At Holden Eye Care, Dr. Scaramuzzi provides evaluation and diagnosis of floaters and flashes. All floaters and/or flashes, especially if they’re new or changing (i.e. increase in number or size of the floaters), should be evaluated immediately to determine if they are normal or a true medical emergency.
Normal floaters are an eye condition that can be an annoyance and may even be frightening. Floaters may appear as tiny specks or “cobwebs” or as small dark shadows, “thread-like” strands or even “squiggly” lines that actually float around in your field of vision. Generally, floaters are a normal and expected consequence of the aging process of your eyes. Typically they become more noticeable when looking at a visual field with a white background such as a plain piece of paper or a clear blue sky.
The “back of the eye” is filled with a gel-like substance called the Vitreous. As we age, the normal gel like Vitreous tends to shrink and become somewhat “stringy”. These strands of Vitreous can actually cast shadows on the retina and create the appearance of floaters. The likelihood of experiencing floaters increases as we get older and is more common if you are very nearsighted or have diabetes.
Occasionally, a small section of the Vitreous gel may pull away from the retina all at once instead of slowly and gradually, resulting in a noticeable and sudden increase in the number of floaters that you see and can be frightening. This is called a Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD) and is NOT sight threatening.
However, sometimes other more serious eye conditions or problems inside the eye may cause floaters and/or flashes which are not normal, such as infections, inflammation, eye trauma, hemorrhages, retinal tears, or retinal detachments, in which all can be true sight threatening medical emergencies and may require prompt treatment/referral.
If you experience new or changing floaters/flashes, or if you experience light flashes with a distortion or a decrease in your side vision accompanying it, it could be a Retinal Detachment, which is a sight threatening medical emergency. If you experience any of these symptoms you should call Holden Eye Care at (508) 829-6731 and tell the receptionist or doctor on call that you need an appointment immediately.
After a thorough dilated eye examination with Dr. Scaramuzzi he will be able to diagnose whether your floaters are part of normal aging or due to a more serious and possible sight-threatening problem. If the flashes and floaters are simply a sign of a PVD, and no other problem is present, then no treatment is necessary. The flashes are likely to go away on their own within a few days or weeks. Normal floaters may take weeks or months to diminish, and may not completely go away. We may need to re-examine and monitor you within 6-8 weeks.
