Seeing Spots In Your Vision

Why am I Seeing Spots?

Seeing spots refers to specks, cobweb-like images, and threads that drift across your line of vision.⁵ They typically come and go and become noticeable when you start at a wide area like a clear blue sky.

Most of the time, seeing spots aren’t serious. Spots in your field of vision may be floaters, a common and normal part of aging.

Sometimes, seeing spots can be a warning sign of a serious underlying condition that requires medical attention. Sudden black spots in your vision or white spots that appear as light flashes may not be floaters.

What are Eye Floaters?

A floater is a small cluster of cells or a fleck of protein that becomes condensed in your vitreous humor. The vitreous is a clear gel-like substance that fills the back two-thirds of your eyeball.

You may notice a large floater or several small ones. They may be floating in front of you, or you may see them in your peripheral vision. 

When you see spots, you are not seeing the floater itself. Rather, you see the shadow the floater casts onto the retina.⁵ That’s why floaters move as your eyes move and appear to float away when you look directly at them.

When is Seeing Spots a Sign of Something Serious?

Seeing spots is not always a cause for concern. However, you may require treatment if you are experiencing symptoms, especially if they impact your vision. Your eye doctor will provide medical advice on whether or not your case is serious. 

For example, you need treatment if you have a detached retina or a retinal tear that is getting worse.⁷ If left untreated, retina problems can lead to severe vision loss.

When Should I Worry About Eye Floaters?

Most floaters and occasional flashes are typically harmless. They may happen occasionally in both eyes or in the same eye.

You should call your doctor right away if:

• You notice a sudden increase in or appearance of floaters or flashes
• You experience spots, floaters, or flashes with other vision problems
• You begin seeing spots after an eye or head injury

7 Possible Causes of Seeing Spots

Eye specialists can help you identify the root cause of your seeing spots. Here are a few possible causes of seeing spots, including:

• Black or dark spots
• White spots
• Flashes of light
• Blind spots
• An increase in eye floaters

Seeing spots can also be a symptom of an underlying health condition or injury. These include:

1. Eye Injury

If you injure your eyes and damage your retina, you may begin to see flashes of light occur. Other symptoms will likely accompany these flashes of light.

You should seek immediate attention if you have had eye trauma. You may need eye surgery.

2. Eye Disease

Certain eye diseases can cause you to see spots that may look like floaters.⁶ These diseases include:²

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
• Macular hole
• Macular pucker
• Juvenile macular dystrophy
• Central serous chorioretinopathy

3. Bleeding in the Eye

Bleeding into the vitreous can cause you to see spots. Several issues can cause you to bleed into the vitreous, including:⁵

• Diabetes
• Retinal tears
• High blood pressure
• Blocked blood vessels
• Injury

4. Old Age

Your eye health deteriorates with old age, and your vision becomes weaker. Many floaters are simply age-related.⁵

The older you get, the higher your risk of seeing spots and flashes of light. This happens because of vitreous changes.

Collagen fibers within the vitreous form clumps and string that block light. These blockages cast tiny shadows on your retina, which appear as floaters.

5. Posterior Uveitis

Uveitis is an inflammation in the middle layer of the eye wall tissue (uvea). Posterior uveitis affects the back of the eye which includes the retina and the choroid.

The inflammation causes you to see spots or floaters. Posterior uveitis is typically caused by:

• Infection
• Autoimmune disorders
• Inflammatory diseases

6. Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment can occur when your vitreous shrinks and tugs on the retina, pulling away from it. This is called a posterior vitreous detachment, and it can cause the retina to tear. 

Fluid from inside your eye can seep into the tear and separate your retina from the tissues, causing retinal detachment. Unfortunately, this can lead to permanent vision loss.

7. Eye Surgeries or Medications

Certain medications can cause air bubbles to form in the vitreous. These bubbles can cast shadows until your eye absorbs them. On the other hand, surgeries that affect the vitreous, like cataract surgery, can also cause floaters or seeing spots.

Other Risk Factors for Seeing Spots

Certain factors can increase your risk of seeing spots. They include the following:³

• Having nearsighted vision
• A family history of diabetes
• Having eye inflammation or inflammatory diseases
• Experiencing visual disturbances during or before a migraine 

If you are at risk of seeing spots and start seeing them or experiencing other symptoms related to poor vision, you should consult a doctor for treatment.

How Eye Floaters Are Diagnosed

An eye doctor can check for floaters as part of a comprehensive eye exam, including a dilated eye exam. The procedure is usually painless, but your doctor may press on your eyelids to check for retinal tears.

This can be uncomfortable for some people. Once the examination is complete, your doctor can better understand why you’re seeing spots and flashes of light.

How to Treat Eye Floaters

Eye floaters will eventually settle and go away on their own. However, if you require treatment, it’ll depend on the cause of eye floaters.

For example, your ophthalmologist may perform laser photocoagulation if you have a torn retina. They will use a laser to make tiny burns around your retina tear to create a barrier of scar tissue and stop it from tearing more.

Another laser treatment is YAG vitreolysis, which vaporizes floaters by heating them.⁸ However, this treatment is controversial. If your eye floaters are due to an eye disease or diabetes, your doctor will prescribe certain medications and a course of treatment that addresses the root of the floaters.