You’re gazing up at a bright Squamish sky between trails on the Chief, and suddenly you notice tiny specks drifting across your vision. You blink, rub your eyes — but they keep floating. Sound familiar? Those are eye floaters, and at Garibaldi Eye Care, we hear about them almost every week. Most of the time, they’re completely harmless, but occasionally they can signal something that needs attention. Here’s how to tell the difference.

What Are Eye Floaters and Why Do They Happen?

Your eye is filled with a clear, gel-like substance called the vitreous humor. Think of it as the “filling” that keeps your eye’s shape. As you age, this gel gradually shrinks and becomes more liquid. When that happens, tiny protein fibers within the vitreous clump together, casting small shadows on your retina — and those shadows are the specks, threads, and cobweb-like shapes you see drifting across your vision.

Eye floaters can look different from person to person. Some people notice thin, squiggly lines. Others see small dots or ring-shaped forms. They tend to be most visible against bright or light-coloured backgrounds, like a white wall or a clear sky — which, if you’re spending time outdoors along the Sea to Sky Corridor, means you might notice them more often than someone who stays inside all day.

Are Eye Floaters a Normal Part of Aging?

In most cases, yes. Eye floaters are extremely common, especially after age 50, and they’re generally a natural part of how your eyes change over time. Your brain often learns to tune them out, so floaters that have been around for months or years tend to become less bothersome on their own.

Here are some signs your eye floaters are likely nothing to worry about: they’ve been present for a long time without changing, you only notice a few small ones occasionally, and your overall vision remains clear and sharp. If that sounds like your situation, there’s usually no need for concern — though it’s still a good idea to mention them during your next adult eye exam so our team can keep an eye on things.

When Should You Worry About Eye Floaters?

While most floaters are harmless, certain changes demand prompt attention. You should contact your optometrist right away if you experience a sudden shower of new floaters — especially if they look like dark pepper sprinkled across your vision. Other warning signs include flashes of light in the same eye, a dark shadow or curtain-like effect creeping across part of your vision, or any noticeable loss of side (peripheral) vision.

These symptoms could point to a retinal tear or retinal detachment. When the shrinking vitreous pulls on the retina, it can create a tear, and if left untreated, the retina can detach from the back of the eye entirely. This is a medical emergency — early treatment makes a significant difference in preserving your sight.

Who Is Most at Risk for Serious Eye Floaters?

Some people are more likely to develop eye floaters or to experience the more serious conditions associated with them. Risk factors include being very nearsighted (myopic), having diabetes, a history of eye surgery or eye injury, and chronic eye inflammation. Age is also a major factor — posterior vitreous detachment, one of the most common causes of sudden floaters, typically happens after age 50 but can occur earlier in people with myopia.

If you have diabetes, floaters can sometimes be linked to diabetic retinopathy, a condition where blood vessels in the retina become damaged. That’s another reason why regular diabetic eye exams are so important — they can catch problems before you even notice symptoms.

How Can You Protect Your Eyes and Reduce Floater Risk?

While you can’t completely prevent age-related eye floaters, there are things you can do to support your overall eye health. Staying hydrated, eating a diet rich in leafy greens and omega-3 fatty acids, protecting your eyes from UV exposure with quality sunglasses (especially during all those Sea to Sky hikes and ski days), and managing conditions like diabetes all help.

Most importantly, keep up with your regular eye exams. A comprehensive dilated eye exam allows your optometrist to look at the retina directly and catch any early signs of tears, detachment, or other issues — even when your vision feels perfectly fine.

When in Doubt, Get It Checked

The bottom line? A few long-standing floaters are usually nothing more than a quirk of aging. But sudden changes — a burst of new floaters, flashes of light, or any shadow in your vision — are your eye’s way of asking for help. Don’t wait it out. Ready to get your eyes checked? Book your visit at Garibaldi Eye Care — we’re conveniently located in downtown Squamish near Save On Foods, and we’d love to see you.