Specks in your vision can signal serious eye conditions

These "floaters" are not just bothersome. They can be signs of potential retinal disease.

Floaters, those tiny specks that drift across your field of vision, are usually harmless and often disappear or become less noticeable on their own. But sometimes they indicate a condition that can lead to vision loss. "A new onset of floaters may herald retinal disease," says Dr. Jeffrey Heier, director of the retina service at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston and clinical instructor in ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.