There are a number of factors that increase your risk of getting floaters in your eyes, but diet is not one of them. Floaters are primarily caused by the aging process. Some vitamin-rich foods may help the overall health of your eyes, but foods can't be blamed for causing floaters.
Floaters
Floaters seem to be floating in front of your eye, but they're actually caused by tiny clumps of cells that are floating inside your eye. That's why they move when you do. The spots, shadows or cobwebs you may see are the shadows these objects cast on the retina of the eye. They often form as the vitreous gel in your eye starts to shrink with age, forming clumps or strands inside the eye. Most floaters are not harmful and rarely cause vision problems, and most floaters require no treatment.
Risk Factors
It's more common to get floaters as you age, so being over 50 is one risk factor. People who are nearsighted tend to experience floaters more often, and they can occur when there's been some kind of injury or trauma to the eye. You are at greater risk of developing floaters if you've undergone a cataract operation or YAG laser surgery of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy and inflammation of the eye are other risk factors.
Foods
Eating the wrong foods or simply eating too much can contribute to a host of health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes. However, Dr. Stuart Richer, of Chicago, Illinois, an ocular nutrition researcher and member of the American Optometric Association Health Promotion Committee, says professional associations and medical journals carry no warnings about specific foods that can cause floaters. Dr. Robert N. Frank, a professor of ophthalmology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan, and a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, notes that vitamins found in some foods have been found helpful in treating certain age-related eye problems, but nothing has been found to impact floaters.
Warning
You may not have to worry about your diet, but there are some precautions to take if you have floaters. Having a few floaters is fairly common, but if you see a flood of new floaters, especially if they're accompanied by flashes of light or a loss of peripheral vision, it's time to see an eye specialist. These could be symptoms of a retinal tear that could lead to a loss of vision. If you have a large number of floaters, there are surgical and laser treatments available. However, these are rarely recommended because they carry serious risks, such as retinal detachment and cataract.
References
- Dr. Stuart Richer; Ocular Nutrition Researcher, Member of the American Optometric Association Health Promotion Committee; Chicago, Illinois
- Dr. Robert N. Frank; Professor of Ophthalmology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology; Detroit, Michigan
- MayoClinic.com: Eye Floaters
- MedlinePlus: Eye Floaters
- American Optometric Association: Spots and Floaters
- American Academy of Opthalmology: What Are Floaters and Flashes?
