Occasionally flashes can be a sign that the retina is at risk of being torn or detached. Most flashes are caused by changes in the vitreous humour which are related to age and which are harmless. Patients may sometimes see flashes, although more frequently they see complex visual images like children or animals, which can look very real. The brain, deprived of real visual information, can make things up instead, particularly in conditions of low light. They can last up to an hour and tend to increase to a maximum before fading away and being replaced by a headache, which is typically one-sided and which may or may not be severe.Ĭharles Bonnet syndrome is a condition experienced by people, usually elderly people, whose vision is deteriorating. Usually, in migraine, these occur in both eyes simultaneously. Some people with migraine experience flashing lights. Again, these can affect one or both eyes.įlashes can also relate to migraines. These include diabetic eye disease and sickle cell disease. However, most vitreous detachment does not harm the retina.Ĭonditions which affect the retina may also cause flashes. Sometimes, as the vitreous pulls on the retina, it can tear it, causing a retinal tear or a retinal detachment. If they occur in both eyes this is because the same thing is happening in each eye separately (but since your eyes are usually very similar this is not unlikely to occur at the same time). The flashes of vitreous detachment may occur in one or both eyes. The vitreous is detached from the retina in 75% of people aged over 65 and this is usually harmless. This condition is harmless in itself, and in fact it happens to almost everyone eventually.
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Eventually the vitreous membrane tends to pull right off the retina, a condition called posterior vitreous detachment. This can cause flashes because the pulling triggers nerves in the retina and they send signals to the seeing nerve (optic nerve). Treatment options include laser treatment or surgery, and without it, you risk losing your vision.As we age, the vitreous humour shrinks and as it does so it can pull on the retina. While benign floaters do not require any treatment, retinal detachment does. If you have any of the above symptoms, visit your ophthalmologist right away. Seeing floaters and flashes for the first time.A big increase in the number of floaters you’re seeing.Signs that you could have retinal detachment include: Seeking a retinal specialist is crucial at this point because without proper treatment, you could lose your vision. If the tugging on the vitreous gel tears the retina and detaches from the eye, you will end up with retinal detachment. Sometimes, eye floaters can indicate a more serious problem. You’ve always seen floaters, and what you’re experiencing now is no different.They do not interfere with your vision.
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They occur when looking at a plain, light-colored background.They occur when looking at something bright.Here are some signs that the eye floaters you are seeing are completely normal. These small flecks of protein block light that passes through the eye, which then casts shadows on the retina. When the vitreous gel shrinks or thickens, particles form in the gel. As a matter of fact, 7 out of 10 people will experience them at some time in their lives.Įye floaters are an ordinary part of the aging process because the clear substance inside the eye (vitreous gel) changes with age. Let’s discuss what is “normal” and “not normal” when it comes to eye floaters.Įye floaters are very common. However, there are times when eye floaters can be a cause for concern. People become so used to living with them that they either don’t notice them, or they’re able to blink a few times and make them disappear. In most cases, eye floaters are harmless and won’t interfere with your vision. While they can show up at any time, they most commonly appear after looking at something bright such as the daytime sky. Eye floaters can be described as small spots or squiggles that move around in your field of vision.