Floaters

The dark, distinct spots you sometimes see in your field of vision are called floaters. Floaters occur when small clumps of the vitreous (a jelly-like fluid) inside the eye detach from the inner wall of the eye as we age, otherwise known as posterior vitreous detachment. This is a common benign degeneration that occurs when our vitreous jelly starts to dissolve and liquefy with age, resulting in a watery centre and clumps of undissolved gel floating in the centre of the eye, hence we see a clump of ‘floater’ in the vision. Seeing floaters are common and mostly benign, but it can be an indication of a more serious problem like diabetic retinopathy which causes blood vessels in the retina to weaken and burst. Floaters can also be caused by retina tear and retinal detachment, a serious condition when the retina of the eye breaks and detaches from the rest of the layers of the eye. If you see a sudden onset of floaters, especially accompanied with flashing lights or blurring of vision, please consult your eye doctor for early diagnosis and treatment.