We often chalk them down as a funny little annoyance but it turns out, eye floaters could be an indication  that something isn’t quite right with our eyes.

The floaters, for your information, are small flecks of a protein called collagen. They’re part of a gel-like substance in the back of your eye called the vitreous. As you age, the protein fibers that make up the vitreous shrink down to little shreds that clump together. The shadows they cast on your retina are the floaters. They’re perfectly normal for the most part but there are times when they indicate something is amiss. According to Good Housekeeping, a sudden increase in floaters, flashes in your vision or feeling like there’s a curtain or veil over your vision are symptoms of eye conditions. According to The Mayo Clinic, these painless symptoms could be caused by a retinal tear — a sight-threatening condition that requires immediate attention. Another cause of floaters is inflammation in the back of the eye known as posterior uveitis. This inflammation may be caused by infection or inflammatory diseases. Web MD recommends seeking medical attention if you find you have a sudden increase in the number of floaters, if you see flashes of light, have a loss of side vision or are experiencing eye pain. In the meantime, if the floaters are irritating, you can remove them from your field of vision by looking up, looking down and then from side to side. This shifts fluid in your eye around and should keep any pesky spots at bay.