The vitreous fluid degenerates during the middle age years, often forming minute debris within the eye. Floaters could also signify retinal tears that might be threatening for vision loss. The debris could be made up of blood, torn retinal tissue, inflammation, vitreous detachment, or could simply mean a normal aging change in the vitreous. These objects appear to be in front of the eye, but they are really floating in this fluid, and at the same time, casting their shadows on the retina, the light sensing inner layer of the eye. They may be seen as strings, streaks, clouds, bugs, dots, dust, or spider webs. Knowing that repeated eye flashes are a danger signal could save your vision.Floaters are actually cellular debris within the vitreous, the jelly-like fluid that fills the inside of the eye. While the condition is more common for older and extremely nearsighted people, he encourages everyone to be on the lookout for telltale signs of retinal tears and detachment. Aldairy sees an average of two to three patients with eye flashes each week. If retinal detachment is suspected, you may need immediate surgery to prevent or minimize permanent vision loss.Īs a retina specialist, Dr. If a retinal tear is diagnosed, in most cases it can be repaired with an out-patient procedure like laser treatment or cryotherapy. Your doctor will look for retinal tears, retinal detachment, and other issues. To get a complete view of your retina, your eyes will be dilated. However, this can sometime take a few days. In the case of posterior vitreous detachment, if flashes occur, they usually subside immediately when the separation is complete and the vitreous tug is released. “That’s why it’s so important to see an ophthalmologist and have the symptoms evaluated,” said Dr. Without an exam, it is impossible to tell if flashes are a result of a clean separation or a retinal tear. When to See an Eye Doctor for Eye Flashes Other signs include a sudden increase in floaters, a curtain in front of the eye, a loss of peripheral vision, or a narrowing of the visual field. A warning sign of a retinal tear is repeated flashes that could occur within seconds or hours of each other, said Dr.
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If left untreated, a retinal detachment may lead to permanent loss of vision. Fluid can enter through the tear and cause a retinal detachment. This tugging and friction can also result in a retinal tear. This is more likely to happen where the gel is more firmly attached, for instance, at the peripheral (side) retina.įlashes appear when the vitreous gel fails to separate cleanly and then tugs and creates friction on portions of the retina. If, however, the gel still adheres to the retina during this separation, problems can occur.
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As the gel changes consistency, it separates from the retina in a normal process called posterior vitreous detachment. Those changes may result from aging or extreme near sightedness. Eye Flashes and Eye FloatersĪccording to Yousef Aldairy, MD, a retina specialist at Duke Eye Center, eye flashes and eye floaters are often caused by changes in the vitreous gel, the substance that gives the eye its shape. A prompt visit to an ophthalmologist or a retina specialist can prevent permanent vision loss.
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But repeated flashes in the forms of white spots, streaks of lightening, or shooting stars in the corner of your eye can indicate a serious medical condition. Seeing occasional flashing lights in your eyes usually isn’t an issue.