Do you see floating black dots in front of your eyes ?

Do you see sparks of light in front of your eyes ?

If the answer to the first question is yes then you are suffering from floaters (muscae volitantes) and if the answer to the second question is yes then you are having flashes (photopsiae) of light.

Can these be dangerous ?

Yes and no

There are many causes of floaters in the eye of which some may be dangerous while others may not.

A detailed retina examination can help detect any sight threatening lesion.

A sudden shower of multiple floaters should always be investigated.

Flashes are due to pull on the retina (the inner-most light sensitive layer of the eye) by vitreous (a gel like substance present inside the eye in front of the retina). This gel normally starts contracting with age and usually lifts off the retina without causing damage. In medical terminology this is called a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). This generally occurs over the age of 60 years, but can start earlier also especially in myopia. During the process of PVD this vitreous gel causes some pull on the retina which causes sensation of light or sparks for some time. This may resolve without causing damage if the vitreous separates smoothly. But, if this pull is strong enough to cause a break in the retina it is usually followed by floaters and can lead to severe loss of vision by resulting in detachment of the retina.
The floaters are generally due to particles (cells) in the vitreous or due to degeneration of the vitreous itself.

If after a retinal examination the doctor finds no defect in your retina then generally no treatment is required. However, if a retinal break is detected it must be treated immediately. Treatment consists of sealing of the break with Retinal LASER Photocoagulation to prevent retinal detachment. Retinal detachment means lifting off of retina from its normal position due to seepage of fluid beneath the retinal break. This can lead to a marked fall in vision and blindness if left untreated. Presently retinal detachment is managed by specialized surgery. So to prevent a retinal detachment the retinal breaks must be detected early and treated appropriately with LASER.

Author: Dr. Rohan Chawla
Date: 27 November 2008