Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Warning

I’ve been a practicing ophthalmologist in the U.S. for the past 33 years.

Long term stable “floaters” in your vision are common but regular eye exams are important to rule out ocular pathology.

The concern here is the onset of sudden new floaters in one eye sometimes accompanied with very transient bursts of flashes of light in the peripheral vision called photopsia. The most common cause of this is a posterior vitreous detachment whereby the vitreous gel that fills the middle of the eye behind the lens separates from its normal attachment to the macula (central retina) and optic nerve head in the back of the eye. No treatment is needed for a posterior vitreous detachment other than activity precautions to minimize the risk of retinal tear or detachment . A small percentage of these leads to a retinal tear or detachment. These do require surgical correction.

The symptoms above can also indicate retinal tear or detachment without a posterior vitreous detachment and having an associated defect or blurred area of your peripheral vision would suggest a retinal detachment.

The bottom line is if you experience a sudden onset of new floaters and/or flashes of light usually in one eye you should have an exam with pupil dilation to examine the peripheral retina within a couple days by an ophthalmologist. If you experience any decrease in the clarity of your vision or defects in your peripheral vision with the above symptoms you should be examined as soon as possible.

Waiting weeks for an appt. is not recommended.