Seeing 'worms' everywhere? It's OK. It's all just in your eye

An example of what a floater typically looks like to the patient. — Photos: Handout

It's a description I've heard many times in my practice – worms, spiders, flies – and they usually indicate the same problem: floaters.

Floaters typically appear when tiny pieces of the eye’s gel-like vitreous break loose within the inner back portion of the eye. When we're born and through our youth, the vitreous has a gel-like consistency. As we age, the vitreous begins to dissolve and liquefy to create a watery centre.