What Causes Eye Floaters?

Taking care of your vision usually is pretty simple. You go to the eye doctor, get your vision checked, and do any appropriate preventative and corrective treatments. However, you may have seen small shadows, squigglies, strings, specks, blobs, or other visual disturbances occasionally in your vision. These are known as eye floaters and are common to have in the eye. In fact, everyone has at least a few floaters in their eyes. Eye floaters are usually harmless and only cause mild visual nuisances. That being said, one in three people say their floaters affect their daily functioning. Large amounts of floaters or large floaters can impede vision and be distressing. Let’s take a closer look at what causes eye floaters and how laser floater treatment can help.

Understanding Eye Floaters

The majority of floaters are caused by changes in our eyes over time, specifically in the vitreous of our eyes. The vitreous is a gel-like substance that fills the eyes and is full of tiny fibers that connect to your retina. As we age, the vitreous liquefies and contracts. This can cause tiny amounts of collagen fibers to bind together and remain floating in the liquid of your eye. They remain as visible “shadows” in your vision as they pass by the retina.

Laser Floater Treatment

You should immediately seek treatment for floaters if you see a sudden increase, especially if it’s accompanied by vision loss and flashes of light. However, floaters are usually just an annoyance and rarely require emergency treatment. That being said, annoying floaters can still affect your daily life and be uncomfortable for your vision. Thankfully, laser floater treatment can treat eye floaters without invasive surgery. 

The laser floater treatment uses laser energy to break down and vaporize clumps of collagen fibers floating in the eye. There is no need for any incisions, and discomfort is kept to a minimum. Here at Southside Eye Care, we believe that everyone deserves comfortable vision. That’s why we provide laser floater treatment to our patients looking to get rid of daily annoyance. Our team of doctors provides their expertise to ensure every treatment is efficient, comfortable and produces results. If you’re ready to get rid of eye floaters, then contact Southside Eye Care at 757-484-0101 today.