Eye Floaters: Top Causes and Best Treatments

Do you sometimes notice small dots, lines or dark or cobweb-like shapes in your field of vision? Chances are, you may have eye floaters. Luckily, in most cases, eye floaters are painless and harmless. Still, they can cause concern for people who don't know what they are and, in some rarer situations, may indicate an eye issue that needs treatment right away.

Eye floaters are common: About 75% of people over the age of 65 have them,¹ so noticing one every now and then isn't a big deal. But if you see a large increase in floaters, flashes in your eyesight or a sudden shower of floaters, you should see an eye doctor right away.²

Symptoms of Eye Floaters

Eye floaters are small dark shapes, specs or squiggly lines inside your eye that appear to drift across your vision.¹ They can come and go, and may be more noticeable when you're looking at a plain background, like a blue sky or blank wall. They also tend to "move" if you try to focus on them.³

Eye floaters can form when the gel-like fluid in your eye (known as the vitreous) starts to thicken or shrink. The vitreous is a jelly-like substance that helps give your eye its shape.² It's surrounded by a membrane and attaches to your retina and lens.¹ As you age, the vitreous gel's composition changes and pulls away from the retina. Small strands of vitreous may even clump together, making shadows on your retina that you see as floaters.³

Causes of Eye Floaters

Age-related changes to the vitreous are one of the most common causes of eye floaters. But other causes can be more serious, which is why you should visit an eye doctor if you see a sudden onset of eye floaters. Some other causes include:

• Eye infection³
• Eye injury or eye bleeding³
• Inflammation in the eye (uveitis)³
• Posterior vitreous detachment: While this condition is harmless, it can lead to a tear or detachment in 10% of cases, which is very serious.¹
• Retinal tear: This can be serious because it often leads to retinal detachment.³
• Detached retina: This is very serious and can lead to permanent blindness if not treated fast.¹
• Vitreous hemorrhage: You may also see a reddish tint over your vision.¹

The following conditions may put you at a greater risk of developing floaters:

• Nearsightedness³
• Cataract surgery³
• Diabetes³
• Recent eye injury⁴
• Inflammation or swelling in the eye⁵

If you have eye floaters that interfere with your vision, a cluster of new floaters that appear suddenly, flashes of light, darkness on the sides of your vision or a blurry area in part of your vision, contact your eye doctor as soon as possible.⁴ These can indicate an emergency. If you don't have an eye doctor yet, seek out an optometrist or ophthalmologist in your region.

Diagnosing Eye Floaters

When you see an eye doctor about floaters, you will be given a comprehensive eye exam. This will include using drops to dilate your eyes. You may receive other tests to rule out any underlying conditions or causes, like retinal tears.³

Be ready to answer questions from your doctor, such as when you first noticed eye floaters, if you've had flashes in your vision, any injuries or past eye surgeries and your medical history.⁶

Professional Treatment Options for Eye Floaters

Most eye floaters aren't cause for concern and don't require any treatment, especially if they're minor and just a natural part of aging.³ If the cause is an underlying condition such as diabetes or an eye infection, then your doctor may recommend treatment for that specific condition.

In other cases, where eye floaters are so numerous that they interfere with your vision, your eye doctor may recommend other treatments, such as:

1. Laser therapy

Laser therapy may be used to break up the floaters.⁴ Sometimes people get good results, but others may not notice much of a difference. There's also a risk of damaging your retina.

2. Vitrectomy

Vitrectomy is a term used for a surgery that removes the vitreous and replaces it with a similar solution. It's done under local anesthesia and patients can usually leave one to two hours after surgery.¹

Sometimes floaters can still develop after the surgery, and sometimes it doesn't remove all the floaters. Risks include retinal tears, bleeding and infection.¹ Your sight could be damaged, or you might develop cataracts later.⁶ Many doctors will only recommend this procedure in extreme situations.

Eye Floaters Treatment Costs

The two main medical interventions for natural eye floaters are vitrectomies and laser therapies. But how much do these cost?

• The average cost of a vitrectomy in the U.S. is $13,731, though this can vary quite a bit based on eye doctor and region.⁷
• One eye center noted that the cost of laser therapy for floaters is about $1,850 for one eye.⁸ This can also vary by location and doctor.

While treatments can be expensive, the good news is that some health insurance plans may help cover at least part of the cost of in-network interventions. And if they don't cover enough, there may be other financing options like the CareCredit credit card.

Natural Treatments to Prevent or Manage Eye Floaters

There are no proven natural treatments experts agree upon that can prevent or reduce eye floaters.² However, some experts do advise a number of approaches to help manage floaters or just keep your eyes healthier overall.

1. Just give eye floaters time

One of the most prevalent "natural" treatments is just giving floaters time. Some may drift away from your vision or even sink and become less noticeable.⁶ Other times, your brain can get used to them and just stop noticing them.⁹ This may take one to six months.²

2. Keep your eyes healthy with lifestyle changes and vitamins

Some experts note that keeping your eyes healthy might help prevent some conditions that can lead to floaters, or perhaps help make floaters less distracting.¹⁰ Vitamins and supplements like ginkgo biloba, omega-3 and zinc can promote eye health, along with eating a balanced diet and keeping hydrated. Other lifestyle changes, like stopping smoking and avoiding eye strain, can also help improve your eye health.

3. Get frequent eye exams and physicals

The best "prevention" is a dilated eye exam every one or two years to catch any changes to your eyes.² You'll also want to visit your physician for regular physicals, so any underlying health conditions like diabetes that may lead to floaters can be treated.

Eye floaters can be bothersome, but the good news is that often they're perfectly harmless and will bother you less over time. However, they can sometimes indicate a bigger issue that needs treatment right away. That's why it's a good idea to visit an eye doctor any time you notice a significant change in your vision.

Financing Eye Floater Treatments With the CareCredit Credit Card

Regular eye exams are an important part of your eye health. Whether you're getting an eye exam or needing eye surgery, the CareCredit credit card can help you pay for care where your insurance leaves off.* Apply today and use our Acceptance Locator to find a vision specialist near you that accepts CareCredit. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go, and easily access the Well U hub for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

Author Bio

Stephanie Dwilson specializes in science journalism, breaking news and animal health and is a business owner, non-practicing attorney and writer.