Flashes and Floaters

Flashes and floaters are common ocular complaints. Flashes refer to aberrations of light that are seen in a patient's field of gaze. The flashes can be of varying sizes, colors, frequency, and durations, depending on the cause. Floaters are another common visual phenomenon caused by particles o...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inPrimary care Vol. 42; no. 3; p. 425
Main Authors Sharma, Priya, Sridhar, Jayanth, Mehta, Sonia
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.09.2015
Subjects
Comorbidity
Diabetic Retinopathy - complications
Diagnosis, Differential
Eye Diseases - diagnosis
Eye Diseases - etiology
Humans
Migraine Disorders - complications
Primary Health Care
Referral and Consultation
Retinal Perforations - diagnosis
Retinal Perforations - physiopathology
Retinal Perforations - therapy
Risk Factors
Self Care
Vitreous Detachment - diagnosis
Vitreous Detachment - physiopathology
Vitreous Detachment - therapy
Vitreous Hemorrhage - diagnosis
Vitreous Hemorrhage - physiopathology
Vitreous Hemorrhage - therapy
Retinal detachment
Retinal tear
Migraine
Vitreous hemorrhage
Posterior vitreous detachment
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:Flashes and floaters are common ocular complaints. Flashes refer to aberrations of light that are seen in a patient's field of gaze. The flashes can be of varying sizes, colors, frequency, and durations, depending on the cause. Floaters are another common visual phenomenon caused by particles or debris in the vitreous gel of the eye that cause shadows and thus visual changes, especially against bright backgrounds and in brightly lit environments. Flashes and floaters can occur individually or together. This article discusses common causes of flashes and floaters to help with the triaging and management of these patients.
ISSN:1558-299X
DOI:10.1016/j.pop.2015.05.011