Floaters & Flashes

Floaters are any number or shapes of moving dots, spots, or lines in our vision due to opacities inside the vitreous cavity. The most common cause of floaters is vitreous detachment. In vitreous detachment, the vitreous, the gel inside the back of the eye, undergoes age-related thickening, which causes it to suddenly start separating from the retina, the inside lining of the eye. This phenomenon also can cause the visual sensation of bright light, referred to as flashes. The vitreous gel separation can sometimes result in a retinal tear, which can lead to retinal detachment and loss of vision. If you experience sudden onset of new floaters or flashes, or increase of them, you are recommended to contact your retinal specialist urgently to have a dilated retinal examination to detect retinal breaks or detachment.