Flashers & Floaters

Everyone gets occasional specks in front of their eyes. These specks are known as floaters and they are especially common when looking directly at a light background, or when feeling light-headed.

Description

Everyone gets occasional specks in front of their eyes. These specks are known as floaters and they are especially common when looking directly at a light background, or when feeling light-headed. Under normal circumstances, eye floaters are absolutely nothing to worry about. Everyone experiences them from time to time and they cause no ill effects.

However, if they start becoming visible in every background, suddenly increase in number and are accompanied by any loss of vision, it is vital that immediate medical advice is sought as this could be an early sign of retinal detachment.

Flashers & Floaters

Symptoms

You should see Dr. Fox as soon as possible if one new, large floater or “showers” of floaters appear suddenly, you see sudden flashes of light, or you notice other symptoms, such as the loss of side vision as these may be signs of a serious eye problem.

Treatment

The treatment for floaters and flashes depends on the underlying condition. While not all floaters and flashes are serious, you should always have a medical eye examination by an ophthalmologist or medical optometrist to make sure there has been no damage to your retina.