Symptom: Floaters

Introduction: Floaters

Floaters need immediate medical diagnosis by an eye specialist because of the risk of the severe retinal detachment, which can cause vision loss. However, other causes of floaters are more common than retinal detachment, such as vitreous detachment due to aging.

The shapes of floaters vary, with effects such as spots, dots, wavy lines, cloud-like shapes, spidery-webs, and other variations. There may be one large floater, or many smaller floaters, or any combination. Floaters may be caused by opaque substances (e.g. blood) floating in the vitreous or from problems with the retina. Floaters in the eyes are seen by the person, but nothing can usually be seen on the eyes. The floaters move with the eyes, so you usually cannot focus on them. To see them best, look at a white piece of paper, wall, or a clear sky.

Floaters are often associated with visual flashes, where the person sees flashing lights or sudden pulses of bright lights. Flashes are also a symptom of serious disease such as retinal detachment, but there are less serious possibilities also. Any floaters or flashes need immediate medical diagnosis by an eye specialist.

» Review Causes of Floaters: full list

Causes of Floaters:

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Floaters. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

• Normal eyes - some people get floaters without disease; other people don't.
• Floaters
• Short-sightedness
• Vitreous detachment - commonly occurring with aging
• Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) - commonly occurring with aging
• Retinal disorder
• Retinal damage (see Retina symptoms)
• Detached retina
• Diabetic retinopathy

See full list of 16 causes of Floaters

» Review Causes of Floaters: full list

Floaters: Multiple Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Floaters, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms

• Floaters: Multiple Symptom Checker

Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations

• Floaters and Impaired vision (11 causes)
• Floaters and Eye symptoms (10 causes)
• Floaters and Vision changes (10 causes)
• Floaters and Vision distortion (10 causes)
• Floaters and Blurred vision (9 causes)
• Floaters and Blind spot (8 causes)
• Floaters and Blindness (8 causes)
• Floaters and Seeing spots (8 causes)
• Floaters and Visual problems (8 causes)
• Floaters and Retina symptoms (6 causes)
• Floaters and Flashes (5 causes)
• Floaters and Nerve symptoms (5 causes)
• Floaters and Pain (5 causes)
• Floaters and Seeing lights (5 causes)
• Floaters and Sensations (5 causes)
• Floaters and Retinal detachment (5 causes)
• Floaters and Muscle symptoms (3 causes)
• Floaters and Photophobia (3 causes)
• Floaters and Red eye (3 causes)
• Floaters and Glaucoma (3 causes)

See full list of 117 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to Floaters

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

• Blind spot (34 causes)
• Eye symptoms (2203 causes)
• Seeing spots (14 causes)
• Vision changes (1313 causes)
• Blindness (331 causes)
• Vision loss (527 causes)
• Vision distortion (1063 causes)
• Visual problems (1303 causes)
• Impaired vision (911 causes)

Causes of Similar Symptoms to Floaters

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Floaters:

• Flashes (23 causes)
• Vision loss (527 causes)
• Cloudy vision (169 causes)
• Blurred vision (511 causes)
• Double vision (125 causes)

Diagnostic Guides for Floaters

Medical Books Excerpts Read excerpts from published book sections related to Floaters from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Floaters. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Floaters

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic tests for Floaters:

Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Floaters. Some of these are listed below :

• Physical examination
  • Blood pressure (high blood pressure may be associated with floaters)
  • Inspect the eye noting the nature of redness, if present. This will help diagnose for uveitis which may cause floaters
  • Visual acuity - in both eyes and with and without glasses (if worn) to determine any refractive error.
  • Visual field testing - to detect either a contraction (a local or general reduction in the area of field) or a scotoma (an island of loss within the field).

See full list of 12 diagnostic tests for Floaters

Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Floaters. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

• How long have you noticed floaters in your field of vision? - to determine if acute or chronic.
• What exactly do you mean by floaters? - "floaters" are generally used to describe tiny dark spots, specks or spidery webs that float across the field of vision. Most people notice them in well-lit rooms or outdoors on a bright day. After the eye comes to rest, they continue to move. Floaters often are normal, but sometimes they warn of eye problems such as retinal detachment, especially if they happen with light flashes.
• Are the floaters unilateral or bilateral?
• Was there anything that precipitated the onset of the floaters?
• Risk factors for retinal detachment? - e.g. eye trauma, myopia (short-sightedness), previous cataract operation, eye tumor, diabetes.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Floaters (15 listings)

Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Floaters) may include:

• Flashes in field of vision? - suggests retinal detachment.
• Redness and painful eye? - may suggest uveitis.
• Symptoms of vitreous hemorrhage? - e.g. sudden onset of floaters in vision, may be sudden loss of vision, visual acuity depends on extent of hemorrhage.
• Symptoms of retinal detachment? - e.g. sudden showers of floaters or flashes or black spots, blurred vision in one eye becoming worse, " a curtain coming down over the eye", painless total or partial loss of visual field.
• Symptoms of posterior vitreous detachment? - e.g. sudden onset of floaters, visual acuity usually normal, flashing lights usually indicate traction on the retina ( and thus at risk of retinal detachment).

See Diagnosis Checklist for Floaters (15 listings)

Stories from Users for Floaters

Real-life user stories relating to Floaters:

• flashers, floaters, and more
• scalp itchiness, neck pain and eye floaters
• Help! Floaters getting much worse! Despaired
• I see my blood vessels pulsate through my eyes on occaision
• blood vessel broke in the right eye,stayed permanently, any way to remove it?
• some thing in eye but can see
• anyone have or know anything thing about dravets syndrome?
• Dark spots near the vagina and the pernial area
• got that coco thing again!
• Cobwebs
• Floaters and Unknown Visual Symptom
• Debris in Eye, ALWAYS see an eye DR.
• Vibration in fingers; flashes and floaters in eye
• Help-Scratchy eye, floaters, dilated pupil
• Vascular attenuation of the eye vessels
• Dark spots near the vagina and the pernial area
• symptoms & things
• Visual Inquiry
• Debris in Eye, ALWAYS see an eye DR.
• Scratchy Eye, Dilated Pupil & Floaters

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Floaters or relevant symptoms:

• Eyes (218)
  • Sudden blackout in vision??
  • Halo around the streetlights, glaucoma or something else?
  • Flashers, floaters, and more
  • Seeing spots
  • Flashes of almost lightning type light with sound
  • More user stories
• Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Circulation) (171)
  • Chest pain and shortness of breath
  • Hand numbness
  • Purple-blue skin color
  • Need help with diagnoses
  • Anxiety and high BP
  • More user stories
• Neurological (Nerves) (357)
  • Could this be MS?
  • Numbness and tingling all over
  • Tingling/numbness in arms/hands/legs/face/head [more symptoms]
  • Eye twitch
  • Essential tremor
  • More user stories
• Endocrine (Growth and Metabolism) (93)
  • Symptoms of Cushing's - Tests all negative
  • Has anyone been diagnosed with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome and are being treated??
  • Pitutary tumor
  • I am at my wits end with these symptoms
  • I think I have Cushings, can you help?
  • More user stories

Videos for Floaters

Patient Surveys for Floaters

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about diseases related to your Floaters
  Take Survey  View Results

Article Excerpts about Floaters

Floaters are tiny spots or specks that float across the field of vision. Most people notice them in well-lit rooms or outdoors on a bright day. Floaters often are normal, but sometimes they warn of eye problems such as retinal detachment, especially if they happen with light flashes. If you notice a sudden change in the type or number of spots or flashes, see your eye doctor. (Source: excerpt from Aging and Your Eyes - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Organs affected by Floaters:

The list of organs typically affected by Floaters may include, but is not limited to:

• Brain
• Eye

Detailed list of causes of Floaters

The list below shows some of the causes of Floaters mentioned in various sources:

• Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment - floaters
• Autoimmune uveitis - Floaters
• Cytomegalovirus retinitis - floaters
• Detached retina
• Diabetic retinopathy - floaters

See full list of 16 causes of Floaters

How Common are these Causes of Floaters?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Floaters. Of the 16 causes of Floaters that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

• 1 causes are "very common" diseases
• 2 causes are "common" diseases
• 0 causes are "uncommon" diseases
• 0 causes are "rare" diseases
• 2 causes are "very rare" diseases
• 13 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 16 causes of Floaters

Conditions listing symptoms: Floaters:

The following list of conditions have 'Floaters' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

A

Causes of Floaters Based on Risk Factors

This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Floaters based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient: