POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT

A PVD is a condition that is usually associated with floaters. A PVD is a normal aging process that many patients experience. Inside the middle of your eyeball there is a big ball of clear jelly called the vitreous that maintains the shape of your eye. As you get older this big ball of jelly changes shape and pulls toward the center of your eyeball. As the big ball of jelly pulls toward the center of your eyeball it can tug on the sensory tissue of your eye called the retina which may be seen as flashes of light by you. As the vitreous collapses and clumps onto itself it also forms these floaters that you may see in your vision. It is important to see your optometrist right away when you experience flashes of light and increased floaters as that could be a sign of a retinal detachment which can cause permanent vision loss.