Floaters (technically called myodesopsia) are small spots, dots, circles, lines, or cobwebs in the field of vision. Although they appear to be in front of the eye, they float inside it. Floaters are small clumps of gel or cells within the vitreous (gel) that fills the eye. What we see are the shadows that these clusters project on the retina.
As we age, the vitreous begins to change its consistency, the gel fibres tend to separate from the liquid, clumping together and becoming visible. If the vitreous that is directly in front of the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye) moves away from this structure, this is called “posterior vitreous detachment” which is a physiological condition. In other words, it is a normal process of eye aging and generally occurs in people over 50 years of age.