Editing Floater (section)

== Diagnosis ==
Floaters are often readily observed by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist with the use of an [[ophthalmoscope]] or [[slit lamp]]. However, if the floater is near the retina, it may not be visible to the observer even if it appears large to the patient.

Increasing background illumination or using a pinhole to effectively decrease pupil diameter may allow a person to obtain a better view of his or her own floaters. The head may be tilted in such a way that one of the floaters drifts towards the central axis of the eye. In the sharpened image the fibrous elements are more conspicuous.<ref name=med>{{cite web  | title = Eye floaters and spots  | author =Judith Lee, and Gretchyn Bailey  |author2=Dr. Vance Thompson  | publisher = All about vision  | url = http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/spotsfloats.htm  | access-date = 2008-02-01}}</ref>

The presence of retinal tears with new onset of floaters was surprisingly high (14%; 95% confidence interval, 12–16%) as reported in a meta-analysis published as part of the Rational Clinical Examination Series in the Journal of the American Medical Association.<ref>Hollands H, Johnson D, Brox AC, Almeida D, Simel DL, Sharma S. Acute-onset floaters and flashes: is this patient at risk for retinal detachment? JAMA. 2009 November 25;302(20):2243–9.</ref> Patients with new onset flashes and/or floaters, especially when associated with visual loss or restriction in the visual field, should seek more urgent ophthalmologic evaluation.