Floaters

Spots, strands, cobwebs, or shadowy specks in your vision can be distracting and unsettling. Board-certified ophthalmologist and surgeon Stanley Rosenberg, MD, and Peter Gomez, OD, at Rosenberg Eye Center Inc provide evaluation and care for floaters like these in Miami, Tavernier, and Key West, Florida. The practice offers careful, one-on-one attention, helping patients understand when floaters are harmless and when they need urgent care. Call Rosenberg Eye Center, Inc., to request an evaluation for floaters, or schedule an appointment online today.

What are floaters?

Floaters are small shapes that seem to drift across your vision and often move when you move your eyes. They may look like:

• Dots
• Strings
• Circles
• Squiggles
• Cobwebs
• Shadows

Most floaters come from changes in the vitreous, a clear gel that fills the space inside your eye. As the vitreous changes with age, tiny clumps or fibers can form and cast shadows on your retina.

Floaters often become more noticeable when you look at a bright wall, clear sky, computer screen, or white page. Many people learn to ignore mild floaters over time, but new or sudden floaters need an eye exam.

What causes floaters?

Aging is the most common cause of floaters. As the vitreous gel slowly shrinks and becomes more liquid, it may pull away from the retina (a process called posterior vitreous detachment).

Other eye conditions may also cause floaters. These include:

• Bleeding inside the eye
• Inflammation
• Retinal tears
• Diabetic eye disease
• Eye injuries
• Complications after eye surgery

People who are very nearsighted or have had cataract surgery may have a higher risk of developing floaters.

How are floaters diagnosed?

Rosenberg Eye Center Inc diagnoses floaters with a complete eye exam. Your provider asks when the floaters started, what they look like, whether they’re changing, and if you also see flashes or shadows.

The exam often includes dilation, which uses eye drops to widen your pupils. Dilation allows your eye doctor to examine the vitreous, retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels more clearly.

They may recommend additional imaging if they need a closer look at the back of the eye. This careful evaluation helps separate common age-related floaters from problems that need treatment.

How are floaters treated?

Many floaters don’t need treatment if they aren’t linked to retinal damage or another serious condition. Your brain may adapt, and the floaters may become less noticeable with time.

If floaters come from bleeding, inflammation, diabetic eye disease, or a retinal tear, treatment focuses on the underlying problem. Retinal tears may need laser treatment or another procedure to help prevent retinal detachment.

Your provider explains your findings clearly and helps you understand the safest next steps.

If you notice new spots, strands, flashes, or shadows in your vision, don’t ignore them. Call Rosenberg Eye Center Inc or schedule a floaters evaluation online today.