Suddenly Seeing Floaters? 4 Possible Reasons Why

Have you recently seen a small black spot in your vision? It’s called a floater. Occasional floaters can be part of normal aging. However, floaters can sometimes signal severe eye conditions that need immediate attention. 

Our board-certified ophthalmologists at Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, save time in your schedule for an appointment if you see an increase in floaters in your vision and/or have blurry vision. We administer a thorough eye examination and let you know if you have nothing to worry about or an eye condition that needs treatment. 

Following are four reasons why you see floaters in your vision. 

Normal aging 

Do you occasionally see a black spot or a squiggly line in your vision that may appear as part of a spider’s web? If it doesn’t happen often, it’s most likely a part of normal aging. Sometimes, the vitreous humor, which covers your eye and helps your eye keep its shape, shrinks and forms small clumps, which appear as floaters in your eye. 

A macular hole 

Your macula is a part of your retina, which controls what you see straight ahead of you, known as your central vision. If you have a macular hole, you have a tear in the macula. 

Aging is the main reason a macular hole may develop in your eye. As you age, your vitreous humor may shrink and create abnormal pressure on the retina, stretching and tearing the macula. 

You may see a black hole when you look at objects in front of you. You may also have blurry vision. Straight lines could appear wavy, making reading difficult. A small macular hole may close; vitrectomy surgery is usually necessary to restore your vision. 

Vitreous hemorrhage

If the number of floaters rapidly increases and/or you get blurry vision, you could be experiencing a vitreous hemorrhage, which means that blood is leaking into your vitreous humor. 

You may have a tear in your retina that causes blood to move into the vitreous humor, or blood vessels may have ruptured due to pressure as the vitreous humor pulls away from the retina. 

If the hemorrhage is mild, we may wait to see if your body reabsorbs the blood. We may prescribe medication to stop blood vessel growth. On the other hand, you may need laser treatment or a surgery called a vitrectomy that replaces the vitreous with a gas bubble. 

Retinal detachment/diabetic retinopathy

Do you suddenly see many floaters and flashes of light in your peripheral vision? It’s important to call our office; you may be at risk of retinal detachment. If you have diabetes or a family history of retina problems, you’re more at risk for retinal detachment. 

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that develops if your blood sugar levels remain high and uncontrolled over time. Blood supply to your retina gets diminished. Your body attempts to form new blood vessels, but these blood vessels don’t achieve normal growth and may start leaking. 

When you have diabetic retinopathy, we schedule you for more frequent eye exams and monitor you closely. 

Call Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, or book an appointment through our online portal today if you see numerous floaters.