Panoptic Eye Care offers on-call eye services for emergent eye conditions. Please contact our office to speak with our eye doctor if:
You experience new floaters and/or flashes of light
You experience any sudden loss of vision
You have an acute red and/or painful eye
You have any other medical concerns
Our doctor will triage your symptoms and give you further instructions. We’re happy to provide this service to our community!
Here is some information about floaters:
Floaters occur when the eye’s gel-like vitreous begins to naturally dissolve and liquefy to create a watery center. Some undissolved particles occasionally will float around in the more liquid center of the vitreous.
These particles are referred to as “floaters” and can take on various shapes and sizes. Floaters are more pronounced when looking at an overcast sky, computer screen, or a white or light-colored background.
Eye floaters are very common and are ordinary when they are few and stable. However, if there is a shower of new floaters, especially if accompanied by flashes of light, then immediate medical attention with an eye doctor is necessary.
The sudden onset of flashes of light and floaters could indicate that the vitreous is pulling away from the retina or the retina itself is detaching. The former describes a posterior vitreous detachment, which is usually a normal and common condition. The latter describes a retinal detachment, which could lead to significant vision loss without immediate treatment.
Occasionally, as the vitreous naturally detaches, it might cause a small hole or tear in the retina. When the retina is torn, the vitreous can enter the opening and tear the retina farther until it becomes a retinal detachment.
Given these risks, it is important to contact an eye doctor for a dilated eye exam when these symptoms occur.