Background

Condition Lookup

Number of Conditions: 1

Floaters and Flashes

Specialty: Ophthalmology

Category: Vitreous and Retinal Disorders

Symptoms:
spots or lines in vision; flashes of light; seeing floaters

Root Cause:
Changes in the vitreous gel pull on or damage the retina.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Eye examination.

Treatment:
Observation or laser therapy for retinal tears.

Medications:
No medications; monitor for retinal detachment.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Very common, especially with aging; most noticeable after age 40.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Age, nearsightedness, trauma, posterior vitreous detachment.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Benign in most cases; may indicate retinal detachment in severe cases.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Retinal tears or detachment in rare instances.