“Floaters and Flashes: When to Worry, When to Relax”

 

Eye floaters are spots in your vision.  They may look to you like black or grey specks, strings, or cobwebs.  They may drift about when you move your eyes.  Floaters appear to dart away when  you try to look at them directly.  When should you worry and when should you relax?

Most eye  floaters are caused by age-related changes that occur as the jelly-like substance (vitreous) inside your eyes liquefies and contracts.  Scattered clumps of collagen fibers form within  the vitreous and can cast tiny shadows on your retina.

Seeing the occasional floater — a small speck or squiggle that drifts across your vision — is common and usually harmless, especially as we get older. But a sudden change is worth paying attention to.

Floaters infographicSymptoms of Eye Floaters may include:

  • Small shapes in your fiction that appear as dark specks or knobby, transparent strings of floating material.
  • Spots that move when you move your eyes, so when you try to look at them, they move quickly out of your line of vision
  • Spots that are most noticeable when you look at a plain bright background, such as blue sky or a white wall.
  • Small shapes or strings that eventually settle down and drift out of the line of vision.
    Probably fine: A few floaters that have been stable for a while, especially if you’re over 40. This is often just the vitreous gel in your eye naturally changing texture with age.
    Get checked soon: A noticeable increase in floaters, especially if it happens over days rather than years.
    Get checked today: A sudden shower of new floaters, flashes of light, or a dark curtain or shadow moving across your vision – which are all painless symptoms that  can signal a retinal tear or detachment, which is a sight-threatening condition that requires immediate attention,  to protect your eyesight. Call our office right away at 763-420-5112 if this happens — we’ll get you seen the same day.
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Our Philosophy:

The bottom line: gradual and stable is usually nothing to worry about. Sudden and new deserves a same-day call.  Schedule an Eye Exam