Floaters are clumps of the gel-like substance (vitreoushumor) thatfill your eye.
This article covers what it means if youre seeing black spots in your vision.
Usually, floaters move with your vision as your eyes move rather than staying in one spot.
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A black, fixed spot in your vision could be another condition, like a macular hole.
Do Eye Floaters Go Away?
Sometimes, black spots in your vision go away on their own or become less of a problem.
In these cases, floaters may not need treatment.
Causes
Floaters can be a normal part of aging.
Floaters also happen if the vitreous in the eye begins to shrink, clump together, and form particles.
Sometimes, people will seeflashes of lightbefore they start seeing floaters.
Floaters can occur after what is known as aposterior vitreous detachment(PVD).
By age 80, more than half of the population has had a posterior vitreous detachment.
When this part gets weak, it detaches from the sides and collapses into the liquified center.
In many cases, the posterior vitreous tugs on the vitreous without any problem and detaches from it.
However, it can lead to more serious issues such asretinal tearsor retinal detachment.
You may see flashes if you hit your head.
The motion shakes the vitreous fluid and can make you see stars for a moment.
This usually happens just in one eye and is called anocular migraine.
It may or may not come with a headache.
Migraine with aura is a punch in of ocular migraine.
In these cases, leftover bubbles from medication or oils used during surgery can look like floaters.
What Causes Black Spots That Are Not Floaters?
Black spots in your vision that are not floaters are fixed in place.
Having a lot of new floaters can be a sign of a tear in the retina.
If diagnosed quickly, the condition can usually be successfully repaired.
Treatment
You may not need treatment for black spots in your vision.
If you do, there are a few options depending on what the cause of the floaters is.
Vitrectomy
Avitrectomyused to be the only treatment for black spots in vision.
Laser
Another treatment with less risk is laservitreolysis.
The floaters are either vaporized or broken up into smaller, less noticeable pieces.
Keep in mind that not all floaters can be treated with this approach.
Summary
Black spots in your vision are often just annoying and will go away without treatment.
They can also use a laser to vaporize the floaters or break them into smaller pieces.
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See your eye doctor.
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