Floaters and Flashes
Floaters
Floaters are tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the clear jelly-like fluid that fills your eye. You may sometimes see them moving in your field of vision. What you’re actually seeing are the shadows these clumps cast on your retina (the nerve layer at the back of your eye that senses light and allows you to see). Floaters have different shapes—little dots, circles, lines, clouds, or cobwebs.
Floater Symptoms
Symptoms for floaters are very self-evident. When people reach middle age, the vitreous gel (the clear jelly-like material inside your eye) may start to thicken or shrink and form clumps or strands inside your eye.
The gel could also pulls away from the back wall of the eye. This causes posterior vitreous detachment and is more common if you:
- Are nearsighted
- Have undergone cataract operations
- Have had YAG laser surgery of the eye
- Have had inflammation inside the eye
The appearance of floaters may be alarming, especially if they develop suddenly. Contact us right away if you suddenly develop new floaters, especially if you are over 45.
Flashes
Flashes occur when the jelly-like fluid inside your eye shrinks and tugs on the retina. It creates a sensation of flashing lights that can appear off and on for several weeks or months. You may have experienced this same sensation if you have ever been hit in the eye and seen “stars.”
As we grow older, it is more common to experience flashes. If you notice the sudden appearance of light flashes, contact us immediately to see if the retina has been torn.
The retina can tear if the shrinking vitreous gel pulls away from the wall of the eye. This sometimes causes a small amount of bleeding in the eye that may appear as new floaters. A torn retina is always a serious problem, since it can lead to a retinal detachment. Contact us as soon as possible if:
- A new floater suddenly appears
- You see sudden flashes of light
- Loss of your peripheral vision
Some people experience flashes of light that appear as jagged lines or “heat waves” lasting 10-20 minutes. These types of flashes are usually caused by a spasm of blood vessels in the brain (migraine). If a headache follows the flashes, it is called a migraine headache. However, jagged lines or “heat waves” can occur without a headache (an ophthalmic migraine, or migraine without headache).
Treatment of Floaters and Flashers
Floaters and flashes of light become more common as we grow older. While not all floaters and flashes are serious, a medical eye examination by our ophthalmologists will make sure there has been no damage to your retina. Contact us to make an appointment for a thorough eye exam.