You may have just heard the term or you may already have an idea what floaters are, but you may have many questions about them. What are they made of? Are they common? Are they harmful? At Mills Eye Care, we have years of experience providing Mooresville residents with reliable eye care. Our optometrist will examine your eyes to determine what is causing your floaters and provide treatment accordingly.

What are Floaters?

Floaters are spots in your vision look like strings or black specks. As your eyes move, floaters so do floaters. Most often, floaters come about due to age-related changes in the vitreous fluid in the eye. If you experience a sudden increase in eye floaters, especially if it is accompanied by light flashes or reduced peripheral vision, contact an optometrist immediately.

Symptoms of Floaters

• Dark knobs or specs or strings of floating material in your vision
• Spots that move when you’re moving your eye
• Spots that are more noticeable when looking at something bright
• Strings that settle and drift mostly out of vision when your eye is still

When to See a Doctor

There are some situations where floaters indicate a serious issue. See an optometrist if:

• There is a higher volume of floaters than normal
• You notice a sudden increase in floaters
• Flashes of light accompany eye floaters
• You lose any peripheral vision while having floaters
• There is a darkening of your vision while having floaters

Any of these can be signs of a more serious eye condition that needs to be checked immediately by an eye doctor.

Causes of Eye Floaters

Floaters may be a result of age-related eye changes, inflammation in the back of the eye where there is a release of inflammatory debris or bleeding in the eye. Bleeding can be the result of hypertension, diabetes, blocked blood vessels, and eye injuries where the blood is seen as floaters. Another cause can be a torn retina, which is very serious, as retinal detachment can cause blindness. Previous eye surgeries and certain medications can also cause eye floaters. If you have new or concerning eye floaters, talk with our optometrist about them before they get worse.

Optometrist in Mooresville

If you are experiencing eye floaters in Mooresville, the eye care professionals at Mills Eye Care are ready to assist you. Our eye doctor will evaluate your eyes, determine the underlying cause of your eye floaters, and provide treatment accordingly. For more information or to schedule an eye exam, call us at (704) 664-9121.