Have you ever noticed small spots, specks, or thread-like shapes drifting across your vision? These are very common and are known as eye floaters. While they might seem alarming at first, they are usually a normal part of the eye’s aging process. Let’s take a closer look at what they are, what causes them, and when you should be concerned, according to expert advice from eye doctors.
What Exactly Are Eye Floaters?
To understand floaters, it’s helpful to know a little about the inside of your eye. The space between the lens and the retina is filled with a clear, jelly-like substance called the vitreous humor. As we get older, this jelly can begin to shrink and become more liquid. This process can cause tiny clumps of protein or other debris to form within the vitreous. The shadows cast by these clumps on the retina are what you see as floaters.
Floaters can appear in many different shapes and sizes. People often describe them as:
