Last Updated December 13, 2022

Eye Floaters Treatment: 4 Ways to Manage Them

Written by MacuHealth
Reviewed by Jim Stringham, Ph.D.

Spotting an eye floater for the first time can be concerning. These dark shapes that drift across your vision can make you believe something is wrong with your eyes. But eye floaters are exceptionally common, with one study confirming that 76% of respondents had seen them in their eyes.

While the condition is common, there aren’t any products that can get rid of eye floaters. But there are products that can help you manage them.

What are Eye Floaters?

Before discussing an eye floaters treatment, where do they come from?

Most people experience eye floaters as a natural consequence of aging. Floaters are bits of collagen from inside the vitreous, a gel-like substance found in the middle of the eye. With age, the vitreous shrinks and creates these little particles.

According to the National Eye Institute, floaters can appear as spots, threads, cobwebs, and squiggly lines.

Since eye floaters drift through the eye’s vitreous, they appear to “float.” Many people also report their floaters moving with the movement of their eyes. You can see them primarily when they pass through the retina’s center, the macula.

The easiest way to see eye floaters is to stare at a blank surface, such as a wall or a piece of paper. Note that unless your eye floater happens to be drifting across your retina, you will be unable to see it.

In most cases, removing floaters from the eyes is not necessary. Nearly all floaters are benign and will not lead to serious vision problems. But do eye floaters go away? Sometimes floaters become less pronounced or disappear on their own.

Occasionally, the appearance of floaters can indicate a severe eye condition known as posterior vitreous or retinal detachment. Detached retinas can cause a severe and sudden deterioration in vision.

Another potential issue is a retinal tear. These tears occur due to the natural shrinking of the vitreous over time.

Make sure you see an optometrist immediately if you note more floaters than usual, flashes across your vision, or a sudden decline in your ability to see.

What Causes Eye Floaters?

Although annoying, eye floaters are nothing to be concerned about for most people. The shrinking vitreous can lead to floaters, but there are different types of eye floaters to consider.

Here is a breakdown of the three most common eye floaters:

Embryonic Remnants – These floaters occur because the hyaloid artery, responsible for providing nutrients to the eye in the womb, pulls away from the lens. Sometimes, the debris can lead to floaters, which are pieces of the hyaloid artery.
Asteroid Hyalosis – These eye floaters look like stars in the night sky because they are made from calcium soaps rather than the most common collagen-based floaters. Scientists have yet to conclude where these white opacities come from.
Posterior Vitreous Detachment – As mentioned, these floaters occur due to the retina detaching from the eye. These floaters are often larger than the floaters caused by age alone.

Many people decide against eye floater removal because they eventually stop noticing them. However, understanding what causes eye floaters can reveal which type of floater you have and whether there is any way to remove floaters in your eyes.

Who is at Risk of Developing Eye Floaters?

Nearly all cases of eye floaters come with age. Floaters can happen to anyone, but several factors place you in the higher risk category, including:

You are over 50.
You were diagnosed with diabetes.
You have experienced previous vision problems, such as eye swelling.
You have had cataract correction surgery.

The prevalence of eye floaters has increased recently due to the increase in myopia, or nearsightedness. This occurs when the eye grows too long from the front to the back. Several studies have shown a dramatic rise in myopia cases, with the digital age primarily responsible for the problem. Floaters are also being found at higher rates in younger people.

If you are nearsighted, your chances of experiencing floaters are considerably higher than those with perfect vision or farsightedness.

How to Get Rid of Eye Floaters

An eye floaters treatment depends on the floaters you have. Collagen-based floaters are the easiest to remove, with some nutritional supplements showing remarkable effectiveness in reducing the onset and severity of floaters.

If eye floaters begin to impact your vision, you must consider alternative options, including medical intervention. To date, four courses of action are available for reducing eye floaters.

Ignore Them

Approximately 90% of eye floaters are caused by aging. However, the invention of modern electronics and increasing myopia rates have led to premature eye aging in younger patients.

Experiencing floaters below 50 is not necessarily a reason for concern. In many cases, floaters will fade on their own. Many people report floaters disappearing, a consequence of the brain learning to ignore them and your vision adapting.

Unless floaters become a problem, the most straightforward course is to ignore them.

Nutritional Supplements

Getting rid of eye floaters through supplementation is a recently discovered treatment option.

According to the Floater Intervention Study (FLIES), increasing the supply of antiglycative nutrients and antioxidants can significantly shrink collagen-based floaters.

MacuHealth has provided a blend based on the FLIES study known as VitreousHealth to address the issue of eye floaters and poor eye nutrition. VitreousHealth is a supplement available through the MacuHealth online store and a nationwide selection of eye doctors.

Vitrectomy

Patients with severe eye floaters may opt for a vitrectomy. Vitrectomies are a type of invasive surgery capable of the removal of eye floaters.

By making a small incision, doctors can remove the vitreous from the eye and replace it with a solution to preserve its shape. Over time, the body produces more vitreous and gradually replaces the new solution.

According to the latest science, the single-operation success rate of the vitrectomy is 89.8%, making it a relatively low-risk eye surgery.

However, a vitrectomy does not guarantee never experiencing eye floaters again. Regardless of the type of surgical intervention, eye floaters can continue to form. The risk of newly formed floaters increases if trauma or excessive bleeding occurs during surgery.

Generally, eye doctors will only recommend this surgery if someone is experiencing severe floater symptoms impacting their vision.

Experimental Laser Therapy

As the name implies, experimental laser therapy is a brand-new treatment focusing lasers on the eyes’ floaters. The logic behind this therapy is that lasers can break up the floaters and reduce their visibility. However, the risks are high. Poorly aimed lasers could cause permanent damage to the retina.

Current laser treatments utilize a YAG laser. The problem with the treatment is that many people experience no tangible changes while continuing to risk having a laser pointed directly at their eyes.

A study examining the safety and efficacy of experimental laser therapy for floaters saw 54% of patients reporting no benefits from the treatment. Moreover, 7.7% of patients in the study complained that their symptoms had worsened.

Concerning the safety of lasers, none of the participants experienced any severe complications more than one year after the study.

Poor efficacy rates make this a last-chance eye floaters remedy.

Reduce the Severity of Eye Floaters with MacuHealth

Eye floaters are exceptionally common, and most people will learn not to notice them in time. While a limited number of cases may indicate a severe vision problem, most are benign and little more than an annoyance.

Rather than living with the symptoms, eye floaters treatment is available. New scientific discoveries have revealed that curing the problem is possible by supplying the correct nutrients and antioxidants to the vitreous.

MacuHealth’s nourishing blend is proven to improve the symptoms of floaters and reduce their severity. We also offer Omega-3 supplements to support and maintain eye health. If you want to improve your sight, shop now with MacuHealth.