Can Eye Doctors See Floaters?

Eye floaters are simply little shapes or specks that are able to glide slowly across your field of vision. They can sometimes look like a fragment, outlined strings, or some dark specks. They are actually just little pieces of debris that may get stuck in the gel of your eyes and then float around for a bit. When they start to cast some shadows on the retina, that is when you are able to see them. But is it possible for your eye doctor to see them too?

According to a local eye doctor in Phoenix, Eye on Health Phoenix, it is possible for your eye doctor to see these eye floaters when they complete an eye exam on you. Most of the time, these floaters are going to be harmless, and the eye doctor will not do anything about them. But they could indicate that there is a serious problem with the eyes, so your doctor may do a further examination just to be safe. If you notice large amounts of eye floaters, then it is time to talk to your eye doctor right away.

Seeing an occasional eye floater is not such a bad thing and is considered pretty normal for most eyes. Your eye doctor will be able to take a look and then discuss whether it is something you should be concerned with or not. Let’s take a closer look at these floaters and whether your eye doctor can see them.

Do Floaters Show Up in an Eye Exam?

There are a lot of things that your doctor is going to look for when you go in for an eye exam. The goal is for them to get a good look around to see whether there is a problem at hand or not. If you have some floaters in your eyes, you may wonder whether the eye doctor is going to be able to notice them or not.

Your eye doctor will be able to see the same eye floaters in your eyes as you can. For the most part, they will not be too concerned with these and will continue with the eye exam. There are some occasions when these can be problematic for you, but most of the time, they are just a bit of debris that got stuck in the eye, and the eyes will work to remove them quickly.

However, your doctor may take some time to look more closely at the floaters to make sure that they are not going to cause any problems for your eyes. In a few situations, it is possible that these floaters are going to indicate that there is a more serious problem with your eyes, such as retinal detachment.

If the doctor notices the eye floaters and is concerned, it is likely that they will perform some tests to check the eyes a bit further. A dilated eye exam is usually the best case for them and allows them to look more closely for signs of a problem.

When Should I Be Worried About Eye Floaters?

There is rarely a time when you will need to be worried about these eye floaters. If you experience them on occasion and there are no problems that you can tell with your retina, then there is no cause for concern. You will not even need to worry about treating the eye floater. You could go to your doctor, but it is unlikely that they would do anything about it either.

If you notice that the eye floaters are getting severe and they are starting to mess with your vision, and they do not go away on their own, then it may be time to look at some of the treatment options. If they do this and stay around for several months, then your doctor may recommend that you get laser treatment. This is not common, though.

For some patients, the eye floaters are going to start showing up suddenly and in large quantities. If this is something that happens to you, it is time for an emergency eye exam. This is often a sign that there is retinal detachment, and if you do not get it treated right away, it can cause blindness. Keep in mind that most eye floaters are not serious and won’t need treatment, but if anything looks off, then you need to seek help.  

Taking Care of Your Eyes

For the most part, you can have these eye floaters, and there is nothing wrong. Your eyes will discharge from the issue, and you will not have to worry about them at all. But there are some times when they can be a sign of a serious problem. Your eye doctor will be able to see them during the eye exam and will look to see whether there is another problem present or not.