I see floaters all the time. They are super annoying and depressing. Sometimes I think there’s a mosquito buzzing around near me but then I realize it’s a pesky old floater.
A friend of mine has huge floaters that she can recoil seeing what she thinks is a cockroach on the ground when it’s just a huge floater swimming by.
Do you struggle with the same issues? I feel you. That’s why in this article I share some natural remedies for eye floaters that may help you.
What are Eye Floaters?
Eye floaters are small dark specks and cobweb-like particles that float about in your field of view. They appear to be seen more when outdoors, well-lit areas and when looking at white or bright surfaces such as a computer screen or a clear sky.
Having eye floaters is more common than you think, especially in people with myopia, diabetics, people who have undergone cataract surgery and the elderly.
As we age, the clear gel-like liquid called the vitreous that is inside our eyes dissolves, causing it to becoming more watery. This makes the gel-like liquid clump up together forming tiny debris that are called eye floaters.
When you move your eyes, the floaters also move and cast shadows on your retina at the back of your eye. This is what makes you see squiggly lines and cobwebs in your vision.
Natural Remedies for Eye Floaters
In many cases, opthalmologists do not recommend surgery for eye floaters. They suggest ignoring them until you get used to them. But we all know eye floaters are depressing and we want to try at least something.
Natural remedies, eye exercises and lifestyle changes can reduce floaters, prevent new ones from forming and prevent your vision from deteriorating. That’s why I recommend you try some safe natural remedies for eye floaters. They are not magical cures but they make a whole lot of a difference.
1. Foods to Eat
Eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods is the key to good eye health. Look for foods rich in nutrients that feed and safeguard the eyes such as lutein and zeaxanthin. Some of the top foods to eat for eye floaters include:
- Beetroot
- Carrots
- Amla
- Oily fish
- Citrus fruits
2. Eye Support Supplements
Support your eye health by taking helpful supplements. Supplements deliver a hefty weight of powerful nutrients that help keep the eye nourished and protected.
Some of the best supplements to eat for your eyes and help prevent rapid premature degeneration include:
3. Eye Exercises
If you’ve been researching how to improve your vision, you must have come across eye exercises.
Regular eye exercises that involve swinging the eyes & head as well as rolling the eyes, following a moving object like your finger help strengthen the ciliary muscles.
They also help build resistance to eye fatigue & strain. All these relax the eyes and help improve eye vision and floaters.
4. Healthy Eye Habits
Healthy eye habits? Yes, that’s right. Most of us with myopia or eye issues have unhealthy eye habits.
These include: staring blankly at nothing without blinking, being on the screen in the darkness, reading in poor light, squinting your eyes, not getting enough sleep, spending hours on the phone, TV and computer.
All of the above worsen eye strain, dry up the eyes, provoke eye pain & headaches, deteriorate vision, weaken the eyes and induce eye floaters.
Do the opposite of those unhealthy eye habits so that you can preserve your eye health. It’s not easy, but small steps do a lot!
5. Reduce Screen Time
Another challenging thing we face in today’s age is the amount of screen time we indulge in. First of all, most of our workplaces are designed to keep up glued to our computer screens which is simply unavoidable.
Then, when relaxing: we use our phones, to pass time: we watch TV, to communicate with people, we have to use phones. This makes it very easy to spoil eye health and weaken vision. Also, this is a major contributor of eye floaters, try to reduce screen time as much as you can.
You can invest in a pair of blue light shield glasses that protect the eyes from blue light.
Look 20 feet away from your screen every 20 minutes, or stand up and look out the window regularly – basically take breaks from the screen to relax your eyes. If you can’t do that and many of us can’t do to our work place rules, then at least shut your eyes for a few seconds every now and then to reduce strain.
6. Rest and Relaxation
Resting your eyes plays a big part in reducing eye strain, dryness and vision problems.
There are many different ways to rest your eyes including:
- Getting a good night’s rest
- Napping for a while to relax tired eyes
- Palming
- Applying a hot or cold compress on your eyes
- Facial steaming to soothe eyes and get rid of eye pain
- Massaging your temples with your eyes closed. I like using 3 drops of peppermint essential oil mixed with 1 tsp coconut oil for this.
7. Avoid Alcohol & Smoking
Last but not least, avoid alcohol consumption and smoking if you want to prevent and reduce eye floaters.
Alcohol and cigarettes introduce free radicals into the body and lead to premature aging and degeneration of the body, including organs such as the eyes.
Take Care
Eye floaters normally aren’t a cause of concern and do not need treatment.
However, if you have a sudden onset of floaters especially coupled with flashes of light in your vision, then seek medical attention because it may have more serious causes including eye injuries, infections, bleeding in the vitreous, uveitis, vitreous detachment, retinal detachment and retinal tears.
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