It’s not uncommon to occasionally see spots or floaters in your vision. These specks, threads, flashing lights, or cobweb-like shapes drift through your field of vision and appear to dart away when you try to look at them directly. While they can be annoying, in most cases they are harmless and nothing to worry about.
However, certain changes in the type or frequency of these visual disturbances can signal an underlying medical condition that needs attention. Understanding the common causes of spots in the eyes and when to see your doctor can help protect your vision health.
What causes colored spots in vision?
There are several possible causes for seeing colored spots, shapes, or flashes in your vision:
- Vitreous detachment – The vitreous is a jelly-like substance that fills the inside of your eyes. As you age, the vitreous begins to liquefy and pull away from the retina. This can cause you to see small, harmless spots, threads, or cobwebs floating in your field of vision.
- Floaters – Tiny deposits or condensation inside the eye’s vitreous and gel-like fluids cast shadows on the retina. These appear as dots, circles, lines or spiderweb-like shapes in your vision.
- Posterior vitreous detachment – A PVD occurs when the vitreous gel separates from the retina, which can trigger brief flashes of light or floating spots.
- Eye injury – Trauma, infections, inflammation, or tumors affecting the eye can cause visual disturbances.
- Migraine aura – Spots, flashing lights, zigzag lines, or tunnel vision can precede a migraine headache.
- Ocular migraines – Temporary visual disturbances affect one eye. Causes may include spasms of blood vessels in the retina or nerve pathway.
- Aging – The retina’s nerve layer thins with age, causing harmless spots from changes in cell metabolism.
- Medications – Certain medications like digoxin, bisphosphonates, and sildenafil can cause visual disturbances.
- Eye diseases – Retinal tears, bleeding, macular degeneration, and retinal detachment can cause spotting.
- Diabetes – High blood sugar levels affect the blood vessels in the retina and vitreous fluid.
- Hypertension – Damage to blood vessels and nerves in the eyes from high blood pressure.
- Multiple sclerosis – Inflammation of the optic nerve can lead to blurry vision or spots.
What do different colored spots mean?
The specific color and characteristics of the spots you see can sometimes provide clues as to the underlying cause:
| Color | Common Causes |
|---|---|
| Black or grey spots | Floaters from vitreous changes or posterior vitreous detachment |
| Light flashes | Posterior vitreous detachment, migraine aura, retinal detachment |
| Halos around lights | Refractive error, cataracts, migraine aura |
| Wavy lines | Migraine aura, seizure, stroke |
| Blue field entoptic phenomenon | Tiny white blood cells moving through the macula |
| Red spots | Bleeding in the eye from diabetes, hypertension, blood thinners |
| Shimmering spots | Ocular migraine, multiple sclerosis, medication side effects |
When should I be concerned about colored spots in my vision?
In most cases, seeing occasional spots or floaters in your vision is not a cause for concern. However, you should make an appointment with an eye doctor right away if you notice:
- Sudden appearance of many floaters
- Flashes of light in one or both eyes
- Curtain or veil over any part of your vision
- Missing sections or blind spots in your vision
- New floaters along with light flashes
- Dimming or loss of peripheral vision
- Halos appearing suddenly around lights
- Straight lines start to appear wavy or distorted
- Loss of central vision making it hard to recognize faces or read
- Increasing number of spots over a short time
- Colored halos around lights
- Difficulty seeing at night or in low light
- Spots accompanied by pain in your eye
These types of visual changes could signal a retinal tear, detachment, bleeding inside the eye (vitreous hemorrhage), stroke, or other vision threatening conditions that require prompt medical care.
Diagnosing the cause of spots in vision
To find the root cause of spots or flashes in your vision, your eye doctor will likely:
- Ask about your symptoms and medical history
- Perform a slit lamp exam to inspect the front of your eye
- Dilate your pupils to check the retina and optic nerve for abnormalities
- Test your vision acuity, eye pressure, and eye movements
- Perform an Amsler grid test to check your central vision
- Schedule advanced tests like optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein angiography, or an electroretinogram if needed
Based on the exam findings, your ophthalmologist can determine if the spots are due to normal age-related vitreous changes, an acute issue like a retinal tear or occlusion, an underlying condition like diabetes or hypertension, or something more serious like a brain tumor or stroke.
How to ease symptoms from eye floaters or flashes
While the spots themselves usually can’t be removed, there are some self-care measures to help ease annoyance from eye floaters or flashing lights:
- Use proper lighting – Reduce glare by using soft, indirect light to read or work on visual tasks.
- Wear sunglasses outdoors – Sunglasses help prevent squinting or straining from sunlight and brightness.
- Lubricating eye drops – Drops can help if dry eyes are causing visual disturbances.
- Take breaks – Periodically rest your eyes when doing close-up work.
- Reduce eye stress – Limit screen time and adjust screens to proper viewing angles.
- Eat eye healthy foods – Consume fruits, vegetables, fatty fish for nutrients to support eye health.
- Don’t smoke – Smoking impairs circulation to the retina.
- Control medical conditions – Keep diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol under control.
- Avoid supplements without medical approval – Some supplements like ginkgo biloba can increase bleeding risk.
Your eye doctor may also prescribe special glasses to help filter out distracting floaters.
When are eye floaters and flashes an emergency?
Contact an ophthalmologist right away, visit an emergency room, or call 911 if you have:
- Sudden appearance of many spots and streaks
- Sudden vision loss in one or both eyes
- Flashing lights or curtain over vision, especially if it starts in peripheral vision and advances centrally
- Sudden blurry vision or blind spots
- Severe pain in one or both eyes
- Spots along with dizziness, numbness, headache, or speech issues
- Loss of peripheral vision
These urgent eye symptoms can indicate a detached or torn retina, stroke (amaurosis fugax), optic neuritis, or other issue requiring emergency care to prevent permanent vision loss or disability.
When to see a retina or neuro-ophthalmologist?
Your primary eye doctor may refer you to a specialist like a retina specialist or neuro-ophthalmologist for further evaluation if:
- Your symptoms suggest a retinal tear or detachment
- Eye floaters appear suddenly along with light flashes
- You have diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration
- There are signs of vitreous bleeding inside the eye
- Vision loss occurs in combination with neurological symptoms
- Spots or flashes recur frequently
- You need advanced diagnostic testing
- Your primary doctor cannot identify the cause
- Surgery or laser treatment may be warranted
These retinal and neurologic specialists have additional expertise to pinpoint the reason for visual disturbances and provide specialized medical or surgical treatment.
Are treatments available for eye floaters and flashes?
Unfortunately, there are no proven treatments to permanently eliminate eye floaters or flashing lights. However, there are some options that may help in certain situations:
- Vitrectomy surgery – Removal of the vitreous gel and fluid is sometimes done if floaters are very dense and disabling, or if they occur with recurrent bleeding or retinal detachment.
- Laser treatment – For some peripheral retinal tears, small laser burns can seal the tear and prevent retinal detachment.
- Medication injections – VEGF inhibitor shots may help if floaters are due to blood vessel growth in the retina from conditions like diabetes.
- Prescription eye drops – Glaucoma drops may reduce vitreous pressure and shrink gel pulling on the retina to help flashes.
- Eye supplements – Limited evidence that vitamins A, C, and E may help with age-related floaters. Ask your doctor before taking any supplement.
But for most people, prescription eye drops, glasses, or surgery offer little relief from longstanding eye floaters and flashes. Your doctor can advise on current treatment options based on your specific eye condition.
Preventing eye floaters and flashes
You can lower your risk for visual disturbances by:
- Getting regular comprehensive eye exams.
- Controlling diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Eating a healthy diet high in leafy greens and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Wearing protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities with eye hazards.
- Quitting smoking or limiting secondhand smoke exposure.
- Following your doctor’s advice on medication use, eye supplements, and vitamins.
While you can’t always prevent age-related vitreous changes, leading a healthy lifestyle optimized for eye health gives you the best chance of preserving clear, spot-free vision as you get older.
Conclusion
Seeing occasional spots, threads, or cobwebs drifting in your field of vision is common as you age and typically not a cause for alarm. But significant changes in the type or frequency of eye floaters can signal a vision-threatening condition that needs prompt medical attention.
Contact your eye doctor right away if you notice sudden increases in spots, especially if accompanied by light flashes, pain, or vision changes. Ophthalmological evaluation is needed to determine if treatment is required. While annoying, most eye floaters are harmless so talk to your doctor about strategies to minimize bothersome symptoms.
