Sybil

So it looks like the spots in my vision are annoying but not threatening my vision.  The eye doctor says that they are floaters.  I did find one doctor on the web who offers treatment via lasers, but if they do just naturally go away it isn't worth it. My doctor suggested that LASIK might help in that it would make me less nearsighted and so less bugged by the effect.

From WebMD:

The Eye Doctor Is In

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Eye Problems, with Bill Lloyd, MD What's a Floater in the Eye?

Learn about the free-floating chunks of gel in your eye.

Why am I seeing funny shapes and spots?

Answer:

VITREOUS is the name of the clear material that fills the eyeball. About 80% of the eye's volume is vitreous, just like a small spherical fish tank! You may recognize the Latin word "vitreous" as molten glass. Human vitreous has a similar appearance and physical properties.

The vitreous in children is very firm and gelatinous. In older folks the vitreous turns to water. That means there's a transition period during which the gel "melts." The medical term for this process is SYNERESIS (SIN-ERR-REE-SISS). (Hey, you knew we had a term for this!)

During syneresis some of the gel is still partially formed in chunks. These free-floating chunks represent your floaters. Although they are clear, these chunks cast an optical shadow on the retina, giving them a dark appearance.

Floaters typically don't appear in colors, but floaters can appear singly or in multiples. They appear in various shapes and sizes. I once had a patient who SWORE her biggest floater looked like President Abe Lincoln.

The vast majority of folks with floaters do not develop retinal detachment. When the vitreous separates from the retina along the wall of our "fish tank," it can stimulate light flashes in the retina. These can be plain or colorful. Persistent or progressive flashes should alert you to get a comprehensive eye exam.

Whether you see clusters, specks, black dots, or Presidents, most floaters go away over time. Either the gel completely dissolves, or the chunks settle down to the bottom of the eye, or (most likely) your brain learns to simply ignore them. There is no medical therapy available to eliminate floaters.