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.

I was 45 when I started seeing these floaters in my left eye. What’s the deal with these things? My ophthalmologist told me that there’s nothing she can do. I’m getting desperate and I want them removed because they just seem to get worse! Can I have them removed through laser surgery?

Harvey
Miami, FL

I feel for you Harvey. According to statistics, eye floaters are a major nuisance to the general population. Especially common to older people who suffer from connective tissue disorders, eye floaters in general are not harmful for your health. It’s just pretty annoying to have them in the eyes because it is something we are not used to.

Eye floaters start at the back of the eyes upon the rupturing of blood vessels. As the blood clots, it goes straight to the vitreous humor of the eyes and just stays there. They get smaller as time goes by and before you know it, you will only see little specks of black, somewhat translucent or transparent marks in your field of vision. Now, I am not sure how you incurred eye floaters because their main causes vary but you could have prevented them by having the right knowledge and know how before they even occurred.

I know it could be irritating, even despairing for people to have eye floaters. But sadly, there are no known cures for eye floaters. Having a laser eye surgery can further damage the blood vessels in the eyes and can even cause the build-up of more eye floaters. I believe even your doctors will advise you the same thing. There are certain products which is said to help reduce the effects of having eye floaters but there is no conventional cure for it. As for those people who have a really severe case of eye floaters, vitrectomy is often suggested by doctors but it is quite pricey. Hope I helped you in any way.

Has any one seen Vision Floaters In The Eye?  I never knew what they were until recently.  Vision floaters are tiny “webs” or specks that float about in your eye or eyes. In your field of vision you may see small, dark, shadowy shapes that can look like spots, thread-like strands, or squiggly lines. Here is an example of floaters in the eye:

They move as your eyes move and seem to jump away when you try to see the floaters directly. Vision Floaters do not follow your eye movements precisely, and usually drift when your eyes stop moving. Many people have floaters in the eye and learn to ignore them; they are usually not as noticeable until they become numerous or more prominent. Floaters in the eye can become apparent when looking at something bright, such as white paper or a blue sky.