You can't completely stop age-related eye floaters, but you can minimize their impact and potentially slow their development by staying hydrated, eating a healthy diet (leafy greens, omega-3s), protecting your eyes from sun/strain, giving screens breaks, and avoiding smoking/excess alcohol; however, a sudden increase in floaters needs an immediate eye exam to rule out serious issues like retinal detachment.
How to Get Rid of Eye Floaters Naturally
Floaters are spots and lines that "float" across your child's field of vision. These are caused by stray cells or strands of tissue inside the eyeball.
It is common to experience dry eye, floaters, or even blurriness and double vision. Any changes in your vision will usually resolve on their own. However, if you notice any changes it's important to alert your doctor as soon as possible, since vision changes can also indicate a more serious condition.
Eye floaters may be caused by vitreous changes related to aging or from other diseases or conditions: Age-related eye changes. The vitreous is a jelly-like substance made primarily of water, collagen (a type of protein) and hyaluronan (a type of carbohydrate).
A Natural Eye Floater Remedy: Can Vitamins Help with Floaters?
While eye floaters are often harmless and a part of the natural aging process, they can also be a sign of systemic health issues. Conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, and inflammatory diseases can all cause changes in the eyes, including the appearance of floaters.
Risk factors for eye floaters include:
Until your blood pressure stabilizes, your brain and eyes are briefly deprived of blood and oxygen. That stops the retina from functioning normally – and it relays that information to the brain. That's why you start to see the tell-tale flashes of light or 'stars.
Experiencing blurry or double vision can be alarming, especially when it occurs suddenly or persists over time. While occasional changes in vision might not be cause for concern, persistent or severe visual disturbances could indicate underlying health issues that require immediate attention.
Eye strain (e.g., heavy screen time) can cause discomfort, dryness, and headaches, but it doesn't create floaters. It may make you notice existing floaters more. Flashes are not a typical eye strain symptom; they're more often due to traction on the retina. If you're seeing flashes, schedule an exam.
Acute glaucoma symptoms include ocular discomfort, impaired vision, and epiphora. Headache, nausea, and abdominal discomfort are all associated systemic symptoms.
If you already have eye floaters, then smoking can worsen them. If you don't already have them, then this habit is a likely cause. Similarly, excessive drinking of alcohol can cause premature aging to the vitreous humour, which can trigger the development of floaters.
The more you focus on your eye floaters the more you notice them. Whereas if you ignore them, your brain usually learns to make them 'disappear'. In addition, taking regular breaks and avoiding working in bright white backgrounds where eye floaters can be more noticeable, could also be helpful.
Lots of people, particularly older people, get floaters and flashes. They're usually caused by a harmless process called posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), where the gel inside your eyes changes. Sometimes they can be caused by retinal detachment. This is serious and can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated.
Chronic floaters usually aren't something you need to be concerned about, but it's a good idea to have your eyes regularly checked to make sure there aren't any other serious eye issues. If you experience an acute (sudden) onset of floaters and flashes, you should see an eye care provider.
Are there different types of floaters?
Critical warning signs of retina problems include dim vision, distorted vision, double vision, floating webs, flashing lights, halos around lights, gray or dark curtain blocking vision, peripheral shadows, blind spots, pain, and overall decrease, especially a rapid decline, in the quality of your vision.
You may notice symptoms such as:
You're experiencing flashes of light alongside eye floaters. You notice a shadow or curtain appearing or affecting your side vision (peripheral). New floaters after eye surgery or eye trauma. You're experiencing noticeable vision loss at the same time as floaters.