Why do floaters move when I move my eyes?

They drift with the gel in the back of the eye, so changing gaze direction makes the shadows glide until gravity settles them again.

Do blue light–filter glasses reduce floaters?

No. Blue filters may ease digital eye strain but they don’t affect vitreous clumps or the shadows they cast.

Can high blood pressure cause floaters?

Indirectly, yes; uncontrolled hypertension raises risk of retinal bleeding, and blood cells appear as sudden new floaters.

I’m 28 and highly myopic. Should I worry more?

Severe nearsightedness stretches the retina, so any new flashes or floaters warrant prompt dilated exam even at a young age.

Will vitamin supplements make floaters disappear?

There is no proven supplement that dissolves existing floaters. Antioxidant formulas may support overall retinal health but won’t clear shadows.

What does it mean when you see floaters in your vision?

Are most eye floaters normal age-related changes?

In many people, floaters appear gradually after age 40 as the clear gel in the back of the eye starts to liquefy. These specks drift when you move your eyes and are most obvious against bright backgrounds.

The vitreous shrinks and clumps with ageRoughly 70 % of adults over 50 show some degree of gel liquefaction on ultrasound scans.
Shadows, not objects, create what you ‘see’The moving dots are shadows on your retina, not debris floating on the eye surface.
They stay below your line of sightBenign floaters drift downwards when you stop moving your eyes because the gel’s density is higher than fluid.
Expert insight from Sina Hartung, MMSC-BMI“Slowly increasing floaters that have been stable for months are rarely dangerous but should still be documented at your next routine eye exam.”
A sudden shower of floaters with light flashes warrants same-day careMayo Clinic cautions that an abrupt increase in floaters—especially when accompanied by flashes of light or a dark curtain in your vision—can signal a retinal tear or detachment and needs immediate evaluation. (MayoClinic)
Nearsightedness and post-cataract surgery make floaters more commonAll About Vision notes that people who are highly myopic or have recently undergone cataract surgery tend to notice floaters earlier and more frequently than others their age. (AllAboutVision)

Which floater patterns are red flags for retinal tears?

Certain changes demand urgent attention because they often accompany retinal damage that can lead to permanent vision loss within days.

A sudden ‘snowstorm’ of black specksStudies show 8-15 % of patients with dozens of new floaters at once have a retinal tear on same-day exam.
Flashes that look like camera strobesLight flashes suggest the gel is tugging on the light-sensing retina—a classic warning sign.
Curved curtain or gray shadow at the edgeThis indicates the retina has already begun to detach; about 50 % progress to full detachment without surgery within 24–72 h.
Concurrent drop in central visionBlurred or wavy central vision alongside floaters can point to macular involvement, an ophthalmic emergency.
Comment from the team at Eureka Health“Any new floater plus a peripheral shadow qualifies as ‘same-day’ care—don’t wait for it to ‘settle down.’”
Pepper-like cloud of tiny red dotsThousands of pinpoint floaters are often red blood cells from a fresh vitreous hemorrhage; Retina Eye Care notes this pattern frequently accompanies a new retinal tear. (RetinaEyeCare)
Posterior vitreous separation carries 3–10 % tear riskSpokane Eye Clinic reports that sudden cobweb-type floaters after a posterior vitreous separation lead to retinal tears in roughly 3–10 % of cases, warranting an urgent dilated exam. (SpokaneEye)

What common conditions other than aging cause floaters?

Not all floaters stem from normal aging. Understanding alternative causes helps you judge risk level and discuss targeted testing with your clinician.

Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) at a younger ageMyopic (nearsighted) people develop PVD 10–15 years earlier, raising lifetime retinal-tear risk two-fold.
Inflammation inside the eye (uveitis)Inflammatory cells look like small dust clouds; up to 30 % of uveitis cases present first with floaters.
Bleeding after injury or diabetesTiny blood cells in the vitreous create red-brown dots; 17 % of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy report acute floaters.
Rare but serious infectionsToxoplasmosis and CMV retinitis can both release debris into the vitreous, usually alongside pain or photophobia.
Perspective from Sina Hartung, MMSC-BMI“Context matters: a healthy 25-year-old after head trauma needs a different work-up than a 65-year-old with diabetes.”
Retinal tear or detachment is a red-flag sourceNEI cautions that a sudden surge of floaters, particularly when accompanied by light flashes or a dark curtain in side vision, can point to a retinal tear or detachment requiring urgent evaluation. (NEI)
Floaters can follow cataract or other eye surgeryWhiteEye reports that recent ocular operations—including cataract surgery—may release postoperative debris into the vitreous, creating new floaters soon after the procedure. (WhiteEye)

Can I manage harmless floaters at home?

If your eye doctor confirms the floaters are benign, simple daily steps can reduce their annoyance and monitor changes.

Shift your gaze to move the speckLooking quickly up-down displaces the gel so the shadow drifts out of central vision within seconds.
Use uniform lighting when readingBright, even light reduces contrast between floater shadows and background, making them less noticeable.
Track frequency in a dedicated logRecording date, number, and any flashes helps spot sudden changes—Eureka’s mobile symptom tracker simplifies this.
Protect eyes from UV to slow gel changesWearing 99 % UVA/UVB-blocking sunglasses can modestly reduce oxidative stress on the vitreous according to small cohort data.
Guidance from the team at Eureka Health“If a floater suddenly looks like a ring or coil, log it and request a quick tele-consult; ring-shaped Weiss rings often signal new PVD that merits re-check in six weeks.”
Give your eyes frequent screen breaksThe New York Eye Doctor recommends pausing every 20 minutes to look into the distance, easing digital eyestrain and helping benign floaters fade from attention. (NYED)
Add vitamin-C–rich foods for vitreous supportAn ophthalmologist on Practo advises boosting intake of amla and other citrus-rich sources of vitamin C to support collagen in the vitreous, a simple step some patients feel lessens new floater formation. (Practo)

When do doctors order imaging, labs, or consider surgery for floaters?

Work-up depends on suspected cause. Most benign cases need only eye-chart testing and dilated exam, but red-flag features prompt additional steps.

Dilated fundus exam is first-lineOphthalmologists find 90 % of retinal tears with indirect ophthalmoscopy under dilation.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) for macular involvementOCT detects macular edema or hole at micron resolution; results guide urgency for vitrectomy.
B-scan ultrasound when the view is cloudyThis test spots hidden detachments or hemorrhage with 97 % sensitivity.
Antibiotics or steroids tailored to lab resultsIf inflammation is suspected, doctors order CBC, ESR, and sometimes aqueous tap; medication choice hinges on organism and cell counts—never self-start drops.
Quote from Sina Hartung, MMSC-BMI“Pars plana vitrectomy removes disruptive floaters in over 90 % of cases but carries a 1-2 % risk of retinal detachment, so we reserve it for severe interference with daily life.”
Flashes, a shower of new floaters, or a curtain over vision prompt same-day retinal imagingHarvard Health notes these symptoms can signal a retinal tear or detachment, requiring immediate dilated exam and possible laser or surgical repair. (Harvard)
Vitrectomy is reserved for severe cases because it can accelerate cataract formation and risk retinal detachmentBoth Duke Health and ophthalmology reviews describe vitrectomy as a last-resort option when floaters markedly hinder daily life, owing to procedure-related complications. (Duke)