Eye Health Conditions
Eye Floaters & Spots: Harmless Or Urgent?
Most floaters are a normal part of ageing, but sudden new ones can be an early sign of a retinal tear, especially with high myopia. Here's how to tell the difference.
Most floaters are a normal part of ageing, but sudden new ones can be an early sign of a retinal tear, especially with high myopia. Here's how to tell the difference.
Floaters are small specks, threads or cobweb-like shapes that drift across your vision, most noticeable against a plain background like a clear sky or a blank wall. They're caused by tiny clumps forming in the vitreous, the clear gel filling the back of the eye, which cast faint shadows onto the retina as they move.
Most floaters are a normal part of the eye ageing and are completely harmless. But a sudden new shower of them, especially alongside flashes of light, can be the first sign of a retinal tear, which is why new or changing floaters are always worth a prompt check rather than waiting it out.
The trouble with floaters is that harmless ones and dangerous ones can feel identical at first. If you notice new floaters, spots or flashes, our standard procedure is Optos ultra-widefield imaging to screen the retina, which is why we'd always rather see you and confirm it's nothing than have you wait and risk a treatable tear progressing to a retinal detachment.
High myopia raises this risk considerably. A longer, more elongated eye stretches and thins the retina and makes the vitreous more likely to pull away unevenly, which is why floaters, flashes and retinal tears are all more common in highly myopic eyes. It's a direct, tangible reason we focus so heavily on myopia management in childhood: less myopia progression means meaningfully lower lifetime risk of these complications.
A prompt assessment focuses on ruling out a retinal tear or early detachment, then reassuring you about what's actually normal for your eyes.
Our standard first step for new floaters, spots or flashes: a single image captures around 200 degrees of the retina without dilating drops, so most people can drive themselves home straight after.
We talk through when your floaters started, how they've changed, and your individual risk factors, including myopia.
If Optos imaging raises any concern, we'll follow up with a dilated exam for a closer look at the peripheral retina.
Where relevant, OCT confirms the macula is unaffected and gives us a clear structural baseline.
Usually not. Because Optos can image around 200 degrees of the retina without dilating drops, most floater and flash assessments are comprehensive enough without them, so you can safely drive yourself afterwards.
If Optos imaging does raise a concern that needs a closer look, we'll recommend a dilated examination. Expect your vision to be blurred from the drops for several hours, so it's worth arranging a driver for that appointment.
What we recommend depends entirely on what your Optos imaging, and if needed a dilated exam, shows.
New or changing floaters get a same-day or next-available Optos ultra-widefield scan, rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
Where the retina is healthy, we explain what you're seeing and why, and most people find their floaters become far less noticeable over time.
For higher-risk eyes, particularly with high myopia, we set a monitoring schedule so any future change is caught early.
If a tear or detachment is found, we refer directly to a retinal surgeon, usually the same day. Read more on our retinal detachment page.
We'd always rather see you promptly for new floaters and confirm it's nothing, than have you wait it out and risk a treatable tear being missed. Every new-floater consultation includes Optos ultra-widefield imaging as standard, giving us a thorough view of the retina without needing to dilate in most cases.
Because high myopia is such a significant risk factor here, this is also where our long-term focus on myopia management pays off well beyond childhood. Reducing how myopic a child becomes has a real, lasting effect on their retinal health as an adult. Our Kew East practice is easily accessible from across Melbourne's inner east, including Hawthorn, Camberwell, Balwyn and Box Hill.
Noticed new floaters or flashes? Please call us directly rather than booking online so we can prioritise a same-day check. Most assessments use Optos ultra-widefield imaging, so you can safely drive yourself home afterwards.