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Flashes & Floaters

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What are floaters? Floaters can appear as spots, lines or cobwebs in your vision, and usually they are more noticeable when you look at a plain surface such as a clear blue sky or white paper. It is normal for people with perfectly healthy eyes to see floaters, and they often appear when the clear jelly in the main part of your eye gets older and shrinks slightly. Floaters alone are nothing to worry about, unless you have any of the other symptoms listed below.

Can they be a sign of an eye problem?Floaters are only concerning if they suddenly appear as a shower of new floaters; if you see floaters together with flashing lights, or if a dark ‘curtain’ suddenly blocks your vision. If this happens it is important to seek further advice immediately, as these symptoms can mean that the retina is tearing. Go to an Accident and Emergency Department if necessary, as it is vital that you have your eyes checked as quickly as possible by a trained eye specialist.

What to look out for:

  • Flashes or floaters getting worse A black shadow in your vision
  • A sudden cloud of spots
  • A curtain or veil over your vision
  • Any sudden loss of vision

What if my retina is torn? The retina is at the back of the eye, and is the part of your eye that receives images and sends them to the brain so that you can see. If the retina tears, it can come away from the back of the eye, resulting in loss of vision. This is called retinal detachment. If your retina detaches and it is not treated within a few hours, you will permanently lose all or part of the sight in that eye.

So how can it be treated?A tear may be treated using a laser. The sooner the treatment is done the better your chances are of recovering fully. If your retina has become detached, you will need urgent surgery. The operation may restore most of your vision but may come too late for a full recovery.