Flashes and floaters in Reservoir
New flashes or floaters? Seek assessment today.
Floaters are common and often harmless, but a sudden change can sometimes be a warning sign of a retinal tear or retinal detachment.
New flashes or a sudden increase in floaters need urgent assessment on the same day. Call Reservoir Spectacles now for guidance. If you notice a dark curtain, shadow or sudden loss of vision, go to an emergency department immediately; do not wait for a routine appointment.
What people notice
Flashes, specks, cobwebs or a dark shadow.
The description can vary, and the pattern of change matters.
Floaters
Dots, threads, rings or cobweb-like shapes that drift across your vision and may be easier to see against a bright sky, wall or screen.
Flashes
Brief flickers, sparks or streaks of light, often at the edge of the vision. They may be more noticeable in dim lighting.
Shadow or curtain
A dark area, veil or curtain moving across part of the vision is an emergency warning sign, especially if vision is also blurred or reduced.
Why an examination matters
Most floaters are not dangerous, but symptoms alone cannot confirm the cause.
Floaters form when small strands or clumps in the clear gel inside the eye cast shadows on the retina. As the gel changes with age, it can separate from the retina. This is common, but the process can occasionally cause a retinal tear.
A retinal tear may allow fluid to pass behind the retina and lead to a retinal detachment. Retinal detachment is often painless, so the absence of pain does not make a sudden visual change safe to ignore.
Tell us if you are very short-sighted, have had cataract surgery, have experienced a significant eye injury, or have previously had a retinal tear or detachment.
When to seek help
Arrange assessment today for new flashes or a sudden increase in floaters.
Call for same-day guidance
Call if flashes or floaters have appeared for the first time, if there is a sudden increase, or if they follow an eye injury. Please call rather than relying on an online booking so we can understand the symptoms.
Seek emergency care
Go to an emergency department immediately for a dark curtain or shadow, sudden major vision loss or severe eye trauma. Call 000 for possible stroke symptoms such as facial droop, arm weakness or difficulty speaking, or if emergency transport is needed.
If the practice is closed or cannot arrange timely assessment, seek urgent medical care that day. Do not wait for a reply to an email or for the next routine appointment.
Your assessment
A careful look at the retina and a clear plan.
We will ask what you are seeing, when it began and whether anything else has changed.
The examination is tailored to your symptoms. It may include checking vision, examining the front and back of the eye, dilating the pupils when appropriate, and using retinal photography or OCT imaging when it adds useful information.
Depending on the findings, the next step may be reassurance and monitoring, review at the practice, or urgent referral to an ophthalmologist or hospital.
Keep the follow-up recommended by your clinician. A new shower of floaters, more flashes, reduced vision or a shadow needs urgent reassessment, even if an earlier examination was reassuring. For other patterns of change, see our blurred vision guide.
Tell the clinician when the symptoms started, whether one or both eyes are affected and whether anything has changed since your last examination.
Flashes and floaters FAQs
Common questions about sudden visual changes.
Are old, unchanged floaters urgent?
Long-standing floaters that have not changed are often less concerning than a sudden new shower of floaters. Mention them at your regular eye examination, and seek prompt advice if their number, appearance or effect on vision changes.
Can flashes be caused by migraine?
Migraine can cause flashing or shimmering visual effects, sometimes without a headache. New symptoms should not be assumed to be migraine without assessment, particularly when they affect one eye, are accompanied by new floaters, or are different from your usual pattern.
Does retinal detachment hurt?
It is commonly painless. Warning signs can include sudden flashes, a shower of floaters, blurred vision, or a dark shadow or curtain across part of the vision.
Can I book online?
Please call for new flashes, floaters or sudden vision changes. Speaking with the practice allows us to understand the urgency and advise whether an optometry appointment or emergency care is the right next step.
Reliable Australian information
Learn more from trusted eye-health sources.
For general patient information, see the Better Health Channel guide to eye floaters and the RACGP guidance on assessing flashes and floaters.
Urgent eye care in Reservoir
New flashes or floaters? Call and describe what has changed.
Reservoir Spectacles is at 2C Edwardes Street, Reservoir. If you are unsure whether your symptoms need an optometry appointment or emergency care, call the practice for guidance.