Most eye floaters are caused by age-related changes that occur as the jelly-like substance (vitreous) inside your eyes becomes more liquid. Microscopic fibers within the vitreous tend to clump and can cast tiny shadows on your retina. The shadows you see are called floaters.

40 microns

Micron Size Comparison Chart

Floaters appear as if they are on the front of the lens of your eyes. Actually, they are shadows cast by objects suspended in the clear, gel-like substance that makes up the vitreous humor, which is the majority of what’s in the interior of your eyes. The vitreous helps maintain the eye’s round shape.

This is in fact perfectly normal, and a natural part of getting a bit older. So you are definitely not imagining things, and these images are caused by actual changes called “vitreous floaters” which are truly there, constantly drifting about inside your eyes.

You may develop an eye worm that crawls across the surface of your eye. Sometimes you may see a worm that crawls under your skin. Less common symptoms include itching all over your body, muscle pain, joint pain, and fatigue.

Will eye floaters go away over time? For many people, eye floaters do not necessarily go away over time, but they do become less noticeable. They slowly sink within your vitreous and eventually settle at the bottom of your eye. Once this happens, you won’t notice them and will think they have gone away.

It usually takes about a month, but sometimes it can take up to six months. Floaters will gradually get smaller and less noticeable as the weeks and months go by, but usually they never disappear completely. Are floaters and flashes serious? Do not worry if you have a few floaters.