There are numerous causes for new floaters in the vision, many of them concerning for permanent vision loss or blindness. Among the dangerous causes for new eye floaters are retinal tears, retinal detachment, bleeding in the eye, eye infection, and inflammation. Individuals experiencing floaters in the eye should seek an immediate dilated retinal examination with an ophthalmologist.
Unlike new floaters, chronic floaters (>6 months) are generally not a sign of danger and can be evaluated by an ophthalmologist on a non-urgent basis.