Some questions about floaters

[Kabees]

Do people who get floaters stop developing them after a certain age or do they just continue to occur throughout a person's lifetime?
How often can a person get new floaters in thier eyes? For example, I'm moderately nearsighted and I wonder if I could get floaters more often how often on average I could get them....

Also, if a person is determined to have an 'attached' floater, one that's stuck in the same spot all the time - could the attached floater be removed or perhaps lasered away?

[NotaMD]

Floaters can come at any age, being nearsighted increases your risk of getting floaters.  If you do see a sudden increase in floaters please consult your optomestrist/optomologist as it could signal a serious eye condition.  No laser surgery can remove floaters.  The only medical cure for floaters is a Vitrectomy.  Generally floaters will eventually settle below your eye sight, could be months to years.  Since i am not a MD i would not say surgery is your only option.  Your brain will eventually learn to look past them or spend money on supplements that claim to treat them.

[berrywoo]

Floaters can occur at any age. Some doctors use laser for floaters. However, this is NOT a standard of treatment at this point in time and in fact is very rarely done or even considered. If a doctor suggests this is a course of treatment for simple floaters I would be very skeptical of the doctor's priorities and skill. There is NO cure for floaters. It is just something you have to learn to live w/ as annoying as they may be. Also, vitrectomies do not necessarily remove all floaters.

Your description of an "attached floater" is a bit confusing, since floaters are named such b/c they move around. I would suggest seeing an ophthalmologist just to be on the safe side. Plus, this way you can get any questions you have answered.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

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[Blackgypsy]

My Husband is a welder by trade and quite often gets steel grindings (sparks) in his eyes from grinding and he has floaters in his eyes from the damage of getting the grindings dug out at the doctors, he often see's them when he is looking at the blue sky's.
The worst ones are the floater's just below his vision because he often finds himself following them as his vision tries to see them lol, He said to me once that his eyesight has adjusted to them and most times he hardly notices them untill he tries to see something in the bright blue sky

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Steel shavings on the outer eye will not cause floaters. It can can scarring of the cornea. Likey he would have the same number of floaters if he was an accountant.

JCH MD

[Blackgypsy]

Thankyou Dr John for your answer, it must be the scarring then and not floaters

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

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