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Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD)

Seeing flashing lights in the corner of your eye or a flashing arc of light in your eye can be a worrying experience. These symptoms are often associated with the benign condition known as posterior vitreous detachment (PVD).

Experiencing pain, discomfort or a sudden change in your vision? Please call your local store and we’ll see you as soon as possible.

What is posterior vitreous detachment?

While PVD itself isn’t a medical emergency, its symptoms can mimic a more serious condition, retinal detachment, which is sight‑threatening. Therefore, you must get your symptoms checked out as soon as you have them to make sure you get the treatment needed.

Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is a common, typically harmless eye condition. It occurs when the gel‑like substance that fills your eye, called the vitreous, naturally shrinks and pulls away from the retina as you age.

Why does PVD cause flashing lights in my eyes?

The retina is the light‑sensitive layer at the back of your eye that sends signals to your brain, allowing you to see. When the shrinking vitreous tugs on the retina, it stimulates the nerve cells, and your brain interprets this as a flash of light. These flashes, called photopsias, are often described as brief streaks of light or a flashing arc of light in the eye. They are most noticeable in dim lighting and usually appear in your peripheral (side) vision.

Symptoms of posterior vitreous detachment

A tell‑tale sign of posterior vitreous detachment is a sudden increase in the number of floaters in your vision, as well as flashes of light. Some people describe the floaters looking like a cobweb across their vision, although you might see them as dots, strands, or squiggles.

These symptoms can last for a few weeks and can feel quite frustrating – but eventually, your brain will learn to ignore them, and they won’t bother you as much.

You should contact your optometrist or emergency hospital eye department within 24 hours if you experience any of these symptoms:

  • A sudden increase in the number and size of floaters

  • An increase in the number of flashing lights you see

  • Blurred vision

  • The appearance of a dark curtain moving across your vision

Causes of posterior vitreous detachment

Vitreous humour, a clear gel‑like substance, fills the space between the lens and the retina, helping the eye maintain its shape. As we get older, this gel starts to become more liquid, a process called liquefaction, and shrinks. This shrinkage causes it to separate from the retina at the back of the eye. This tends to happen after the age of 50, but it can occur earlier

Diagnosing posterior vitreous detachment

Posterior vitreous detachment is usually diagnosed during an eye test through both an OCT scan and using dilation drops to make your pupils bigger. This allows the optometrist to get a really good look inside your eye to check for signs of posterior vitreous detachment as well as allowing them to look at the health of the retina at the back of the eye.

OCT scans can also help with diagnosis, and can be added on to any Specsavers eye test.

Treatments for posterior vitreous detachment

This condition is a normal part of ageing and there is no specific treatment needed for posterior vitreous detachment – people will find that their symptoms start to get better after a couple of months. In fact, your brain cleverly learns to ignore the floaters in your vision, so you’ll find that they won’t bother you as much.

Treatment is only necessary when there is a risk to the health of your retina, in which case you’ll be referred for urgent treatment to repair a retinal tear, hole, or detachment.

There are several warning signs for retinal detachment, and you should get an urgent re‑examination if you experience any of the following:

  • A sudden increase in the number of floaters in your vision

  • A decrease in visual field

  • A veil coming across the vision

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Do these symptoms sound familiar?

If you have experienced any of the symptoms mentioned above it's worth booking an appointment with one of our optometrists.

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To learn more about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of eye conditions, visit our eye conditions hub or find out more about OCT scans here. Alternatively, book an appointment to get answers to all your questions.

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