Flashes and Floaters
What are floaters?
The vitreous is a jelly-like substance that adheres to the retina. As we get older, the vitreous shrinks in size and pulls away from the retina. We call this a posterior vitreous detachment. This shrinkage of the vitreous can cause flashes of light and floaters.
Sometimes, the vitreous pulls too hard on the retina and causes a tear in the retina. A retinal tear can lead to a retinal detachment.
Next steps…
See your eye specialist to determine what the cause of the flashes and floaters are.
If a retinal tear is found on examination, this should be treated with either laser therapy or cryopexy right away to help prevent a retinal detachment.
