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[Dierdre]

Floaters and flashes in my left eye since Sunday. Had this in my right eye about a year ago, went to eye casualty and was told it's age related caused by the vitreous gel shrinking and detaching from the retina and the other eye will eventually do it too. So now I can see debris floating around that looks like a cobweb, dots and a couple of dead insects plus a flash when I look sideways in the dark. Hopefully it will clear and move down to the bottom of the eyeball as it did in the other eye eventually.
Anyone else had this and is it a regular occurrence or just happens once in each eye?

[Taz2]

Yes I had this about 18 months ago. My optician said the same about it happening again but did say that each occurrence would need to be checked out just to rule out any possible tears which can happen. I think you should have a check up at the opticians to make sure. That cobwebby thing is very strange isn't it? Disconcerting. RINB has this info https://www.rnib.org.uk/your-eyes/eye-conditions-az/posterior-vitreous-detachment/

Let us know how you get on.

Taz x

[Limpy]

I have not had it but Mr L has. Given the flash you mentioned  it might be worth popping to your optician just to make sure all is basically ok.  I'm sure it is but it wouldn't harm to check.

[Dierdre]

Thanks Taz, I've an appointment tomorrow with the optician to check it out. Just did a search on here and it seems quite common.

[Dierdre]

I have not had it but Mr L has. Given the flash you mentioned  it might be worth popping to your optician just to make sure all is basically ok.  I'm sure it is but it wouldn't harm to check.

Going tomorrow just to on the safe side, thanks.

[CLKD]

Let us know how you get on as a 'flash' is a warning .  I had floaters after surgery, like a full stop moving across the page  .  That went inventually, occasionally I have similar when tired.

[Dierdre]

I had the flash before with the other eye, apparently it's normal when the gel detachs and it has settled a bit now, just notice it in the dark now and then. I was told once they have both detached it shouldn't happen again. The debris has since cleared in my right eye from a year ago but sometimes it's there forever but you just get used to it and don't notice anymore. The delights of getting old!

[Taz2]

Let us know how you get on as a 'flash' is a warning .

In the RNIB link it does say that flashes are part of it but with retinal detachment you can get flashes too so it does get confusing.

[Ayesha]

It’s very common and age related. When this happened to me I went to the optician but she told me to go straight to the eye hospital.
I had a thorough check up and was told exactly what has been mentioned in the comments above. They did say that if a black curtain falling down effect happens in the eye, to go straight to A&E or in my case it would be back to the Western Eye Hospital in Marylebone.

Nothing like this has happened a few years on from this but I do experience the lighting and floater effects only very occasionally.
The brain eventually gets used to the changes, apparently!

[Dierdre]

Yes, I was told that last time with my right eye about the black curtain drawing across the eye and it means the retina has detached. They said there's a chance of that happening within 6 weeks after the vitreous gel detaching.