h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Have you ever been just looking around minding your own business, and noticed something clearish floating through your field of vision that follows in your FOV no matter where you look? What are those things?

Yeah! I've had those. I reckon they're some sort of tiny hairs off stuff like carpets that get blown into your eye.

They are threads of protein, 'fine fibrils' in the vitreous humour, which is the fluid between the lens and the retina in the eyeball. They appear transparent because they are defocussed, being in the optical path after the focussing of the cornea and lens; and move about because of involuntary twitches of your eye muscles, but of course they stay in the field of view because they are within your eyeball. They are also very annoying, but harmless. One more of life's little irritations.

Apparently, many years ago they were known as 'muscae volitantes' (flying flies), and were believed to be a sign of impending insanity.

jan, how did you come by this information on floaters?

hey guys! thanx for the info...i've been bugged with those things for years, and just never knew what they were...
where DO you find out about this stuff?

yeah come on don't hold us in suspence, tell!

It can be caused by the breakdown over time of the jelly which fills the eye. This process, when it starts, is apparently slow but irreversible. Thus I know that eventually I may well lose my sight.

errr..... I must have read it somewhere. No idea where. I am a picker-up of unconsidered trifles.

I hope it isn't that drastic!

Maybe not for you, but according to my ophthalmologist it is for me

I'm so sorry to hear that. I have some floaters, but they haven't increased in years. I hope that there is something you can do about it.

Not a lot, apparently. But it's likely to take a very long time, and I'll still be able to drive my Volvo for a while yet.

A tip for those with mobile floaters.

I too have an eyeball floater. The Opthomologist that I visited with, told me that my eye should naturally break it down in a matter of months. Well... it has been over five years, and it has remained the same. (Size and shape!) Initially, it did drive me crazy. I was in a life drawing class and having it zip all over the still life and my white drawing paper was maddening. I did learn a trick though. Oddly enough, if you move your eyeball in a rapid up and down motion, the "floater" should move out of your direct line of sight!

I heard they were dead cells floating on the surface of the eye

My mum-in-law, "Jollop", is in her 70's and has had these "floaters" for about 4 years now. Apparently, she was told they are harmless (mostly) but probably due to all the outdoor sketching/painting (she's an artist/retired art teacher) in bright sun light whilst not wearing sun glasses. She was really worried that she might loose her sight, but was told they shouldn't get any worse although unfortunately they wouldn't go away.

I find the opposite works: keep the eyes relatively stil and the floaters float up to the top of the eyeball (and hence appear to drift down the field of vision).

Whilst were on the subject of eye ball illnesses how do you know if your getting tunnel vision? Do you notice a difference? And if so how could you tell because you can't see how you used to be able to see right? So how do you tell the difference?

Hold your arms out to the sides, about half stretched, with the hands open palm forward at eye level and fingers splayed. Wiggle your fingers gently. Look straight ahead and move your hands forward slowly until you can detect the finger wiggling in your peripheral vision. Normal eyesight has the peripheral vision transecting about 150-170 degrees, from memory. If you can't pick up the wiggling fingers until they are 60 degrees off the axis of the eye, or less, I would say you probably have a problem.

Please note: this is based on a conversation long ago with an optician, so is far from scientific.

I was told by eye Dr. you can have an increase in floaters with rather bad inflammation (such as arthritis) anywhere in your body, eyes of course the most apparent reason. The floaters are debris basically. You can have somewhat normal debris or it can be associated with more complex eye problems. It usually is not serious and resolves or returns to what is "normal for you," when the inflammation improves.