Q. What causes floaters in the eye?
A. Floaters usually happen because of normal changes in your eyes. As you age, tiny strands of your vitreous (the gel-like fluid that fills your eye) stick together and cast shadows on your retina. Those shadows appear as floaters. Sometimes new floaters can be a sign of a retinal tear or detachment — when the retina gets torn from its normal position at the back of the eye. Symptoms can include: a lot of new floaters that appear suddenly, sometimes with flashes of light and a dark shadow or blurry area in your vision. Retinal detachment can be an emergency, so see your eye doctor right away.