You've likely experienced occasional visual floaters or flashes and wondered what they were. They look like tiny lines, shapes, shadows, or specks drifting in your visual field. More often than not, seeing floaters is a normal occurrence. However, when floaters become more frequent and are accompanied by flashes of light, that can indicate a more serious problem.

What Causes Floaters?

The vitreous in the eye is a clear gel that fills most of the eyeball. Within it are small lumps of protein that drift around and move with the motion of your eyes. When these lumps cast shadows on the retina, the shadows appear as floaters. As we age, the vitreous shrinks, creating more strands of protein. Floaters tend to be more common in nearsighted people and diabetics, and occur more frequently following cataract surgery or an eye injury.

What Causes Flashes?

Flashes result from the retinal nerve cells being moved or tugged. As the vitreous shrinks over time, it can tug at the retina, causing you to see stars or bursts of light. This process is called posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and is usually not dangerous. However, in about 16% of cases, PVD causes tiny tears in the retina that can lead to retinal detachment — a sight-threatening condition that causes irreversible blindness if left untreated.

When to Call Your Optometrist About Floaters

Seek emergency eye care promptly if you experience any of the following:

• A sudden onset of floaters accompanied by flashes of light
• An increase of floaters accompanied by a darkening of one side of the visual field
• Shadows in the peripheral vision
• Any time flashes are seen

If our team hears that your main concern is floaters or flashes, we will try to see you within 24 hours. Contact Dayton Optometric Center in Kettering, Ohio at (937) 228-2020 with any further questions or to schedule an appointment.