Or perhaps they appear more like strands and cobwebs that look like this?

Well, if so, then there's a good chance that what you are seeing are eye floaters.

Eye floaters are actually a very common thing to experience, especially as we get older, but they can also be a major warning sign that something more serious is going on with the eye.

So in today's video, we're going to break down what causes eye floaters and when you need to worry and call your eye doctor as soon as possible.

But first, what are eye floaters?

Technically there are several different types of eye floaters, but the most common one that people see and experience are those of vitreous floaters.

Vitreous floaters are small clumps and strands of collagen proteins that get stuck and suspended in the gel-like structure in the back of the eye called the vitreous humor.

And when you are ever in a bright environment, such as going outside or maybe staring at a bright lit computer screen, that light will cause your pupils to constrict and then that light will cast a shadow of those collagen proteins onto the retina in the back of the eye and then you experience these floaters.

Again, these types of floaters become more common as we get older, just like the collagen in our skin begins to change with age, so does the collagen within the eye.

But some people can develop eye floaters much earlier.

Usually people who are nearsighted like myself or people who have had some form of eye surgery such as cataract surgery for example.

Now if you're seeing just a few of these drifting spots and strands in your vision moving around, yeah they can be annoying but thankfully they are usually not a major health concern and no reason to call your eye doctor right away.

However, there is a time when seeing new floaters can be way more serious.

So when should you contact a doctor about seeing new eye floaters?

Well when the gel inside the eye begins to degrade, the outer layer of the collagen called the vitreous cortex begins to peel away from the back of the eye, something that we call a posterior vitreous detachment or a PVD.

And thankfully this usually occurs without any real consequence except a lot of people report seeing a very large floater suddenly appear in their vision.

But what can occasionally happen is that as the gel peels away from the back of the eye, it can occasionally pull or tug on the retinal tissue, which some people experience as kind of a bright flash of light off to one side of their vision.

But as it pulls and tugs, there's a chance it can create a tear or a retinal hole in the back of the eye, where fluid can then get through that hole and start lifting the retina off the back, which we call a retinal detachment.

Retinal detachments are considered a medical emergency because if they progress or if left untreated, they can result in permanent vision loss and blindness.

Now the symptoms of a retinal tear or detachment usually come on quite quickly, and here's what to look for.

First is any new or sudden onset of floaters, like all of a sudden you see 20 new floaters in your vision, especially if they're accompanied by any flashes of light that I mentioned.

And you see any amounts of dark shadows or new kind of curtains coming down to the sides of your vision or even just directly in front of you.

If you're having any of these symptoms, then it's super important to call your eye doctor as soon as possible, even if it's just to get them checked out and make sure everything's okay.

Now if a hole or a tear has formed, then your doctor will likely refer you to see a retina specialist, who can sometimes use a laser to zap and kind of tack down or scar over any of the holes or tears that have formed in order to prevent a retinal detachment.

If a retinal detachment has started to form, then that retina surgeon will likely have to schedule you for a more invasive procedure to try and repair or again, prevent the progression of that detachment.

Thankfully, our retina surgeons are extremely well trained and very good at what they do, but still, the sooner it gets diagnosed and scheduled for surgery, then the better the outcomes.

Now again, there are different types of eye floaters out there or things that can cause these floating spots in your vision.

Some of the more serious of which are eye infections, eye injuries, or uveitis, which is a severe form of inflammation inside of the eye.

But usually these occur alongside redness or pain of the eye.

And I think most people, if you're having any redness or pain of the eye, no, call your eye doctor and get that checked out.

However, there are some times when eye floaters can actually be bleeding inside of the eye.

And this usually doesn't occur with any pain or redness necessarily.

And people who are at highest risk of bleeding inside the eye are actually people who are diabetic.

So I think if you are experiencing any new floaters, your eyes are red, they're painful, or you know you're at higher risk, such as being diabetic, then I think it's also a safe bet to call your eye doctor and get things checked.

Now, hopefully you are not experiencing any of these emergent symptoms, but if you are seeing your floaters and find them super annoying, then if you want to know how to reduce them or to treat them, then check out this video coming up right over here to the side, where we go over the various current treatments that may be available, as well as some different treatments that are in the research.

Otherwise, Dr. Alan here, keep an eye on it and we'll see you in that next video.