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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffEye floaters look like black or gray specks, strings or cobwebs that drift about when you move your eyes. Most eye floaters are caused by age-related changes that occur as the jelly-like substance (vitreous humor) inside your eyes becomes more liquid.
When this happens, microscopic fibers within the vitreous humor tend to clump together and can cast tiny shadows on your retina, which you may see as eye floaters.
If you notice a sudden increase in the number of eye floaters, contact an eye specialist immediately — especially if you also see flashes of light or lose your peripheral vision. These can be symptoms of a retinal tear or a retinal detachment, which requires prompt attention.
- Spots and floaters. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/x4701.xml. Accessed Sept. 22, 2009.
- Facts about floaters. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/floaters/index.asp. Accessed Sept. 22, 2009.
- Charles S, et al. Vitreous. In: Riordan-Eva P, et al. Vaughan and Asbury's General Ophthalmology. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3091521. Accessed Sept. 22, 2009.
- Facts about vitreous detachment. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/vitreous/vitreous.asp. Accessed Sept. 22, 2009.
- Floaters. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec09/ch098/ch098i.html. Accessed Sept. 22, 2009.
- Arroyo JG. Retinal tear and detachment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 10, 2009.
