Vitreous humor, a thick, gel-like substance, fills the back section of your eye, helping to maintain your eye's shape. The clear vitreous consists of fibers that hold the vitreous steady, attached to the retina that lines the inner section of the back of your eye. Many people experience floaters, black spots that pass through vision, and these reside in the vitreous. Medications, food or nutrient supplements will not clear floaters, but you can take measures to help prevent floaters.
Shrinkage
Floaters often occur as part of the natural aging process of the eye. The breakdown of the cells that make up the vitreous might cause the liquid to shrink and pull away from the retina. If this occurs, the vitreous might cause a small tear in the retina, and if a piece of tissue rips away with the vitreous, you might see the tissue as a floater in your vision. In some cases, the tear might cause a small bleed, and you might see the droplet of blood as a floater.
As well, when the vitreous shrinks, components of the liquid might clump together. You might see these clumps as black dots or hair-like strands that pass through your vision.
Antioxidants
The breakdown and shrinkage of the vitreous might result from oxidative stress, a process in which free radicals damage healthy cells. Free radicals stem from the conversion of food into energy, and these chemicals pull electrons from healthy cells, altering their structure. In the case of vitreous, oxidative stress might affect the cells that make up the fluid.
Antioxidant nutrients might help prevent oxidative stress. These beneficial nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein and selenium, as well as many other nutrients. Your doctor might recommend that you take a daily vitamin that includes these and other nutrients, or you can increase your dietary intake of antioxidant-rich foods. Your options can include spinach, carrots, kale, oranges, strawberries and almonds. Lean meats and seafood also contain antioxidant nutrients.
Other Causes
If you have an eye injury, such as a hit to the eye with a ball or other object, you might experience new floaters in your vision. Floaters might also result from eye surgery and as a complication from other eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to bleeding of vessels that grow abnormally on the retinal tissue, and these bleeds could leak into the vitreous, resulting in new floaters or cloudy vision.
A periodic new floater does not indicate a worrisome condition. However, any time you suddenly experience many new floaters in your vision, contact your doctor immediately. This could indicate a retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the back of your eye. If you do not seek prompt treatment, you might experience permanent vision loss.
Considerations
Nutrients cannot reverse floater formation, but having a good dietary or supplemental intake of antioxidants could offer a good method of prevention. You should not take supplements without first consulting your doctor because high intakes of nutrients can interfere with health conditions or medications you take. Your doctor will help you choose appropriate supplements and dosages.
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