purple spots

  About 4 months ago, I started seeing a large amount of floaters. My optometrist examined my eyes and said everything is normal, and not worry about them.  Recently I started seeing flashes of purple spots, most often when driving at night. They are quick flashes that last a split second, and seem to occur in both eyes at once. could these be related to the floaters, or something else?
  thanks.
nancy-
what you are describing is called "flashers and floaters". they can be very common, but quite anxiety provoking. the most common cause is related to a gel like substance inside the eye called the vitreous. this material is attached to the retina in various spots and in many of us will eventual "detach" from the retina. this then can be seen as floaters. as the vitreous is pulling off it can pull the retina which causes the sensation of flashing lights. now the vast majority of times these are just annoying symptoms, and are not serious. but in approximately 2- 7% of cases this can be a sign of a retinal tear. because of this it is necessary that you get at least one thorough dilated retinal exam from an ophthalmologist to rule this out. now if there are no retinal tears, and your exam is normal. then you would most likely begin to notice the subsiding of these symptoms over a few weeks to months. there are other causes of floaters that can be ruled out with a good exam as well. i hope this helped.
key words: vitreous, retina
Disclaimer
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition

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