You may experience dry eye symptoms together with floaters, but dry eyes do not cause floaters. Floaters are usually harmless. But, sudden changes such as floater shape, size, intensity, light flashes, pain, blurred vision, or vision loss require immediate attention by your eye doctor.
Apart from redness, blurry vision, and other signs, some individuals may also experience floaters. It turns out dry eye disease does not cause floaters.
There are no eye drops, medications, vitamins or diets that will reduce or eliminate floaters once they have formed. It's important to continue your annual eye exam, so your eye doctor can identify any eye health issues that may arise.
People may be able to treat mild cases of dry eyes with over-the-counter artificial tears. For more severe cases, people may need prescription eye drops or to block the tear ducts. In-office procedures such as thermal pulsation or intense pulsed light can help unblock the meibomian glands.
If you notice a sudden increase in eye floaters, contact an eye specialist immediately — especially if you also see light flashes or lose your vision. These can be symptoms of an emergency that requires prompt attention.
The floaters often subside starting within a few days, and all but a few settle to the bottom of the eye and disappear within a 6-month period. Some residual floaters can be seen for life.
Vitrectomy/Laser Therapy
If the floaters are a major nuisance or severely hinder your vision, the best way to get rid of them is through either vitrectomy or the use of lasers. A vitrectomy is a procedure in which your doctor will remove the gel-like substance (vitreous) that keeps the shape of your eye round.
Some may think that vitreous detachment, or the little dark floaters in your vision, are caused by dry eye because the conditions share some common risk factors. However, there isn't any evidence that points to dry eyes causing vitreous detachment.
Research has indicated that stress and anxiety can trigger the formation of floaters in the eyes. Therefore, find ways to manage your stress levels, and you'll improve your eye health. Some stress management techniques include: practicing yoga, meditating, exercising, and spending time in nature.
There are no natural, at-home treatments that are capable of entirely doing away with floaters. If the issue is severe and persistent, surgery may be needed.
Can eye floaters fluctuate from day to day or throughout the day? Yes, they can vary in different light conditions and can appear more prominent against light backgrounds. Some people notice floaters more when they are tired or at the end of the day.
If floaters cause general irritation, a cool or warm compress may be placed over the eyes to soothe them.
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.
Methods to Filter Floaters
So outside, something that you can do is wear sunglasses. It filters out the floater a little bit.
Although there are many ways to prevent the onset of eye floaters, emerging research suggests a diet rich in micronutrients – most notably, zinc, l-lysine, and vitamin C – may improve vision by reducing eye floaters in individuals who already struggle with them.
They often present as squiggly lines, spots, strands of thread, dark spots, and shadowy shapes. Eye floaters may become less pronounced but are permanent. They will slowly sink within your vitreous, settling at the bottom of your eye, at which point you will no longer notice them.
Eye floaters are surprisingly common, affecting about 7 out of 10 people. They can show up at any time but for a lot of people they become noticeable after looking at something bright, such as the sun. Blinking often causes them to disappear but if you still notice them, eye floaters are usually harmless.
Eye floater treatments
If you're living with persistent eye floaters, there are some steps you can take to help calm the symptoms. Massaging your temples or eye exercises: by generating heat or doing eye exercises like moving your eyes in circles, you may be able to stave off some stubborn floaters.
What Causes Them? Most floaters are small flecks of a protein called collagen. They're part of a gel-like substance in the back of your eye called the vitreous. As you age, the protein fibers that make up the vitreous shrink down to little shreds that clump together.
Heier recommends only two approaches to dealing with floaters: ignore them, or in extreme cases, have surgery. In the surgery, called vitrectomy, a surgeon removes the gel — along with its floaters — from the back of the eye. It's effective, but it has risks, including cataracts (cloudy lenses) and retinal detachment.
Floaters are more visible in bright light, or if you are looking at a plain bright background such as a cloudless sky or white wall. Usually, the symptoms are nothing to worry about and you can get used to them.