Specialty Vision · Vision Simulator
Posterior Vitreous Detachment Simulator
New floaters and flashes as the gel separates — usually benign, sometimes a warning.
New floaters and flashes — and when to worry
As we age, the jelly inside the eye (the vitreous) shrinks and peels away from the retina — a posterior vitreous detachment. It usually causes a sudden increase in floaters, often a ring-shaped one, sometimes with brief flashes of light at the edge. Most PVDs are harmless. But a sudden SHOWER of new floaters, or a dark curtain spreading across your vision, can mean a retinal tear or detachment — an emergency. Step through to see the difference.