How to Treat Floaters in the Eye

A floater is a tiny piece of membrane that floats free in the vitreous fluid of your eye. The debris casts a shadow on your retina and can appear as a dark spot in your vision. Most floaters are minor, though they can be distracting at first, and they usually do not cause major vision disturbances. If your floaters are numerous or bothersome, you may seek surgical treatment. The elderly and people who have cataracts or other eye diseases are among those most likely to develop floaters in the eye.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vitamin C supplement
• Vitamin E supplement
• Zinc supplement
• Copper supplement

1. Visit your ophthalmologist if you experience spots or specks in your line of vision or other disturbances that affect your ability to see. Your eye doctor will examine your eyes to be sure your retina and optic nerve are healthy.

2. Undergo a vitrectomy to treat floaters that significantly affect your vision. The National Eye Institute explains that a vitrectomy procedure removes the vitreous gel from within the eye. Floaters in the eye are suctioned away with other debris, and the vitreous fluids are replaced with a saline solution.

3. Consider minimally invasive laser treatments to remove floaters in your eye. Laser surgery to remove floaters is a controversial topic among eye doctors; only a small number of ophthalmologists in the United States perform laser surgery to remove floaters. The procedure is low-risk, but according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, for most people floaters do not justify the risk of laser treatment.

4. Follow an antioxidant-rich diet to promote eye health. The National Eye Institute's Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found that people who took vitamins C and E and the minerals zinc and copper had less risk of developing advanced macular degeneration, a form of eye disease. Though the AREDS formulation of nutritional supplements was not specifically designed to treat floaters in the eye, taking vitamins to keep your eyes and vitreous fluid healthy may be beneficial to your overall well-being.

Tips & Warnings

• Discuss your use of supplements with your eye doctor and primary care physician before beginning a regimen.
• If you have a floater and also see flashes of light or halos around lights, it's crucial to have your eyes checked immediately. These symptoms could indicate retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the nutrient-rich area in the back of your eye. Untreated retinal detachment can lead to a permanent loss of your eyesight.

References

• Facts About Floaters: National Eye Institute
• Eye Floaters, Flashes and Spots: All About Vision,
• "Treatment of eye floaters ignites debate," USA Today, January 26, 2007

Resources

• Age-Related Eye Disease Study: National Eye Institute

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