Eye floaters are primarily caused by age-related changes within the eye.
Understanding Eye Floaters
Here's a breakdown of how eye floaters form:
- Vitreous Liquefaction: The vitreous, a jelly-like substance filling the space between the lens and the retina of your eye, undergoes changes as you age. It begins to liquefy.
- Vitreous Contraction: As the vitreous liquifies, it also starts to contract or shrink. This process is a normal part of aging.
- Collagen Clumps: During the contraction, tiny clumps of collagen fibers start forming within the vitreous. These clumps are not clear; instead, they are opaque.
- Shadows on the Retina: When light enters the eye, these collagen clumps cast shadows on the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. These shadows are what you see as floaters.
Age-Related Changes
According to the reference, most eye floaters are caused by age-related changes that occur as the jelly-like substance (vitreous) inside your eyes liquifies and contracts. This natural process is usually harmless, but floaters can be bothersome.
Summary
The appearance of floaters results from the natural aging process of the vitreous gel inside the eye. As this gel becomes more liquid and shrinks, collagen fibers can clump together, casting shadows that we perceive as floaters.
