What are Flashes And Floaters?
Floaters are small dark spots, hair-like strands or cob-web type opacities which appear to float in front of the vision. They are especially noticeable when looking at a bright uniform background, e.g. a white wall or a cloudless blue sky. They move with eye movements, often darting away if you try to look at them directly. They tend to occur with age and are due to changes in the vitreous jelly inside the eye.
More rarely floaters can be caused by other eye conditions e.g.: inflammation (vitritis), vitreous haemorrhage, and retinal infections. Flashes can also occur in other situations, unrelated to vitreous traction e.g. migraine.
Retinal Tears/Detachment
In most people with flashes and floaters, the vitreous loosens without causing any damage to the retina. However, in a small number of cases the vitreous pulls a tear in the retina. If detected early retinal tears can usually be effectively “sealed off” using laser treatment, but undetected tears can result in the retina peeling away from the back of the eye = retinal detachment. This is a serious sight threatening condition which requires urgent specialised surgery to reattach the retina.
It is impossible to predict who may develop retinal tears/detachment and therefore anyone who develops new floaters +/- flashes should seen soon to have a thorough vitreous and retinal examination through dilated pupils.
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- Phone: 01903495532
- Location : 1 Brooks Road, Lewes, BN7 2DN
- Email: contact@eyedoctorclinic.co.uk
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