Posterior Vitreous Detachment

A scary masquerade full of floaters that can sometimes lead to bigger issues.

While a vitreous detachment is a normal aging process, it can mimic a retinal emergency. As part of the natural aging process, the vitreous shrinks with time. The vitreous is a jelly-like substance that fills the inside of your eyeball. Eventually, the vitreous will pull away from the retina as it shrinks. This may be accompanied by a flash of light and leave floaters in your vision, with one of them most likely being in a large ring shape. In about 10% to 15% of cases, the vitreous can also pull off or tear your retina, which is an ocular emergency. Whenever you experience flashes of light or floaters, we always recommend coming in immediately for a dilated eye examination so we can be sure a retinal detachment has not occurred, and it is simply a vitreous detachment.