What are floaters in the context of eye health?

Floaters are small specks or strands that seem to drift in your field of vision. They are often described as tiny dots, cobweb-like structures, or strands that appear to move when you try to look at them directly. Floaters occur due to changes in the vitreous gel, the clear gel-like substance filling the eye, which can become more liquid with age, causing small particles to form and cast shadows on the retina.

This phenomenon is quite common and generally harmless, although increased floaters can sometimes indicate an underlying issue, such as a retinal tear or detachment, particularly if they are accompanied by flashes of light or a sudden increase in their number. Understanding floaters helps in recognizing when to seek further eye care, especially if there are sudden changes, which can warrant a more thorough examination by an eye care professional.

The other options present different phenomena. Large objects obscuring vision could describe physical obstructions like eyelid droopings or objects in the environment. Fixed spots on the retina would not describe floaters as they are not movable. Colorful visual disturbances typically relate to visual aura associated with migraines or other conditions and do not describe the nature of floaters.