Have you ever spotted a small speck, dot, or squiggle floating in the air, only to have it flit away when you tried to look at it directly? Or have you noticed flickering lights or lightning streaks that you knew weren't really there?

If so, you are one of many people who have experienced the common vision phenomenon known as eye floaters and flashes.

Floaters and flashes are a normal part of the aging process, usually occurring after age 50, per the Cleveland Clinic, and most of the time, they’re not considered a medical problem.

But a rapid onset of many eye floaters and flashes could indicate that a retinal tear has occurred, and a tear in the retina can lead to a retinal detachment, which is a medical emergency. If not treated quickly, a detached retina could cost you your eyesight.

Time Is Often Your Best Treatment

Eye floaters and flashes caused by changes in the vitreous gel are most visible when you are looking at a plain, light-colored background. Close one of your eyes and look at a bare wall, a blue sky, or a white background on a computer screen. If you see a squiggle, dot, or other shape flitting around, you have found an eye floater.

Eye floaters and flashes normally require no treatment. Flashes usually fade away, and over time, most people don't notice floaters as often, because the brain learns to filter out the visual interference. An annoying floater in the center of your vision sometimes can be relieved by rolling your eyes around, which swirls the vitreous gel in the eyeball and gets the floater to move away.

If you’re seriously bothered by floaters and find they interfere with daily activities such as reading or driving, there are some treatment options to consider, but it’s important to talk to your ophthalmologist so you fully understand the potential risks and benefits of these treatments before undergoing them.

A surgical procedure called vitrectomy can remove floaters by removing the vitreous gel from the eye and replacing it with saline solution or silicone oil, but it is a major procedure that can hasten the development of cataracts, and it's normally not considered worth the risk as a way to deal with floaters.

A newer type of treatment called YAG laser vitreolysis uses a laser to vaporize floaters. Studies of its safety and effectiveness have been mixed, however, according to a 2020 article in Advances in Therapy.

Sudden Floaters, Flashes, and Vision Loss May Signal Retinal Detachment, an Emergency

The tugging by the vitreous gel can sometimes cause a more serious medical condition in which the retina tears and detaches from the eye. If this occurs, you could partially or completely lose your vision in that eye. Symptoms of retinal detachment include:

• A sudden increase in the number of eye floaters and flashes, or the sudden appearance of them for the first time.
• The loss of your peripheral vision, usually appearing as a curtain or shadow that moves toward the center of your vision over time.
• Vision that has become blurred or distorted.

Surgery is the only treatment for retinal detachment, and time is of the essence in preserving your vision. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should see your eye doctor immediately.

The Takeaway

Eye floaters and flashes are typically harmless changes in the vitreous gel in the eyes that many people experience, especially after age 50. However, a sudden occurrence of multiple floaters or flashes could be a sign of a retinal tear or detachment, which requires immediate medical attention to prevent vision loss. If floaters interfere significantly with your vision, moving your eyes may help shift them out of your line of sight.

Additional reporting by Ingrid Strauch.