Sometimes you may see small specks, swirls, cobwebs, or clouds moving around in your vision. These are called floaters. Often times, they are more noticed when looking at a plain background, like a blank wall or blue sky. The floaters are actually little clumps or condensations of the vitreous, the clear jelly-like fluid which fills the inside of your eye. They float around the eye. The floaters you see are from the shadows the clumps and condensations cast on the retina in the back of the eye.

After age 50, the vitreous gel normal begins to significantly condense. It starts to thicken, shrink, and form clumps or strands. Eventually, the vitreous gel shrinks to such an extent that it pulls away from the back wall of the eye, causing a posterior vitreous detachment. This is a very common cause of significant floaters during middle age. Posterior vitreous detachment is especially common for people who:

• are nearsighted;
• have undergone cataract operations;
• have had YAG laser surgery of the eye;
• have had inflammation inside the eye.

Sometimes when the vitreous pulls away from the wall of the eye, a blood vessel or the retina itself might tear due to the traction. This is a serious problem. The warning signs that this has happened are:

• New floaters
• Sudden flashes of light
• A black curtain coming over your field of vision

Such cases are emergencies that your ophthalmologist needs to be notified about right away.

If the retina is not torn, you will eventually adapt to the floaters as they fade over time. Whenever you have floater or develop new ones, have an ophthalmologist dilate your eyes to determine if the retina in the back of the eye has become torn or detached.