Seeing things? It could be a floater.

Floaters are small shapes that may drift in and out of your field of vision. They can look like dark or cloudy spots, squiggly lines or even like cobwebs. Floaters are very common and are noticed by as many as 3 in 4 people.1

Floaters are actually shadows which form from little clumps of cells that are suspended inside the vitreous gel of the eye. As the vitreous gel changes it’s consistency over time, floaters can become more common with age. Floaters may be especially noticeable when you look at something bright or uniform in colour, such as a white wall, computer screen or the sky. Whilst floaters do not go away, they tend to become less obvious with time.

Floaters are common and, in most cases, do not cause any problems. However, as floaters can also be a symptom of serious eye conditions, it is important to have these examined to ensure no permanent impacts on your eye health. If you have noticed a sudden increase in floaters or other symptoms such as blurred vision, flashes of light in your vision or a curtain-like shadow across your vision, you should seek urgent care. We recommend calling us on (03) 5222 5353 so we can triage how urgently you should be seen for an eye examination.

Reference:

[1] Webb, B. F., Webb, J. R., Schroeder, M. C., & North, C. S. (2013). Prevalence of vitreous floaters in a community sample of smartphone users. International journal of ophthalmology, 6(3), 402–405. https://doi.org/10.3980/j.issn.2222-3959.2013.03.27