Our eyes are extremely important to our perception because we process up to 80 percent of sensory information through vision.
Sight has such a significant impact on what we do and how we interact with the world that from daily tasks, to important ones.
Our dependency on vision makes eye health an essential element of our well being, but many people see changes in their eyesight with age.
“Floaters” are one of the most common changes that occur, and many have been puzzled — and at times alarmed — by the sudden appearance of drifting spots.
Floaters are “spots in your vision” described by the Mayo Clinic as “black or gray specks, strings, or cobwebs.”
With eye movement, these tiny shadows drift with you, but a quick focus on them and they dart away, like they couldn’t ignore you.
They are surprisingly common, occurring in about seven in ten people, and tend to become more noticeable with age.
Floaters are confusing to many, often incorrectly believed to be dust or tiny bugs that won’t leave.
“As you age, the protein fibers that make up the vitreous shrink into little shreds that clump together,” says WebMD’s specialist Rick Ansorge.
When there is clumping of the fibers in the vitreous, tiny shadows are cast on the retina and floaters are seen in the line of sight.
People seem to have a common reaction in confusion, with many reporting finding similar things online.
‘I keep seeing ‘flies’ everywhere…’, was shared by one, ‘I just want my two year old to get better and get home,’ was shared by another. I rub at my eye but really, there is nothing there. It is so frustrating.”
Another chimed in: “I thought this was just me… waving my hands in my vision like I’m crazy and there’s nothing there, only to realize it’s a floater.”
But the NHS says if floaters persist but don’t get worse over time, there is usually nothing to worry about.
Floaters may also be more likely to appear for people who are nearsighted or who have had cataract surgery.
Floaters are usually harmless, but they can be a daily annoyance if they start to interfere with your vision.
There are some steps that experts suggest to help prevent floaters from becoming a problem.
A healthy diet with omega 3s, zinc, Vitamin A and fatty acids is also supportive of eye health and will help reduce floaters.
Smoking is also to be avoided as it affects vision and can raise risk of eye conditions as well.
Looking up and down may help shift fluid in the eyes to shift floaters out of the line of sight if they are distracting.
Floaters are usually benign but sometimes floaters can signal something more sinister is happening in the eye.
But floaters can be caused by certain conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy, tumors of the eye, or even crystals in the vitreous, WebMD says.
The NHS also warns that if you suddenly develop floaters and begin to see flashes of light or if the number of floaters suddenly increases, it could be a more urgent problem.
Blurred vision, eye pain, or a moving shadow across your sight could mean you have a medical emergency with your eye’s retina.
If you have floaters along with any of these symptoms, you should be evaluated immediately as they may indicate serious retinal conditions.
