Flashes and Floaters: When to Worry
Most floaters are a normal part of aging. What matters is change. A sudden shower of new floaters, repeated flashes, or a curtain across your vision needs to be seen the same day.
What are flashes and floaters?
We sometimes see small specks or clouds moving in our field of vision. These are called floaters — tiny clumps of cells or other material inside the vitreous, the clear gel-like fluid that fills the inside of the eye. They are often easiest to see against a plain, mono-coloured background.
While floaters look like they are in front of your eye, they are actually floating inside it. What you see are their shadows cast on the retina, and they appear in a variety of shapes and sizes.
When the vitreous gel pulls on the retina, there is an appearance of flashing lights or lightning. These are flashes, and they can come and go for several weeks or months.
- Floaters are clumps inside the vitreous casting shadows on the retina.
- Flashes are the vitreous tugging on the retina, seen as arcs of light.
- Both become more common with age as the vitreous pulls away from the retina.
Is this a serious condition?
As we grow older it is more common to experience floaters and flashes. When people reach middle age the vitreous gel may start to shrink, forming clumps or strands inside the eye, and the gel pulls away from the back wall of the eye — a posterior vitreous detachment. This is a common and usually harmless cause of floaters.
The problem is that the same process can tear the retina as the gel separates. A tear can be sealed in the office with a laser. Once it progresses to a detachment, it becomes surgery — and the vision that comes back depends heavily on how fast it was treated.
That is why the advice is the same regardless of your age: a sudden change in floaters or flashes gets examined promptly, not eventually.
- A sudden shower of new floaters where before there were few.
- Repeated flashes of light, often at the edge of vision.
- A curtain or shadow moving across part of your vision.
- Any sudden loss of vision, even if it seems to improve.
Frequently asked questions about flashes and floaters
What causes floaters?
Floaters are tiny clumps of cells or other material inside the vitreous, the clear gel that fills the eye. You see their shadows on your retina, which is why they drift when your eye moves.
What causes flashes?
When the vitreous gel pulls on the retina, you perceive it as flashing lights or lightning. Flashes can appear off and on for several weeks or months.
Are floaters normal?
Very often, yes. They become more common with age as the vitreous gradually pulls away from the inside surface of the eye. A stable, long-standing floater is rarely a concern.
When should I be worried?
A sudden shower of new floaters, repeated flashes, a dark curtain or shadow crossing your vision, or a sudden drop in vision. Any of those needs a same-day examination.
What is a posterior vitreous detachment?
When the vitreous gel shrinks with age and pulls away from the back wall of the eye. It is a common cause of new floaters, and usually harmless — but it can tear the retina as it separates.
Can floaters be treated?
Most do not need treatment and become less noticeable over time as your brain learns to ignore them. What requires treatment is a retinal tear or detachment found during the exam.
Will my floaters go away?
They often settle out of your line of sight and become far less noticeable, though they do not truly disappear. Persistent floaters that genuinely impair vision should be discussed with your doctor.
How is this examined?
With a dilated examination that lets your doctor see the entire retina out to its edges, plus retinal imaging. That is how a tear at the periphery gets found.
Five Convenient Florida Locations
Sebring
4211 US Highway 27 NSebring, FL 33870(863) 385-1544
Carrollwood
13904 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Ste 200Tampa, FL 33618(813) 908-2020
South Tampa
113 S Armenia AveTampa, FL 33609(813) 908-2020
Brooksville
14543 Cortez BlvdBrooksville, FL 34613(352) 596-4030
Gainesville
2521 NW 41 StGainesville, FL 32606(352) 377-7733
Something changed in your vision?
A sudden increase in floaters or flashes is checked the same day, not at your next routine visit. Call (813) 908-2020.