Floaters

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If you’ve ever looked up at the clouds and seen tiny squiggly shadows dancing through your field of vision, you’re not alone. Floaters are generally a harmless part of aging. At Beraja Medical Institute in Coral Gables, Florida, the team can evaluate your floaters if they concern you or come with other symptoms. To learn more about eye floaters and how they appear, call Beraja Medical Institute for an appointment or request one online today

• 786-899-2516

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Floaters Q & A

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What are floaters?

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Floaters, or eye floaters, are tiny spots or strings that you can see in your field of vision but aren’t really there. If you try to focus on them, they seem to drift in another direction. You can learn to ignore them if you try since they’re often associated with regular aging and are harmless. 

Eye floaters are particularly visible when you stare at a blank white wall, a piece of paper, or the sky. When you have lots to look at, you might not notice them at all. 

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Why do I have floaters?

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Floaters appear in your vision when the gel that fills your eye and keeps it round begins to shrink with time. The inside of your eye becomes more liquid, and microscopic fibers within the liquid clump together. Those clumps cast small shadows on your retina, resulting in the visible spots and strings. 

In most cases, floaters are simply a part of this natural process and are no cause for concern. However, they can also be the result of these optical conditions and complications:

• Torn retina

• Bleeding in your eye

• Inflammation in the back of your eye

• Air bubbles from eye medications

• Air bubbles from eye surgeries

If you’re concerned about your eye floaters, be sure to mention them to your provider at Beraja Medical Institute during your next exam or appointment. 

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When should I make an appointment for floaters?

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If you have a torn retina causing your floaters, you should visit Beraja Medical Institute right away. A torn retina can cause you to lose your eyesight if you don’t seek treatment quickly. You should make an appointment for your floaters if:

• You have more of them than usual

• You suddenly have many floaters when you had none before

• You can see darkness on the sides of your field of vision

• There are flashes of light in your vision

The team at Beraja Medical Institute can examine your eyes and either treat or rule out a torn retina. 

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Is there any way to get rid of floaters?

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If you have just a few floaters that are bothersome but don’t get in the way of your eyesight, no treatment is recommended. In some very rare cases, floaters are so plentiful that they’re almost all you can see. If this is the case for you, the team at Beraja Medical Institute may recommend a vitrectomy, or surgery to remove the vitreous gel from your eye. They then replace it with a saline solution.

If you have many floaters that give you vision problems, don’t hesitate to call Beraja Medical Institute to request an appointment or book online today.

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