How to Tell If You Have Eye Floaters

Floaters happen in your vision when microscopic pieces of the vitreous, which makes up a majority of the inside of your eyes, break off in the eye. We see floaters as small dark spots that drift or sit in one area of our vision. While some floaters just come with age, they can also signal a problem like infection or retinal issues, which is why learning how to notice floaters in your vision can help in the detection of eye problems.

Things You'll Need

• White sheet of paper

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Instructions

• 1

  Hold a white sheet of paper straight in front of you, about 10 to 12 inches from your face.

• 2

  Look left and right quickly, then center your eyes back onto the sheet of paper. Take notice of any slow moving specks or dark matter you see on the white paper.

• 3

  Shut your eyes for five seconds, then reopen them and look at the paper again. If you see any dark spots or floating spots on the paper, these are most likely floaters.

• 4

  Look up then down quickly and bring your eyes back to focus on the white sheet of paper. Take notice of any spots or new specks you see.