Nearly everyone experiences eye floaters at some point – those ghostly shapes that seem to dart away when you try to look directly at them. They’re most noticeable against bright backgrounds and are caused by natural changes in the vitreous humor, the jelly-like substance filling our eyes.
While typically benign, floaters can sometimes be warning signs. The dangerous trio to watch for includes: 1) a sudden swarm of new floaters, 2) flashes of light like lightning streaks, and 3) any loss of peripheral vision. These symptoms could mean your retina is at risk and needs prompt medical evaluation.
For ordinary floaters that don’t indicate emergencies, treatment usually isn’t necessary. Our brains are remarkably good at filtering them out over time. Some people find looking up and down helps move floaters out of their central vision. If floaters become severely obstructive, surgical options exist but carry risks that must be carefully weighed with your ophthalmologist.
