Have you recently noticed 'cobwebs' or a little 'fly' moving in front of your your vision? These 'floaters' often lag behind as you move your eyes. You may have noticed flashes of light or even a dark curtain at the side of your vision. If so, your practitioner will investigate these symptoms using eye drops that will 'open' the pupil to allow a more detailed examination of the inside of your eyes. These drops will make you light sensitive for up to 4 hours but the effect will reverse completely. A sudden onset of floaters and flashing lights are associated with changes to the vitreous jelly inside the eye. Whilst these changes are totally normal for the majority of people, sometimes they can cause a tear to the retina which can lead to a serious complication called a retinal detachment. If you have noticed a dark veil over your vision or even a sudden onset of floaters or flashing lights, please call your eye-care practitioner. With early detection tears can be treated with a laser, however, if you develop a retinal detachment, you will require surgery such as scleral buckling and vitrectomy.