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You should not let a lot of time pass to see what happens next. When flashes and floaters occur, it is important to be seen by an eye doctor, ophthalmologist or optometrist immediately. If this occurs, patients typically see a progressive shade that moves across the eye. If there is a tear in the retina, fluid can get beneath the retina and cause a retinal detachment. This is more concerning because these tugs at the retina can create a tear in the retina. These flashes of light typically happen in the periphery of our vision and look light a bright flash. When we move our eye back and forth, this area tugs at the retina and creates a flash of light. With the process of vitreous detachment, there can be flashes of light that represent areas where the gel is still attached to the retina. We are lucky that our brains often stop us from continuing to see them all the time. As a matter of fact, when we are born, the gel in the back of the eye is like crystal-clear jello and by the time we are 80 or 90, there are typically many floaters in the back of the eye. The appearance of floaters as we go through our life is normal.
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Floaters can also look like lines, veils, and many other shapes. As light comes in the eye, it casts a shadow past the floater or particle in your eye.
#When i close my eyes i see flashes of light free
As patients look from left to right, the floaters move back and forth because they are free in the back cavity of the eye. As this happens, patients often see a new explosion of floaters that look like spots or dots in their vision. When the vitreous gel liquifies as we age, at some point it comes away from the retina. So what happens during a posterior vitreous detachment when the vitreous gel comes away from the back of the eye. Also, remember, a retinal detachment is when the retina comes off the back of the eye… this is way more serious and can cause permanent vision loss in a short period of time. This process can be silent… we often see patients that have has a posterior vitreous detachment (when the gel comes away from the retina) and they don’t even know it. As we age, the vitreous begins to thin and usually between 40 to 60 years of age, the vitreous gel can come away from the retina. The vitreous gel is adherent to the retina, the film in the camera responsible for seeing images and sending those images to the brain. Vitreous fluid is thicker, sort of like a jelly consistency. The fluid in the back of the eye called the vitreous is filled with a thicker fluid called vitreous. The lens of the eye separates the front of the eye or aqueous compartment from the back of the eye called the vitreous compartment. This is the compartment in front of the iris and behind the cornea. The eye has fluid in the front of the eye called aqueous. Flashes and floaters are one of those problems that can be quite serious and you should get to an eye doctor or eye care provider as soon as possible. So flashes and floaters… what are they and are they serious.
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At North Shore Eye Care with 10 locations across Long Island and Queens, we are available six days a week to help you with your eye health and we always take emergencies right away. Some eye conditions look serious but are not serious and others can be mildly bothersome, but are actually true eye emergencies. Patients often wonder, “Is this eye problem I am having an emergency or is it ok to wait a few days to be seen?”.