Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters + Causes And Prevention

by Sucharita Mishra
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters + Causes And Prevention

Many people have experienced floating springs and specks in their field of vision from time to time. These shapes are often symptoms of a medical condition called eye floaters.

Eye floaters are small spots that drift around whenever a person moves their eyes. These eye floaters may appear as black or gray specks or cobwebs. However, these floaters dart away if a person tries looking at them directly. Although eye floaters are often a result of advancing age, there are a few other factors that may cause them. Read on to learn more about eye floaters and natural remedies to stop seeing them.

Home Remedies To Treat Eye Floaters

1. Beetroot Juice

Beetroots are rich in active compounds called carotenoids (1). Carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin are necessary components for macular and retinal health (2). Hence, beetroot may help in treating eye disease like eye floaters.

You Will Need

Fresh beetroot juice

What You Have To Do

Drink a glass of fresh beetroot juice.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this 2 times a day. 

2. Vitamins

Vitamins play an important role in maintaining a healthy vision. Vitamin A improves eyesight (3). Vitamin C supports the formation of collagen and is necessary for stronger retinal capillaries and eye tissues (4). Hence, vitamin A and vitamin C may help in treating eye floaters.

You Will Need

Foods rich in vitamins A and C (carrots, spinach, kale, citrus fruits, eggs, and butter)

What You Have To Do

Consume these foods.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this regularly. 

3. Castor Oil

Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid that alleviates inflammation (5). Hence, castor oil may help in improving the symptoms of eye floaters by reducing inflammation.

You Will Need

Organic castor oil

What You Have To Do
  1. Pour a drop or two of 100% organic castor oil in each eye.
  2. Leave it on overnight and wash your eyes the next morning.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day, preferably before bedtime. 

4. Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense oil possesses anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties (6). Hence, it may help in reversing retinal cell degradation and damage. This may help in treating eye floaters.

You Will Need

Frankincense oil

What You Have To Do
  1. Spread a drop of frankincense essential oil between your fingers.
  2. Apply this above your eyebrows and across the top of your cheekbones.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 1-2 times a day. 

5. Green Tea

Green tea is abundant in antioxidants and may help in improving vision by strengthening the retinal tissues (7).

You Will Need
  • 1 teaspoon of green tea
  • 1 cup of water
  • Honey
What You Have To Do
  1. Add a teaspoon of green tea to a cup of water.
  2. Bring it to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Strain and let the tea cool a bit.
  4. Add some honey to the green tea and consume immediately.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 3 times a day. 

6. Omega-3 Supplements

Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids that possess anti-inflammatory properties (8). They reduce inflammation in eyes to a great extent (9). Hence, omega-3s may be one of the best remedies to treat eye floaters.

You Will Need

1000 mg omega-3 supplements

What You Have To Do

Consume 1000 mg omega-3 supplements after consulting your doctor.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day. 

7. Lemon Juice

Lemons are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants (10). These work great in repairing degenerative macular and retinal tissues. This may help in treating eye floaters.

You Will Need
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 glass of water
  • Honey
What You Have To Do
  1. Squeeze the extract from half a lemon into a glass of water.
  2. Add some honey to it.
  3. Consume it immediately.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 3-4 times a day. 

8. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (11). It may reduce inflammation in the retinal tissues and protect the eyes from oxidative stress. Hence, apple cider vinegar may be a good option for treating eye floaters.

You Will Need
  • 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup of warm water
  • Cotton pads
What You Have To Do
  1. Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to half a cup of water and mix well.
  2. Soak two cotton pads in this solution and place them on closed eyelids.
  3. Leave them on for 30 to 60 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 1-2 times a day.

9. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids help in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress caused by free radicals (12). Hence, it may aid in repairing retinal and macular tissues and reduce eye floaters.

You Will Need

Coconut oil

What You Have To Do
  1. Rub a teaspoon of coconut oil between your palms.
  2. Close your eyelids and place your palms over them.
  3. Hold your hands over your eyes for 5 to 10 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 1-2 times a day.

10. Carrot Juice

Carrots are rich in antioxidants and vitamin A (13). Hence, regular intake of carrots may provide the required nutrient to the eyes. This may help get rid of various eye conditions like eye floaters.

You Will Need

Freshly extracted carrot juice

What You Have To Do

Consume a cup of fresh carrot juice.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day. 

11. Flaxseed Oil

Flax seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (14). Omega-3 fatty acids are great for promoting eye health. Hence, flaxseed oil may help in treating eye floaters.

You Will Need

Flaxseed oil

What You Have To Do
  1. Rub a teaspoon of flaxseed oil between your hands.
  2. Place them over your closed eyelids for 5 minutes.
  3. Alternatively, you can apply the flaxseed oil above your eyebrows and cheekbones and leave it on overnight.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 1-2 times a day. 

12. Goji Berries

Goji berries contain zeaxanthin (15). It is an antioxidant that is necessary for the proper functioning of the eyes. Hence, regular consumption of goji berries may help in treating the condition.

You Will Need

1/4 cup of dried goji berries

What You Have To Do

Consume one-fourth cup of dried goji berries.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day. 

13. Grape Seed Extract

Grape seeds contain oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes (OPCs) (16). These OPCs exhibit powerful antioxidant properties. Hence, grape seeds may aid in treating eye floaters.

You Will Need

Grape seed supplements

What You Have To Do

Consume 100 mg of grape seed supplements after consulting your doctor.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this 2 to 3 times a day or as specified by your doctor.

14. Garlic

Garlic possesses strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (17). These therapeutic properties of garlic may help in repairing the damaged eye tissues that may lead to eye floaters.

You Will Need

Minced garlic cloves

What You Have To Do
  1. Add minced garlic cloves to your favorite salad or pasta and consume daily.
  2. Alternatively, you can also directly chew on the garlic cloves if you can withstand the strong flavor.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this daily. 

15. Ginger

Gingerol is an important component of ginger. This compound exhibits excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (18). These help in reducing damage due to oxidative stress and combats inflammation in the eyes.

You Will Need
  • 1-2 inches of grated ginger
  • 1 cup of water
  • Honey
What You Have To Do
  1. Add an inch or two of grated ginger to a cup of water. Add grated ginger to water and boil for 5 minutes.
  2. Strain and let the tea cool a bit.
  3. Add some honey and consume immediately.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 3-4 times a day.

16. Ghee

Ghee is an age-old Ayurvedic remedy to restore the health of the eyes. This treatment is referred to as netra basti and is believed to be great for eye floater treatment. However, there is no scientific research to back this claim.

You Will Need

1/4 cup of ghee

What You Have To Do
  1. Warm one-fourth cup of ghee and allow it to cool.
  2. Wash each of your eyes with the ghee for at least 5 minutes.

Note: This procedure can be a little messy and is best done in the bathroom.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once every alternate night. 

17. Amla Juice

Amla exhibits antioxidant properties (19). This is due to the vitamin C present in it. These properties may help in repairing the damages to eye tissues.

You Will Need
  • Amla juice
  • 1 cup of water
  • Honey
What You Have To Do
  1. Mix freshly extracted amla juice in a cup of water.
  2. Add a little honey to this and consume it directly.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day. 

18. Aloe Vera Juice

Aloe vera exhibits rich antioxidant properties (20). These antioxidant properties may repair damaged tissues in the eye (21). They may also aid in the recovery of eye floaters.

You Will Need

1 cup of aloe vera juice

What You Have To Do
  1. Drink a cup of aloe vera juice.
  2. Alternately, you can also dab some aloe vera gel on your eyes every once in a while.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day. 

19. Onion

Onion contains quercetin, which is a powerful antioxidant (22). Quercetin is helpful in treating various eye diseases (23). Hence, onions may help in treating eye floaters.

You Will Need

Onion

What You Have To Do

Consume the sliced pieces of onion regularly.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this 2 times a day.

20. Rose Water

Rose water possesses powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (24). These properties may help in healing damaged eye tissues and inflammation within the eye cells that causes eye floaters.

You Will Need

Rose water

What You Have To Do
  1. Pour a drop or two of rose water in each of your eyes.
  2. Blink a few times and allow it to be absorbed by your eyes.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 3-4 times a day.

While natural remedies may help in combating eye floaters, they may not help in preventing their recurrence. The following are some tips to follow to prevent the recurrence of eye floaters.

Prevention Tips

  • Use sunglasses to protect the eyes from the harmful rays of the sun.
  • Avoid straining the eyes.
  • Follow a healthy diet.
  • Do eye exercises.
  • Practice yoga.
  • Drink lots of water.

Although eye floaters are often a result of advancing age, a few other factors may cause them. They are listed below.

What Causes Eye Floaters?

  • Age-related changes in your eyes
  • Inflamed eyes
  • Bleeding from the eyes
  • Torn retina
  • Certain eye medications and/or surgery
  • Medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and injuries
  • Nearsightedness

Signs And Symptoms Of Eye Floaters

  • Small dark specks or strings floating in the field of vision
  • Spots in the field of vision that are visible when looking at plain and bright backgrounds.

Eye floaters are classified into different types, depending on their shape. There are mainly five types of eye floaters and are discussed below. 

Types Of Eye Floaters

(i) Fibrous Strands: Fibrous strands in the field of vision are the most common (and harmless) type of eye floaters. Fibrous shapes are a result of collagen breakdown.

(ii) Cloud-Like Floaters: Cloud-like floaters are diffused and less defined than the fibrous strands. The natural aging process leads to the visibility of such floaters.

(iii) Weiss Rings: Weiss rings are larger floaters that are ring-shaped. They are often formed when the vitreous tissue surrounding the optic nerve detaches itself. 

(iv) Flashes Of Light: These are not exactly eye floaters. However, one can see flashes of light when the vitreous membrane stimulates the retina during its detachment. 

(v) Dots: Dots or specks appear in the line of vision when there’s a tear in the retina. The tear may have caused blood to leak into the vitreous membrane, causing the visible dots.

Maintaining a healthy diet is important to enhance the health of the eyes. Given below is a list of foods that are best for accelerating recovery and preventing eye floaters.

Best Foods For Eye Floaters

  • Green leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale.
  • Fish, like salmon, tuna, and sardines.
  • Nuts rich in protein, like walnuts, pistachios, and almonds.
  • Citrus fruits, like oranges, kiwis, and strawberries.
  • Shellfish, like oysters.

Eye floaters may be annoying, but they usually clear up on their own. However, make sure to consult a doctor to rule out any serious underlying conditions and discuss appropriate treatment options.

Expert’s Answers for Readers Questions

What are the best eye exercises for floaters?

Exercises like blinking, breathing, meditating, as well as massaging the acupressure points around the eyes may help deal with eye floaters.

How long do eye floaters last?

Eye floaters may never disappear completely for some individuals. They, however, usually get smaller and are less noticeable in a few weeks or months.

24 sources

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Sucharita Mishra

Sucharita Mishra has a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and specializes in writing on Health and Wellness. She has worked on determining various heavy metals present in green tea for her Master’s dissertation at CSIR- CFTRI, Mysuru. After completing her degree, Sucharita decided to pursue her passion for writing. She is addicted to all things black and aspires to become a bat one day.
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