I’m curious if I am at risk having floaters in the eye. Does stress cause floaters in the eyes?

Carmen

Chicago, IL

Hi Carmen! The fact is, anybody is at risk having a floater in the eye.  To tell you the truth, everybody at some point in their lives will develop floaters in the eye because as people age, the wearing and tearing on all parts of the body due to the aging process will take its toll including the most delicate parts of the eyes.  If you are near-sighted or had an eye cataract and had it operated on, then you have a much higher chance of contracting an eye floater or two, because these eye conditions may change or damage the blood vessels and the vitreous humor or the jelly like substance surrounding the eye.

Eye diseases such as chronic eye infections and eye inflammations may also cause floaters in the eye. Same as with playing active sports so in a way, depending on how you define stress in your question, it can also cause floaters in the eye. As a safety measure, you should wear safety goggles when participating in rigorous activities to prevent eye injury.

You don’t have to worry that much about floaters in the eye. For some, they are just a mere annoyance and in some cases, they even disappear over time. The human brain also plays a funny trick with floaters in the eye once you get used to them. What the brain does is it ignores the floaters and you won’t see nor notice them as much.

Floaters in the eye causes as you can see come from various health conditions.  Probably one of the best floaters in the eye treatment is an organic diet of fruits and vegetables.  To get enough of the needed organic fruits and vegetables to put you body in healing mode is to juice and blend all your product.   You should probably get your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist because various vascular problems such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal hemorrhages are the main causes of the appearance of multiple floaters in the eye and can cause more serious problems such as blindness and permanent vision loss if left untreated.  Detoxing your body by juicing and blending organinc fruits and vegetables can possible reverse this and any other problems your body may be having….giving it the tools it needs to heal its self is probably what we need most.

Again floaters in the eye are generally harmless, but if they are giving you problems go get those eye floaters checked out.

What are the signs and symptoms of floaters in the eye? I want to check if I’m suffering or have a high risk of contracting floaters in the eye.

Daria,

San Diego, CA

It is best to have your eyes checked regularly by your ophthalmologist. The most likely questions your eye doctor will ask you is if you are seeing “floating objects” in your line of vision when you look at clear or bright objects. Unsure whether those are floaters in the eye you are seeing? Here are some signs and symptoms of floaters in the eye:

1. You keep seeing small, floating objects in your line of sight when you look at bright objects
2. These small floating objects keeps on disappearing and re-appearing
3. You keep seeing these floating objects which is accompanied by a painful migraine
4. You seeing these floating objects which is accompanied by “flashes of light”

If you see flashes of light, it is not always the case that this is a sure sign of floaters in the eye because these flashes of light often go together with a splitting headache. The reason behind these migraines and flashes of light are the spasms of blood vessels in the brain. There are some cases where people with floaters in the eye also experience seeing jagged lines which are often referred to as heat waves which may be or may be not accompanied by headaches.

The good thing about floaters in the eye is they are not dangerous and they are perfectly normal for older people. But be sure to have your eyes checked because floaters in the eye are usually causes of a more serious and complicated sickness. If your floaters in the eye are also a cause of a past eye injury, always have your eyes checked. Furthermore, remember to eat foods which are high in Vitamin C and Zinc content because they are said to prevent the formation of floaters in the eye. Hope all of these helped.

Vision floaters with a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables will keep these guys to a minimum.

What are the most known causes of floaters in the eye?

Macy

Atlanta, GA

According to research and eye experts, there are many reasons why floaters in the eye occur especially among older people because wear and tear in the eyes happen as a person ages. Eye diseases which can lead to floaters in the eye can be prevented easily if you care for your eyes properly and visit your eye doctor regularly. For your knowledge, below is a list of the most known causes why floaters in the eye happen.

1. Benign vitreous hemorrhages – this happens when retinal blood vessels get damaged and bleed into the vitreous humor, a clear gel-like substance that fills the space between the lens and the retina in the eye.

2. Cysticercosis – an infection caused by a pork tapeworm in the body. The worm larvae can enter the blood stream in the eyes and cause blurry vision and can lead into floaters in the eye.

3. Intake of Fomivirsen sodium – a drug which is used for intravitreal injection for people with retinal infection.

4. Pars Planitis – A rare eye condition wherein the inflammation of the peripheral retina of the eye occurs.

5. Poserior Uveitis – any inflammation such as swelling and irritation of the uvea due to wear and tear or damage. This is the part of the eyeball that contains the retina.

6. Posterior vitreous detachment – the most common cause of floaters in the eye. While not a life threatening condition, it is said to be the cause of aging and may lead to more serious conditions such as retinal tearing and detachment.

7. Retinal tear or detachment – the more serious stage of posterior vitreous detachment. Retinal detachment happens when the retinal tissue from the inner eye wall separates. If left untreated, the loose retinal tissue may develop folds and completely detach to its proper position and can cause eye vision loss.

Do certain kinds of foods prevent or cause people to have floaters in the eye?

Daisy

San Francisco, CA

Hello Daisy! Not all factors are known as to why people contract floaters in the eye and there is no real evidence that specific types of food causes it. On the other hand, medical studies suggest that one of the main causes of floaters in the eye is complications from food allergies, diabetes and lack of certain vitamins and minerals in the body. The good thing is there are foods which have certain components which may help prevent the formation of floaters in the eye.

Bell Peppers and Kiwi Fruit

One such component is Vitamin C. There was a research that proved high doses of Vitamin C can help prevent (others claim it can even treat) floaters in the eye but this may not be effective for everyone because our bodies are different from one another. Unfortunately, the human body has no way to produce its own Vitamin C so we have to include it on our diets. Besides, it is just right to take Vitamin C in moderation because high doses of Vitamin C is extremely dangerous for the body and can lead to erosion of dental enamel, atherosclerosis, and kidney stones. We can find Vitamin C in citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons (juice and rind), capsicum peppers, broccolis, and kiwi fruit. If you’re taking food supplements, ask your doctor regarding your daily needed allowance for Vitamin C.

Pistachio Nuts and Oysters

Another food component which was said to prevent floaters in the eye is Zinc and it can be found in shellfishes and some varieties of nuts. Zinc is said to reduce the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of vision loss in the western world by up to 25%. In some cases, untreated floaters in the eye cause more serious complications which eventually lead to blindness.

The right food intake is just a small part to prevent floaters in the eye. Proper eye care begins by taking care of your eyes physically. And to do that, check out the previous post.

I’m 49 years old and I have been searching the internet for answers about my eye condition. I believe this is what you professionals call “vitreous floaters”. These floaters in my eye have been bothering me for the last 3 years. I was just wondering if there is something that can be done to cure them.

Bill

Las Vegas, NV

Hello Bill! Have you tried seeking for medical attention? If they diagnosed you with floaters in the eye, didn’t they tell you how it can be cured? If that’s the case, let me explain to you what floaters in the eye are.

These vitreous floaters are tiny pieces of scabs or old retinal tissues which float around in the jelly-like substance in the eye called the vitreous. Floaters in the eye can sometimes be a symptom of an impending serious eye condition and they may have come from a small retinal hole or tear. You really need to have your eyes checked by your eye doctor. They may evaluate your eyes with a complete dilated retinal exam to check if there are flashes of light present. This will indicate more problems because flashes mean tension in your retina and could be quite dangerous. If a hole is found, an eye laser treatment must be done immediately. If that’s the case, you shouldn’t wait for blood and vitreous fluids to fill the area because it may lead to retinal detachment and if left untreated, total blindness.

Remember that this is not always the case since floaters in the eye are also often caused by old age. Usually people who are diabetics and those who lack zinc on their body when they were younger are the ones who contracts floaters in the eye. I suggest that you go to your doctor as soon as possible to have that checked. It’s the only way to find out if it can be cured by eye surgery or non-thermal laser surgery and it would really depend on the condition of your eye floaters. Hope these helps.  Is there any other eye issues that may run in your family line like color blindness, flashes in the eye, glaucoma or cataracts?  There are helpful treatments for these eye issues….more to come later…

What are the connected risks when performing a surgery for floaters in the eye? My brother in law told me that I have it because I told him I am seeing weird objects which seem to block my eyesight when I’m staring at bright areas.

Martha

Juneau, Alaska

Before, the surgical procedure of Vitrectomy was believed to cure floaters in the eye. But after a few operations, it was found out that this surgical procedure has risky side effects such as cataracts, high intraocular pressure and eye bleeding.

The main purpose of Vitrectomy is to remove some or all of the vitreous humor from the eyes, not to cure floaters in the eye and it is done manually by making an opening in the outer layer of the eye and then making three small incisions through the inner wall of the eye. These incisions are for the fiber optic light, a tube to supply saline and a sucker cutter instrument. After all three are inserted in the eye the saline pipe is started, the light is turned on and the sucking and cutting of the vitreous humor is started. While this is a very crucial operation, the development of cataract after a few years is inevitable even if the procedure is done by the best eye doctors.

With the invention of lasers, some eye doctors believe that it can help remove floaters in the eye without doing damages and leaving side effects. This has been proven by a few doctors who further developed the laser technology by creating a non-thermal laser so that other elements in the eye won’t be disrupted. This laser-eye surgery procedure proved to be successful. There is still hope for you Martha. Soon, floaters in the eye can be cured easily and flawlessly.

Are Floaters in the eye curable? If not, how can we prevent it? Thanks

Carolyn

El Paso, TX

Back then, there are no cures for floaters in the eyes and it can only be prevented. But in today’s technology, floaters in the eye can be removed thru surgery. But surgery will only be performed by doctors if it’s a really serious case of eye floater. The reason behind this are the connected risks when performing an eye surgery.

The number one cause of floaters in the eye is aging. As we grow old, we can expect hemorrhage in a small level that will likely to happen in our eyes blood vessels due to wear and tear. After the hemorrhage happen, the blood clot will float freely in the vitreous humor in the eyes and those blood clots in very tiny particles are what we are seeing as floaters in the eye. These tiny particles will show in our eye’s line of sight but we will hardly see it. The only way to notice it is if we stop for a while and focus aimlessly on bright areas such as a white wall or the clear blue sky.

Besides from aging, other cause of floaters in the eye are deficiencies from zinc or copper. If floaters in the eye appear more visible, have them checked by an eye doctor. To prevent this, you may eat fruits which have a high Rutin content. Rutin is found in vitamin C and it helps cells to be stronger in order to avoid minor breakage of blood vessels. The highest concentration of Rutin is found on the white part of the skins of citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons.

Remember, while floaters in the eyes are curable thru surgery, It’s not yet fully accepted by the community perhaps due to the connected risks of doing it. For the mean time, prevention is your best option so start eating foods which are high in Rutin.  You may recomend this to others you know in addition if ofthers suffer from other eye issues like  color blindness, cataracts or eye glaucoma.  Eating Healthy and plenty of sleep is always the best healer for the body

Hi! I am nearsighted and I think I am suffering from what most people call “floaters in the eye”. Is this risky for my eye health?

Debra

Pittsburgh, PA

Just to be sure Debra, floaters in the eye are odd shapes that appear on a person’s vision pretty much like irregular shapes that flows across. They are sometimes silvery or dark in color and most of the times will show up when you are staring at bright areas or it specially appears when staring at skies which are bright blue or white. These are not rare cases of eye symptoms since almost everybody had experienced this, but others don’t take it seriously and are pretty much just like an annoyance.

To have a better understanding of what floaters in the eye are, I will tell you how or why does it occurs and for that reason, you can judge for yourself if floaters in the eye are risky or not.

From the lens to the back of our eye, there is vitreous humor which is basically like a gel like liquid that fills most of the eye. When we age, the gel starts to reduce or it turns into a liquid which causes it to separate from the retina. The tissues that are loose are the so called floaters in the eye that we see because it’s interfering with our line of sight. Floaters in the eye are normal since it’s a sign that we are aging.

In most cases, floaters in the eye are not harmful and most of them don’t appear long enough. But if it continues to show for more than an hour, it is recommended that you see the nearest eye doctor.

I have a history of retinal detachment so I know I am prone to having eye floaters. What can I do to prevent them?

Nancy
Las Vegas, NV

Hi Nancy, good question! Since you know that eye floaters don’t have a known cure, it is wise to prevent or reduce the risk that they will happen. These floaters are caused by micro retinal hemorrhage of the blood vessels behind the eye. After the bleeding stops, the blood clot detaches from the blood vessel and “float” within the vitreous humor of the eye. The gel-like clot is not really floating for it is inside the eye and can be quite a nuisance if it is ever stuck in your field of vision. Usually, the brain helps the eyes adapt from eye floaters and you would only see them if you concentrate see it. Luckily, there are ways to lessen the risk of having eye floaters and here’s a few:

1. If you have zinc and copper deficiency, you have a higher chance of getting eye floaters. Get a check up from a doctor once in a while and see if you have enough zinc and copper levels in the body.

2. Eat lots of foods which contain Rutin. Rutin is a molecule of Vitamin C and it helps to fortify cell to cell connections in the body. This in turn helps prevent the quick wear and tear of all blood vessels in the whole body. Although Rutin can be bought in pharmacies and health stores, it is best to get it the natural way. Eat citrus fruits, cook foods which require citrus fruit’s rind, or eat buckwheat. They are all high in Rutin and can help prevent eye floaters.

3. People with high blood pressure are more prone to eye floaters since they require medicines which have blood thinners such as aspirin and Tylenol. To prevent these, eat right and live right. Preventing the core problem is usually the best cure.

I believe I have these so called “floaters” on my right eye and I’m getting quite annoyed with it. How will I be able remove them?

Darla,

Los Angeles, CA

Hello Darla. These so-called “eye floaters”, as we call them, have many different causes which may range from natural aging or when the wear and tear in the retina causes vitreous syneresis, being a symptom of eye abnormality such as near sightedness, injuries from eye surgery after a cataract surgery, laser surgery, Toxoplasmosis, and Tubercolosis; eye tumors due which is associated with leukemia and lymphoma, and eye infections due to diabetes. Floaters are classified depending to their causes.

Eye floaters are not dangerous so you don’t have to worry about them. But it is annoying for people who have them because it is more difficult for them to do everyday tasks such as driving or staring at something plain such as a white wall or a clear blue sky. Some eye floaters reduce in size and visibility over time and they may also move around the eye and can be a relief if it happens to get out of your field of vision. The shapes and colors of eye floaters may vary from being dark spots, thin lines, foggy and irregular, to being transparent streaks. Furthermore, the highly adaptive human brain becomes used to the eye floaters and there are times you will forget that you have them.

Although there are no medically tried and tested methods to remove floaters, there are certain vitamins, herbs, and iodine-based products which have been believed to reduce their effect. Unfortunately, there are no known oral or eye drop medications to fully cure floaters. If your case is a serious one, some doctors may suggest vitrectomy but it can be quite expensive.