It’s normal to see something that isn’t in the physical world every once in a while. For example, if you’ve ever rubbed your eyes, you might have seen light or color. Those images are called phosphenes, and they appear because your rubbing stimulates the cells in your eyes. (Don’t rub your eyes too frequently or with a lot of pressure — this can damage them.)
Other things can cause your eyes to signal your brain about things that aren’t material. You might see a passing floater or flash of light, for example.
Don’t dismiss these visual phenomena. Flashes and floaters can indicate that something is wrong with your retina, the tissue that plays a critical role in your ability to see. Fortunately, Hilla Steinberg, MD, provides dedicated retina care at our office on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City.
Your eye is filled with a jelly-like substance called vitreous gel. It occupies the space between the lens on the front of your eye and the retina at the back. This gel can cause problems.
Specifically, it can get more liquid or contract. These changes can pull on your retina, which is only a layer of thin tissue. Vitreous gel shrinkage can cause the retina to tear.
Contact with your eye can also tear your retina.
Your retina detects light and helps you see. Once you have a tear, it affects how your eyes take in and process light. You might see flashes of light that aren’t there or notice floaters. Seeing both of them in the same eye probably indicates that your retina needs medical attention.
Seeing flashes and floaters probably means something’s going on with your retina. If it’s a tear, your vision might blur or darken, too.
Left unchecked, your retinal tear could develop into retinal detachment. In that case, the retina fully pulls away from the tissues that support it. If you don’t get care for it quickly, the detachment can lead to blindness.
Fortunately, Dr. Steinberg can intervene to help protect your eyes. Her options for repairing the tear and preventing complications from it include laser surgery or cryopexy (freezing that seals off the tear).
If you develop retinal detachment, Dr. Steinberg offers scleral buckling to repair your retina and, ideally, restore your vision.
In other words, various treatment options are available to support your retinal tissue and preserve your ability to see.
Call our office or book a consultation with Dr. Steinberg online to determine what’s causing your flashers or floaters and get retina care.
