Floaters & Flashes

Floaters are small shapes that appear to drift across your vision. They may look like:

They are usually most noticeable when looking at a plain, bright background (like a blue sky or white wall).

Flashes are brief bursts of light in your field of vision. They may look like:

Flashes often occur in the side (peripheral) vision and can be more noticeable in a dark room.

What Causes Floaters and Flashes?

These symptoms often happen due to changes in the gel-like substance inside your eye, called the vitreous.

Aging: As we age, the vitreous shrinks and pulls away from the retina (called a posterior vitreous detachment, or PVD).
Eye injury
Inflammation inside the eye (uveitis)
Diabetic retinopathy
After eye surgery

In most cases, floaters and flashes are not serious and are a normal part of aging.

BUT—they can sometimes be a warning sign of a retinal tear or detachment, which is a medical emergency.

You should contact an eye doctor right away if you experience:

These may be signs of a retinal tear or detachment, which needs urgent treatment to prevent permanent vision loss.

Your eye doctor will perform a dilated eye exam to check for any damage to the retina or changes in the vitreous.

Most floaters don't need treatment and become less noticeable over time.
Flashes related to vitreous changes usually go away on their own.
If there’s a retinal tear or detachment, laser treatment or surgery may be needed urgently.

Try not to focus on floaters—they often become less bothersome with time.
Wear sunglasses to reduce light sensitivity.
Monitor changes in your vision.
Keep up with regular eye exams—especially if you're over 50 or have risk factors like nearsightedness or diabetes.