Flashes & Floaters
What are floaters?
Floaters are a common symptom that many of us experience. Floaters
appear to be small shadows or objects in your vision. Floaters can have
different shapes: little dots, circles, lines, or cobwebs. When you move
your eye, they tend to move or "float" in the same direction of your
movement, which is how they got their name.
What causes floaters and are they serious?
While floaters appear to be in front of your eye, they are actually floating
inside. Floaters are tiny clumps inside the vitreous, the clear jelly-like
fluid filling the inside of your eye. Vitreous can be thought of like Jello.
At first it is firm and solid, but over time some of it liquefies, and other
parts clump together.
As people age, the vitreous gel may start to thicken or shrink, forming
clumps or strands inside the eye. The vitreous gel can pull away from
the back wall of the eye, causing a posterior vitreous detachment. This is
a common cause of floaters.
Posterior vitreous detachment is more common in people who are
nearsighted, have had eye surgery or inflammation inside the eye.
The sudden appearance of floaters or increase in the amount of
floaters should be evaluated by your eye doctor, especially if you are
over the age of 45.
The retina can tear if the shrinking vitreous gel pulls away from the wall
of the eye, sometimes causing a small amount of bleeding in the eye that
may appear as new floaters. A torn retina is always a serious problem
because it can lead to a retinal detachment. If you see new floaters
appear suddenly, or sudden flashes of light, you should see your
ophthalmologist as soon as possible. If you notice any other sudden
changes such as loss of side vision, you should see your ophthalmologist.
What can be done about floaters?
Floaters can get in the way of clear vision, which can be quite annoying,
especially if you are trying to read or do some type of close work. You
can try moving your eyes, looking up and down to move the floaters out
of your field of vision. Once you have seen your ophthalmologist and the
diagnosis has been confirmed, the best advice is to try to ignore the
floaters however simple this may sound. When people focus on them, or
constantly try to locate them, they become even more apparent and
bothersome! The good news is that many floaters will fade over time or
"float" out of the vision.
What causes flashing lights?
When vitreous gel rubs or pulls on the retina, you may experience what
looks like flashing lights or lightning streaks. The flashes can appear off
and on for weeks or months. It is more common to experience flashes as
we grow older, but if you notice the sudden appearance of light
flashes, you should see your doctor immediately to see if the retina
has been torn.
Some people experience flashes of light that appear as jagged lines or
"heat waves" in both eyes, often lasting 10 to 20 minutes. These types of
flashes are usually caused by migraine, a spasm of blood vessels in the
brain. If a headache follows the flashes, it is called a migraine headache.
Sometimes jagged lines or "heat waves" occur without a headache and in
this case it is called ophthalmic migraine.
Floaters are a common symptom that many of us experience. Floaters
appear to be small shadows or objects in your vision. Floaters can have
different shapes: little dots, circles, lines, or cobwebs. When you move
your eye, they tend to move or "float" in the same direction of your
movement, which is how they got their name.
What causes floaters and are they serious?
While floaters appear to be in front of your eye, they are actually floating
inside. Floaters are tiny clumps inside the vitreous, the clear jelly-like
fluid filling the inside of your eye. Vitreous can be thought of like Jello.
At first it is firm and solid, but over time some of it liquefies, and other
parts clump together.
As people age, the vitreous gel may start to thicken or shrink, forming
clumps or strands inside the eye. The vitreous gel can pull away from
the back wall of the eye, causing a posterior vitreous detachment. This is
a common cause of floaters.
Posterior vitreous detachment is more common in people who are
nearsighted, have had eye surgery or inflammation inside the eye.
The sudden appearance of floaters or increase in the amount of
floaters should be evaluated by your eye doctor, especially if you are
over the age of 45.
The retina can tear if the shrinking vitreous gel pulls away from the wall
of the eye, sometimes causing a small amount of bleeding in the eye that
may appear as new floaters. A torn retina is always a serious problem
because it can lead to a retinal detachment. If you see new floaters
appear suddenly, or sudden flashes of light, you should see your
ophthalmologist as soon as possible. If you notice any other sudden
changes such as loss of side vision, you should see your ophthalmologist.
What can be done about floaters?
Floaters can get in the way of clear vision, which can be quite annoying,
especially if you are trying to read or do some type of close work. You
can try moving your eyes, looking up and down to move the floaters out
of your field of vision. Once you have seen your ophthalmologist and the
diagnosis has been confirmed, the best advice is to try to ignore the
floaters however simple this may sound. When people focus on them, or
constantly try to locate them, they become even more apparent and
bothersome! The good news is that many floaters will fade over time or
"float" out of the vision.
What causes flashing lights?
When vitreous gel rubs or pulls on the retina, you may experience what
looks like flashing lights or lightning streaks. The flashes can appear off
and on for weeks or months. It is more common to experience flashes as
we grow older, but if you notice the sudden appearance of light
flashes, you should see your doctor immediately to see if the retina
has been torn.
Some people experience flashes of light that appear as jagged lines or
"heat waves" in both eyes, often lasting 10 to 20 minutes. These types of
flashes are usually caused by migraine, a spasm of blood vessels in the
brain. If a headache follows the flashes, it is called a migraine headache.
Sometimes jagged lines or "heat waves" occur without a headache and in
this case it is called ophthalmic migraine.
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