What are floaters or myodesopsias?

16 December 2022

Floaters appear as small spots that move across the visual field. They may stand out when you look at something bright, such as white paper or the sky. They may bother you, but they should not interfere with your vision.

You can learn to live with hoverflies and ignore them. You may notice them less over time. Only rarely do they get bad enough to require treatment.

What are the symptoms?

Floaters earn their name by moving inside the eye. They tend to move away when you try to focus on them. They come in a variety of shapes:

• Black or gray dots
• Wavy lines
• Thread-like filaments, which can be gnarled and almost transparent.
• Spider webs
• Rings

Once they appear, they usually do not disappear completely. But they tend to become less noticeable over time.

What causes them?

Most floaters are tiny specks of a protein called collagen. They are part of a gel-like substance at the back of the eye called the vitreous.

As we age, the protein fibers that make up the vitreous shrink into tiny fragments that clump together. The shadows they cast on the retina are floaters. If you see a flash, it is because the vitreous has separated from the retina. If the floaters are new or have changed drastically, or if you suddenly start seeing flashes, see your ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

These changes can occur at any age, but they usually appear between the ages of 50 and 75.

Serious eye disorders associated with floaters include:

• Retinal detachment
• Torn retina
• Bleeding into the vitreous
  Inflammation of the vitreous or retina caused by infections or an autoimmune disease
  Ocular tumors