If you have every seen what appears to be floating debris in front of your eye that you cannot reach out and grab, then there is a very good chance that it is not debris at all but rather something referred to as an eye floater.

Identification

Eye floaters are a term given to lint- or dust-shaped particles that appear to be floating around in your field of vision.

Types

The most common shape of an eye floater is what appears to be a long piece of lint curled up and floating in the air. They can also appear as white spots, a cobweb shape or small circles.

Effects

The gel-like substance inside the eye is known as the vitreous. As people age, the vitreous begins to harden and starts to pull away from the back of the eye and the optic nerve. Eye floaters are the shadows of the cells and material that is floating around inside the vitreous once it begins to pull away from the optic nerve.

Considerations

Flashers may accompany eye floaters. Flashers are quick flashes of white light that occur when the hardening vitreous begins to move and bumps up against the retina in the eye.

Prevention/Solution

According to the University of Michigan, there is no treatment to prevent floaters, but they commonly disappear on their own. However, persistent floaters should be reported to an eye doctor immediately as they could indicate the onset of a retinal tear.

Source:

University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center: Eye Floaters and Flashes

EverydayHealth.com: Floaters, Flashers and Retinal Tears

AllAboutVision.com: Eye Floaters, Flashes and Seeing Spots in the Eye

More Information:

MDSupport.org: Floaters and Flashers