Do eye floaters always get worse?

Question

I'm only twenty and I have had floaters my whole life. They're not that bad, they're tolerable, but they aren't good either

I recently read that most people get them in their middle age or old age, so does that mean they're going to get worse for me as I get older?

Answer 1

It's not uncommon to have floaters at a younger age, especially if you are nearsighted.  You will probably get more as you age, though, because your eye is aging as well.  More small pieces of your eye will break away (which is what floaters are).  That's totally normal.

The only time you want to be concerned is if you notice A LOT at once, like rain or a curtain.  That is when it could be a sign of a retinal detachment.

Otherwise, you'll just have to live with them.  :)

Answer 2

My eye dr told me that sometimes when you have a lot of floaters that you should get your eyes dialated often (yearly) and looked at deep into your eye with the scope. Floaters could be a start of retinal detatchment. If left it could cause damage to your eye. Floaters are normal though.

Answer 3

Floaters are a pain in the backside but normally not problamatic. Also, a lot of people who get floaters find that after six months the brain compensates for them and learns to ignore them. That said sometimes they dont.

It is caused by a build up of debris in the eye, specifically in the vitreous fluid, which is the jelly in the eye. You may find that gravity may help them sink to the bottom of your eye over time, particuarly as you get older.

However, you are young to get them. It is possible that you have had a vitreous separation which in itself is not a problem. Best to get your eyes checked out though as this can lead to further problems sometimes. If you start getting flashes of light, a shower of floaters or a curtain, treat it as an emergency.

Answer 4

If you have not asked an eye doctor about it you should.