Are eye floaters dangerous?
Eye floaters can be annoying, but by themselves they are not dangerous. The majority of eye floaters are caused by normal aging changes within the eye. However, a person developing symptoms of eye floaters should be checked by an ophthalmologist to make certain that there is no associated eye abnormality which requires treatment. A sudden onset of many eye floaters or the onset of eye floaters associated with flashing lights could signify a retinal tear that requires treatment to prevent retinal detachment. A curtain or cloud in the vision or a loss of side vision could be a symptom of associated retinal detachment. How are eye floaters diagnosed? When you go to your ophthalmologist with the symptom of eye floaters, he or she will first ask you questions about them. The ophthalmologist will check your vision, look at the front of your eyes with a slit lamp, and then place drops in the eyes to dilate the pupils. After the pupils are dilated, the retina and vitreous will be examined with
