Many people experience occasional eye floaters, black spots that float through the vision. If you have floaters, you may not notice them very often, but some people have floaters in their vision constantly. Nutrition may play a role in preventing these problems.
Cause
The back of the eye contains vitreous, a jelly-like substance. As part of the aging process, the substance may begin to shrink and clump together. These strands and clumps of vitreous may move in and out of your vision, resulting in floaters, explains the University of Illinois at Chicago. The vitreous may also pull away from the retina, the back lining of the inner eye. This may cause small tears in the retina, resulting in floaters.
Treatment
Once floaters occur, you cannot make them disappear. Medications will not dissolve them, nor will a diet filled with specific nutrients. The only way to resolve floaters is through a surgical procedure called a vitrectomy. In this procedure, the eye surgeon removes the vitreous from your eye and replaces this with saline, explains MayoClinic.com. This procedure comes with many risks, and doctors typically reserve this procedure for people who have a significant number of floaters that interfere with daily life.
Nutrients
A healthful diet may not treat floaters you currently have, but proper nutrition may help prevent the development of additional floaters. The retina contains lutein and zeaxanthin, but your body needs daily intake of these nutrients to nourish the retina. A diet rich in lutein and zeaxanthin may help maintain the health of your retina, which may prevent retinal tears that could lead to floaters.
Vitamin A helps the retina produce melanin, a pigment that helps protect the retina, explains the American Optometric Association. As such, zinc may play a role in retinal health since zinc helps transfer vitamin A to the retina. Maintaining a strong, healthy retina may decrease your risks for eye floaters.
Diet
Inform your doctor before you make changes to your diet or start taking supplements. Some nutrients may interact with medications or health conditions, and discussing this with your doctor will help protect your overall health. Your doctor will also help you determine the amount of each nutrient you should have each day. For foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, choose produce such as spinach, kale, collard greens and corn. Kale, chard and other lutein-rich foods also contain vitamin A. Foods that contain zinc include cooked beef and pork, salmon and eggs.
Considerations
New floaters that suddenly appear in your vision may indicate a retinal detachment. If you experience new floaters or changes in your vision, contact an eye care professional immediately. A retinal detachment requires immediate medical attention in order to prevent permanent loss of vision.
