What Causes Eye Floaters and Simple Treatments to Use for Relief

Have you ever stopped to wonder what causes eye floaters? Maybe they have concerned you so much that now searching for treatment options for those bothersome floaters. Read on. 

I'm not sure if there's anyone who has never had the frustrating experience of dealing with eye floaters. They are like cobwebs in the eyes that cause us to blink in an attempt to clear them away.

Eye floaters can  be really stubborn. Some times no matter how hard you blink or rub at the eye they just seem to refuse to go away. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you deal with them, but as usual, lets take some time to understand what we are dealing with first.

What are Floaters?

You know those tiny objects that seem to keep floating around in your eyes and cause you to blink multiple times as you try to clear them away? Well those are eye floaters, and they occur naturally as we age. They are annoying because as they drift around aimlessly they sometimes obstruct our vision, and this can be cause for concern when performing activities such as driving or handling dangerous machinery.

What Causes Floaters?

At the back portion of our eye is a gel-like vitreous substance that breaks loose in small bits to become the floaters we have to contend with. The problem is that as we age this gel-like substance changes in consistency and starts to liquefy as it dissolves, but not all of it dissolves. The bits and pieces that do not dissolve float around in our eyes and cause us discomfort. 

Do not expect relief by using medicine or getting a surgery done. That's not going to help, but there are a few things you can do to make your life more comfortable.

                                                                  Courtesy of Photobucket

Cause for Concern

Although floaters are usually harmless, there are instances when they become a cause for concern, and may even require emergency medical attention. If at any time you start feeling pain, and it is accompanied by a shower of floaters or multiple spots seek medical help immediately. You do not have to see any light flashes - those are cause enough for concern. 

What may be happening is that the vitreous is pulling away from the retina and that is serious. As a matter-of-fact, if at any time you see an abundance of floaters you should seek medical attention even if there is no pain or light flashes. 

Treatment You Can Use When Dealing With Floaters

Here are a few treatment methods that can effectively help you to cope with floaters with the aim being to strengthen the eyes and reduce the rate at which they are formed. 

1. Avoid/Reduce eye strain as it is a trigger for floaters. Pause and relax your eyes during activities that require intense focus and concentration. 
2. Eye exercises are very helpful and blinking is among the most natural and easiest ones you can do. Simply practice to blink a bit more often as this will help to keep your eye healthy as well as to nurse them back to a state of health.
3. Use vitamins and supplements (including herbal ones) that will help feed your eye. Its best to stick ones that are manufactured by reputable companies. 
4. Eye drops are very useful for protecting the eye as well as dealing with (among other conditions) cataract, glaucoma, and retinal degeneration. As is with the case in every situation - Do Not Over Do It. Two to three times per day is quite sufficient. 
5. Pinhole glasses are great for relaxing as well as for exercising your eyes without you even realizing it. Overall, they support eye health as they help to improve and even heal some eye conditions. 

We may have no control over what causes eye floaters because we cannot reverse the aging process, but we can take steps to be at peace with them. Implementing these strategies in your eye care regime will certainly help you lead a more comfortable life. They can frustrate you, but they are manageable so there's no need to allow them to ruin your chance to lead a normal life, and doing the things you enjoy doing every day.