If you’re seeing spots or what appear to be black “strings” floating in your line of vision, these could be signs of eye floaters. Floaters are an age-related eye condition common in people over the age of 50. Floaters occur when protein fibers within the jelly-like vitreous of your eye clump together and cast shadows over the retina of your eye. If you’re seeing spots in your vision, contact our optometrist from AssureVision to diagnose this condition. For your convenience, we serve residents in Arlington Heights, Barrington, and Glenview, IL.

Eye Floater Symptoms 

Eye floaters can appear as dark spots, specks, strings, or cobwebs that appear in your line of vision and gradually float out of sight. They’re often more noticeable when looking at a bright or plain background like a clear blue sky or light-colored wall. These shapes may come and go in your line of vision but don’t obstruct your sight.

When to See Your Optometrist 

For the most part, floaters don’t pose a risk to your eye health or vision and aren’t cause for alarm. If, however, your condition worsens or your spotted vision is accompanied by other symptoms like pain, flashes of light, blurred vision, or loss of peripheral vision, contact our optometrist for a checkup as these could be signs of a more serious eye problem like retinal detachment that can threaten your sight.

Eye inflammation is another condition that can cause an increase in floaters. You should notify our optometrist if floaters increase after a cataract or other eye surgery as it could be due to complications from your treatment.

Treatment

Age-related floaters that don’t interfere with your vision don’t generally require treatment. If your floaters increase due to eye inflammation or other eye condition, your optometrist can reduce your spotted vision by treating the condition. When in doubt, talk to your local optometrist about your condition.

See Your Arlington Heights Optometrist for Eye FloaterTreatment 

To schedule an appointment with your AssureVision optometrist in Arlington Heights, call (847) 368-9999. Barrington, call (224) 407-2020.  For Glenview, IL, call (847) 724-2020.