Understanding Eye Floaters and Flashes: When to Be Concerned

HVA • 1 week ago

The field of vision in normal eyes is clear. But sometimes, it seems like something is appearing or floating in front of your eyes. They are known as eye floaters or flashes.

Eye floaters and flashes are things that you see in your field of vision. Eye floaters are small dots and specks, and eye flashes look like lightning streaks or flashing lights. Floaters and flashes seem to be in front of your eye, but they are actually caused by different phenomena that govern how light and shadows cast on your retina.

Eye Floaters

Eye floaters are black or grey spots in the vision that may resemble cobwebs, strings, or specks.

They seem to drift about or float when you move your eyes, but as soon as you try to look at them, they dart away.

Causes Of Eye Floaters

Eye floaters are mostly caused by age-related changes, and the actual cause behind them is the vitreous, or jelly-like substance inside your eyes. When this vitreous liquifies and contracts, it forms clumps. These clumps of collagen fibers cast tiny shadows on the retina, which you see as floaters.

We see eye floaters when we look at a plain scene, like a blue sky or blank wall. The thick clumps of vitreous in our eyes, which are formed with age, sometimes pull away from the back of our eye. This condition is called posterior vitreous detachment. The detachment of thickened vitreous from the back of the eye causes eye floaters. However, they sometimes appear even without posterior vitreous detachment.

Eye floaters are usually not serious. They become less noticeable or fade away over time. However, floaters may become extremely severe sometimes and must be removed with the help of surgery.

Three types of conditions mostly cause floaters in the eyes;

· Near-sightedness (when you need glasses to see far away objects)

· Surgery for cataracts

· Inflammation inside the eye.

Eye Flashes

Flashes of light, or eye flashes, are spots of light or pinpricks that you see in your field of vision.

Flashes of light look like lightning streaks or shooting stars; however, they come from within your eyes.

Causes Of Eye Flashes

Flashes of light appear when the vitreous gel changes or shrinks and pulls on the retina of your eye. The retina is a light-sensitive lining of your eye. These eye flashes also happen when you rub your eyes too hard or are hit in the eye. This is why the most common cause of eye flashes is physical force on the retina.

Eye flashes disappear as quickly as they appear. They are sometimes mistaken for migraine aura, which appears as lines, patches, or bright spots that stay in place for a long time. Migraine aura also looks like wavy or shimmering jagged lines, like heat waves.

On the other hand, halos or light rays are also a type of eye flashes, and appear around headlights, streetlights, or lamps when you look at them. They are a symptom of cataracts or result from refractive surgery or intraocular lenses.

Other conditions that can cause flashes of light are;

· Choroidal Neovascular Membranes

· Cytomegalovirus Retinitis

· Detached and Torn Retina.

When Should I Worry About Flashes and Floaters?

You should worry about eye flashes and floaters when they suddenly start appearing in your field of vision. The sudden appearance of flashes and floaters means that your retina might be detached or torn, which is a serious condition and requires immediate treatment to prevent blindness.

Eye flashes and floaters are also caused by vitreous changes that come with aging. There is no treatment for that. Occasional floaters or flashes in the eyes are not serious and do not cause harm, and people get used to them easily. However, if the eye floaters and flashes are suddenly increasing in number, they indicate an underlying condition and are a serious concern.

So, here is when you should be concerned about eye floaters or flashes;

· When they start appearing in large quantities

· When shadows start appearing in your side vision

· When a grey curtain covers some part of your vision.

How To Reduce Eye Floaters and Flashes

There are no home remedies to treat floaters or flashes in the eye. Serious cases of eye floaters and flashes are caused by a detached retina, which requires professional treatment.

The best treatment for the reduction of eye floaters is vitrectomy. It is a surgical option in which the vitreous is removed, and over time, the eye itself replaces it with a similar solution.

However, vitrectomy poses some risks, such as developing retinal detachment, cataracts, and retinal tears.

On the other hand, eye flashes are removed by surgical treatment and retinal detachment surgery. Even though they cannot be prevented as people age, and are usually harmless. However, if eye flashes are caused by an underlying condition, you must visit an ophthalmologist.

Treatment for the reduction of eye flashes is based on its underlying cause. Your eye specialist will check if the flashes are caused by damage to the retina, or if they are harmless. If the retina is detached or torn, then retinal detachment surgery is required.

Is It Normal to Have Eye Floaters and Flashes in Your 20s?

Yes, it is normal to have eye floaters and flashes in your 20s. This is the age when the floaters begin appearing and then gradually increase over time. People with near-sightedness or certain medical conditions may have a larger number of floaters in their eyes than others.

Can I Wear Contacts If I Have Floaters or Flashes?

Contact lenses do not cause eye floaters or flashes. Contact lens only sits over the cornea and does not cause any damage to the retina. However, if you have had surgical treatments to reduce or eliminate floaters or flashes, your optometrist will determine whether it is safe to wear contact lenses during or after the treatment.

Visit the Healthy Vision Association for expert medical advice and to know more about your eye health and concerns.