What Are Eye Floaters? Here What To Do If you Start Seeing Them, According to an Eye Doctor

Eye ‘floaters’ are not usually a concern.
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Eye floaters are small shapes that seem to drift across your field of vision. They might look like spots, threads, or squiggly lines, and they become especially noticeable when looking at a bright background, such as a clear sky or a white wall. These shapes move as your eyes move and can seem to dart away when you try to focus on them.

What Causes Eye Floaters?
a young person laid sideways
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Floaters are typically caused by age-related changes in the vitreous, a gel-like substance inside the eye. As we age, the vitreous becomes more liquid and the microscopic fibers within it can clump together, casting shadows on the retina. These shadows are what we perceive as floaters.

In some cases though, they can be linked to more serious conditions such as:

Eye infections
Uveitis (inflammation within the eye)
Retinal tears or detachment

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