Treatment for Floaters & Flashes


Most eye floaters do not require treatment. If eye floaters appear in the vitreous and become so numerous and severely interfere with vision, a surgical procedure may be required. The procedure involves the use of a hollow needle to extract the vitreous from the eye while replacing it with saltwater solution. This procedure may lead to complications such as retinal detachment, cataract and incomplete removal of floaters. 

If the floaters are due to retinal detachment or retinal tear, surgery is usually carried out.  Laser surgery can be used to treat a retinal tear and surgery used to repair a retinal detachment. 

Other treatments include the injection of drugs into the eye, topical eye drops and oral medications.

The type of treatment for floaters and flashes usually depends on what has caused them.

Risks with Surgical Treatment for Floaters & Flashes

Eye floaters trapped in the vitreous are rarely removed unless they are very big and are affecting vision.  The risks of removing small ones, usually outweighs the benefits.

When a tear occurs in the retina it allows for fluid to leak through the hole created and accumulates under the retina, detaching it. Early surgical intervention can correct this and treat flashes and floaters, which have resulted. The tear can be sealed and the retina re-attached by using laser, this will reduce the risk of a retinal detachment. Laser treatment can however, cause eye irritation or even a slight loss of vision. It can also lead to bleeding, infection or a reaction to some medications, loss of vision though rare is also a possibility.

The procedure for a retinal detachment, which can treat flashes and eye floaters, usually takes up to two hours and is generally considered safe.

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