The eye is mostly filled with vitreous humor, a gel-like substance that helps maintain the shape of the eye. The vitreous humor is in direct contact with the retina, a light-sensitive tissue located at the back of the eye.
As we age, the vitreous humor slowly shrinks and pulls against the retina. Usually these connections between the retina and vitreous humor break resulting in a separation between these two layers. This process is known as posterior vitreous detachment. Symptoms of posterior vitreous detachment include floaters and flashing lights in the peripheral vision.
In most cases posterior vitreous detachment is not sight threatening and does not require any treatment. However, in certain cases posterior vitreous detachment can result in a macular hole, a retinal tear or retinal detachment, all of which will likely require surgical treatment to restore vision.
Stephen Ong Tone