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Floaters and Flashes of Light in the Eye

Our eye is normally filled with a jelly like substance called the Vitreous.  The Vitreous is located behind the lens and is attached to the retina by the posterior vitreous membrane. As we get older (which may be between 30 to 50 years), the vitreous may liquify (known as vitreous detachment, degeneration or syneresis).  This results in small clumps of jelly suspended in the semi-jelly fluid which casts a shadow your field of vision.  This is known as Floaters.

Characteristic of Floaters

  • They can be a variety of shapes such as dots, hair-like, wavy lines, fly or cob-web shaped
  • They appear to move when you move your eye
  • They can be more obvious in the mornings
  • They are more obvious when your look at a white background such as the sky or paper or computer screen
  • They can disappear and reappear
  • They appear to change shape

Click to watch eyeTrustNetwork video on Flashes & Floaters

Retina Holes or Tears

Sometimes when the vitreous pulls on the retina, it may result in you to seeing flashing lights. The light flashes are more obvious at night or in a dark room.  In around 3-5%, this tugging may result in a retina hole or tear.  When the happens, there is usually a sudden increase in the amount of floaters in your eye accompanied by these flashing lights symptoms.

Click to watch Arizona Eye Institute video on Eye Floaters & Retina Tear

A retinal hole or tear is a serious condition and needs immediate medical attention because if untreated, it may progress to a retina detachment resulting in loss of vision (Click to learn more https://blog.teleme.co/2020/01/23/retina-detachment/)


Disclaimer. TELEME blog posts contains general information about health conditions and treatments. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information is not advice and should not be treated as such. 

If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.

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