Flashing lights and floaters

New symptoms of flashing light, floaters or a dark curtain like shadow can be symptoms suggestive of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), retinal tear or retinal detachment. In PVD, the vitreous (jelly like substance) separates from it's normal attachment to the retina. As we grow older, our vitreous liquifies and collapses and than it can separate from it's attachment to the retina. Most of the time it does not cause any permanent damage to the retina, other than the floater symptoms. However in some cases PVD can cause some serious condition such as a retinal tear leading to reinal detachment and vitreous haemorrhage (bleed in to the vitreous).  Therefore you should get you eyes examined by a retinal surgeon if you develop any new PVD like symptoms. He will dilate your pupil and perform a thorough retinal examination with slit lamp biomicroscopy and indentation indirect ophthalmoscopy to rule out any retinal pathology.