New floaters or flashes of light
Flashes and floaters: the ones that need seeing today
A few floaters that drift when you look at the sky are normal. A sudden shower of new ones, flashes of light in the corner, or a curtain at the edge of your vision are not — and the difference is a same-day appointment.
Same day — ring us now
- A sudden shower of new floaters, like soot or a swarm
- Flashes of light — arcs or sparks — especially in the outer edge of one eye, in the dark
- A shadow or curtain creeping in from the side of your vision
- Floaters or flashes after a blow to the head or eye
These can mean the retina has torn. A tear treated the same day is a small laser procedure; a detachment left a week is an operation and possible permanent loss. Ring; if we can’t dilate and examine you today we’ll tell you where can.
Usually harmless
A handful of floaters you’ve had for years, that drift when you move your eyes and are worse against a bright sky: the vitreous jelly ageing. Annoying, common, not dangerous — but any change in them is worth a look.
What we do
Dilating drops, then a careful look at the whole retina with the microscope and the wide-field camera. Fifteen minutes of blurry vision afterwards — don’t drive yourself. If there’s a tear we ring the eye hospital from the room.
Guides on this
- Red eye: when it’s nothing, and when it’s todayMost red eyes settle on their own. A few are the kind that damage sight if left a week. The difference is four signs, and none of them is “h
- Flashes and floaters: the ones that need seeing the same dayA retinal tear caught the same day is a ten-minute laser. Left a week, it can be a detachment and an operation. The signs are specific, and
- Stye or chalazion? What to do tonightA lump on the eyelid is nearly always one of two things, both harmless, both fixable at home most of the time. Here’s how to tell them apart
- Something in my eye: what to do, and what not to doMost things wash out. The ones that don’t — and the ones you should never try to get out yourself — are the reason to know this before it ha
Five clinics across Greater Manchester, Cheshire & West Yorkshire
Every Book button on this page comes here. Choose your practice — the number appears on the one you pick.
Book a Dry Eye Assessment — Cheadle 0161 428 3717
Book a Dry Eye Assessment — Middleton 0161 653 0771
Book a Dry Eye Assessment — Heald Green 0161 437 3400
Book a Dry Eye Assessment — Winsford 01606 599030
Book a Dry Eye Assessment — Heckmondwike 01924 403617
Gland Scan: £15 with any eye examination (included in our Gold eye examination).