Eye condition · Everyday problems
Eye floaters and flashes
Most floaters are harmless, but a sudden shower of floaters, flashes or a shadow over your vision can mean a retinal tear or detachment. Know the difference.
Get help the same day if you have
- A sudden increase in floaters, or many new specks or cobwebs
- Flashes of light in one or both eyes
- A dark shadow or curtain coming across your vision
- Sudden loss of side vision
Call an eye doctor now or go to an emergency department. Eye emergencies guide
What floaters are
Floaters are small dark specks, threads or cobwebs that drift across your vision, most noticeable against a bright sky or a white wall. They are shadows cast on the retina by clumps in the vitreous, the clear gel that fills the eye. As we age, the vitreous becomes more liquid and clumps form.
Flashes and posterior vitreous detachment
With age, the vitreous gel often shrinks and pulls away from the retina. This is a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and is very common after 50. It can cause a sudden new floater and brief flashes of light, especially in dim light or with eye movement.
PVD itself is usually harmless. But in some people, the gel pulls hard enough to tear the retina. Fluid can then pass through the tear and lift the retina off the back of the eye, a retinal detachment, which can cause permanent vision loss if not repaired quickly.
Who is at higher risk of retinal detachment
- People who are very nearsighted
- People who have had cataract or other eye surgery
- People with a past eye injury
- People who have had a retinal detachment in the other eye or have a family history of it
How it is diagnosed
An eye doctor dilates your pupils and examines the whole retina. Anyone with new floaters or flashes should be examined, ideally the same day, even if the symptoms seem mild.
Treatment
- Harmless floaters: no treatment needed
- Retinal tears: sealed in the office with laser or freezing treatment to prevent detachment
- Retinal detachment: surgery, often within a day or two, to reattach the retina
Watch
Questions people ask
Do floaters go away?
Many become less noticeable over weeks to months as they settle and the brain learns to ignore them. Some stay.
Can floaters be removed?
Floaters that seriously affect vision can be treated with vitrectomy surgery or, in some cases, laser. Both carry risks, so most people are advised to leave floaters alone.