This type of injury can scatter nerve signals in your brain and affect your vision temporarily. Something else may be happening inside the eye besides injury.
There are various causes for these visual events. In some cases, pregnant women may experience an increased number of floaters, possibly due to high blood pressure or elevated glucose levels.
Floaters are tiny, cloudy spots that seem to drift in and out of your field of vision. Sometimes they can be caused by other conditions, including:. Your brain is made up of four main sections, or lobes. The occipital lobe is in the back of your brain. Your occipital lobe processes those signals so your brain recognizes that image as a tree.
If you get hit on the head, the tissue in your occipital lobe gets shaken up. Brain cells then send out random electrical impulses, which your brain interprets as flashes of light that may seem like stars. To understand why, it helps to know a little more about the anatomy of your eye. The retina is a thin tissue layer at the back of your eye that is light sensitive. The part of your eyeball directly in front of the retina contains vitreous, a gel-like substance that helps your eye keep its shape.
There are also tiny, very thin fibers in the vitreous. When these fibers pull on your retina or the gel rubs against your retina, you may see stars. If your retina gets pulled too hard or moves out of its usual position, the result can be a retinal detachment. This can cause you to see stars.
It can also cause you to lose all or part of your vision in that eye. A detached retina can often be treated successfully with surgery. One other cause of stars in your vision is a migraine headache. Not everyone who has migraines sees stars or colorful lights which are also known as aura , but many do.
These are treated by ophthalmologists or optometrists, doctors specializing in eye health. Traditional migraine headaches, as well as a blow to the head, can give you a lingering pain in your head to go with your starry visions. A detached retina can also make it seem as though a curtain is being drawn over your vision in the affected eye.
But at your next eye appointment, tell your doctor how often you see flashes or floaters. If your vision is inhibited by large floaters, give our office a call to discuss options available to reduce these symptoms. When light enters your eye it sends a message to the retina, the retina then produces an electrical impulse which is sent to the brain.
The brain interprets this impulse as an image. If the retina is tugged, torn, or detached from the back of the eye it is common to see a flicker of light. The flashes or flickers of light can be temporary or continue indefinitely depending on the severity of the retinal issue. Seeing a few new floaters is not an emergency, however, if you suddenly see a shower of floaters or spots this may be cause for concern. The sudden appearance of flashes of light could mean that damage is occurring to your retina.
Those smaller pieces are what you may notice as floaters," says Dr. Eye floaters are more common as you get older and if you're nearsighted. The biggest concern — they can cause retinal tears. And that can cause blindness, which is why it's especially important to have a dilated eye exam within days of noticing new floaters or changes in vision.
Most eye floaters don't require treatment, but your eye doctor likely will recommend regular eye exams to ensure the condition doesn't worsen. Retinal detachment describes an emergency situation in which a critical layer of tissue the retina at the back of the eye pulls away from the layer of blood vessels that provides it with oxygen and nutrients.
Retinal detachment is often accompanied by flashes and floaters in your vision. Eye floaters may be caused by the normal aging process or as a result from other diseases or conditions:.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Eye floaters Open pop-up dialog box Close. Eye floaters As you age, the vitreous — a jelly-like material inside your eyes — becomes more liquid. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.
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