Many People Experience Eye Flashers & Floaters. See Us If You Notice a Sudden Increase in Either Phenomenon
While annoying, eye floaters on their own are rarely a cause for concern. As we age, most people will experience eye floaters.
As we age, the vitreous – the gel-like substance inside our eyes – begins to harden and change. As it does, invisible collagen fibers clump together and form the shapes we see floating in our vision. The actual floater that we see isn’t the collagen fiber, but rather the shadow cast by the fiber onto your retina.
In most cases, eye floaters are little more than annoying. However, if you suddenly experience a dramatic increase in floaters, and especially if that increase is accompanied by eye flashes, have one of our doctors perform a comprehensive eye exam as soon as possible.
Eye flashes – small specks of light we sometimes see “on top” of our regular vision – are the result of the way our eyes and brain work together to see.
The retina is responsible for turning light energy into electrical energy that is then sent via the optic nerve to the brain. When physically stimulated, such as being tugged on by vitreous that is trying to form a floater, we see this stimulation in the form of eye flashes.
Unlike floaters, which are usually nothing to be concerned about, every new instance of flashes should be checked by an Optometrist. Because flashers are associated with physical stimulation of the retina, you could be experiencing a medical problem (such as as posterior vitreous detachment).