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<div class="c-section" id="section-id-15582">
|
||
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
How will my eye doctor check for floaters?
|
||
|
||
|
||
</h2>
|
||
|
||
|
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|
||
|
||
<div class="c-text">
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
<p>Your eye doctor can check for floaters as part of a dilated eye exam. Your doctor will give you some eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil and then check your eyes for floaters and other eye problems.</p><p>This exam is usually painless. The doctor may press on your eyelids to check for retinal tears, which may be uncomfortable for some people.</p>
|
||
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|
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</div>
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||
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|
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<div class="c-link">
|
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<a href="/learn-about-eye-health/healthy-vision/get-dilated-eye-exam" class="c-link__link">Learn what to expect during a dilated eye exam </a>
|
||
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|
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|
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<div class="c-section" id="section-id-15585">
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<h2 class="c-section__heading">
|
||
|
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|
||
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|
||
What’s the treatment for floaters?
|
||
|
||
|
||
</h2>
|
||
|
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|
||
|
||
|
||
<div class="c-text">
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
<p>Treatment for floaters depends on the cause. If your floaters are caused by another eye condition, you may need treatment for that condition.</p><p>If your floaters are caused by aging and they don’t bother you, then you probably won’t need any treatment.</p><p>If your floaters make it hard to see clearly and interfere with your daily life, your eye doctor might suggest a surgery called a vitrectomy to remove the floaters. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of this surgery.</p>
|
||
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</div>
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<div class="c-link">
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<a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/retinal-detachment/vitrectomy" class="c-link__link">Learn more about vitrectomy </a>
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<p class="views-element-container c-last-updated" id="block-views-block-nei-last-updated-block-1"><strong>Last updated:</strong> December 4, 2024</p>
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<a href="/about/news-and-events/news/woman-who-lost-vision-diabetes-shares-experience-raise-awareness" hreflang="en">Woman who lost vision to diabetes shares experience to raise awareness</a>
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<time datetime="2016-11-18T00:00:00-05:00">November 18, 2016</time>
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