What are Eye Floaters?
Floaters are particles inside the vitreous, the jelly like substance that fills the inside of your eye.
They may look to you like black or grey specks, strings, or cobwebs that drift about when you move your eyes and appear to dart away when you try to look at them directly. Although annoying floaters are usually harmless and may fluctuate over the years.
Flashes
Flashes are usually caused by the vitreous body tugging on the retina. This occurs when the vitreous body shrinks as a normal part of the ageing process. Flashes usually appear as momentary "lightning streaks" and can occur off and on for weeks or months.
The appearance of both floaters and flashes can be due to the normal aging process. As the vitreous body shrinks, this can separate from the retina known as "posterior vitreous detachment" (PVD). When PVD happens, a large floater and multiple flashes are usually seen. In most cases, the large floater will become less prominent over time.
Sometimes, the vitreous body is more firmly attached and, as it shrinks, it can pull away a part of the retina. This can cause slight bleeding, triggering a "shower"" of new floaters. When these retinal tears happen, fluid can escape, pushing the retina off the inside wall of the eye. This is known as a retinal detachment, which is a serious threat to sight.
When Should You See an Ophthalmologist?
Symptoms of Flashes and Floaters in the vision should always be reviewed.
- Even if only one new Floater appears suddenly
- You see sudden flashes of light
