
What Are Floaters and Flashes? - American Academy of Ophthalmology
Dec 10, 2025 · Sometimes people have light flashes that look like jagged lines, shimmering spots, or heat waves. These can appear in one or both eyes and may last up to 60 minutes.
What are eye flashes and floaters and what can I do about them?
Oct 1, 2025 · Occasional flashes and one or two small floaters are generally harmless. However, certain features may signal a retinal detachment, a potentially serious problem where the …
Eye Flashes & Floaters: When It's Serious, Symptoms, 20 Causes
Are Eye Flashes and Floaters Harmless? Eye flashes and floaters are common and while usually harmless, but can require immediate medical attention if you have other symptoms such as …
Eye Flashes and Floaters: When to Worry vs When to Wait
Nov 15, 2025 · While most floaters and flashes are benign, certain warning signs demand immediate medical attention. These symptoms could indicate serious conditions like retinal …
Flashes and floaters in the eye - Look After Your Eyes
Floaters appear as black spots or strands that look like a hair or small pieces of cobweb. These can be semi-transparent or dark and appear to float in your vision. Sometimes they may …
Eye floaters - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
Jul 2, 2024 · The shadows you see are called floaters. If you notice a sudden increase in eye floaters, contact an eye specialist immediately — especially if you also see light flashes or lose …
Eye Flashes and Floaters - MSD Manuals
Eye flashes are a person's perception of bright flashes of light, flickering lights, or streaks of light that do not correspond to external sources. Eye floaters are specks or strings that appear to …
Eye Floaters: Causes, Symptoms & How to Get Rid of Them
Oct 23, 2024 · Eye floaters are spots you might see in your field of vision. They appear as gray or black specks, cobwebs, or strings that float around when your eyes move. If you try to look at …
Eye Floaters: What They Are, Causes & Treatment - Cleveland Clinic
Both floaters and flashes happen when the vitreous or vitreous humor, lifts up from the surface and pulls on the retina, creating tension. The vitreous is a gel-like substance in the middle of …
Floaters - National Eye Institute
Dec 4, 2024 · Floaters are small dark shapes or squiggly lines that float across your vision. Learn about what causes floaters, and their symptoms and treatment.