If you get flashes of light in one of your eyes (particularly if middle-aged or older)...

[cthulu2016]

Last edited Sun Aug 18, 2013, 12:50 PM - Edit history (6)

or a unusually very high number of "floaters," or both, it is good to go to the eye doctor, and if you're going anyway you might as well go quickly. You are probably okay, but if there is a problem it will tend to be time sensitive, if you see what I mean.

(If it's nothing it doesn't much matter when you go. If it is something it matters when you go. You are going only because it might be something, so the logic of the situation suggests not delaying.)

As we age the gel that fills the eye shrinks and pulls away from the retina, which is no big deal in itself, but it sometimes tears the retina. (The separation is almost universal. Injury from it is not.)

That detachment process (it doesn't happen all at once) will usually come with some flashes of light and some floaters without causing noteworthy injury to the retina.

But when there is damage associated with the symptoms, it a kind of damage that is usually easily treatable early and can get much worse if not treated.

(And the younger we get separation the more dangerous because the younger gel is stronger/stickier.)

Doctors can try to isolate a tear with lasers. (much like stopping a run in stocking with nail polish, or setting a back-fire in a forest fire) That laser treatment to limit retinal tears is simple and easy and in-office In a lot of opthalmology practices.

This is a case where advances in technology change the risk assessment profile. I doubt there was much to be done about small tears way back when because the surgery required would be more traumatic than the condition. But today the pay-off of better safe than sorry is potentially high.

If a tear remains untreated, not only can it tear more, but fluid can get behind it and cause retinal detachment (think of wallpaper peeling from the wall) which can lead to blindness in the eye quickly, and requires a significant surgery, and is a big mess. And the detachment doesn't necessarily "flash" as much as the tear did when it tore, so it may even seem like the problem went away.

So you could wait to see if the problem went away, and have it seem to be getting better, and then lose a chunk of vision like bam.

Just one of those things one always hears all the time as good advice that is for real true. Symptoms of retinal tears should be taken seriously, so take bright flashes of light in your vision seriously, even though they will frequently being gel pulling away without injury.

It's a nuisance because, like so many things, one will encounter a symptom more often than the condition. There are "false positives" throughout life.

But as with any condition where early detection can make a large difference in end result, better safe than sorry.


(There is another type of striking flashes in the eye caused by opthalmic migraine that usually appears to be in both eyes simultaneously usually bright, linear, geometric and colorful. This is something that actually happens in the brain itself creating a false vision, not fed through the mechanics of the eyes at all. Having had both types, I was able to tell the retina kind from the migraine kind readily... you can tell it's in one eye.)

[hootinholler]

1. Also look for tunnelvision

Which is one of the early symptoms of glaucoma.

[pnwmom]

2. Yes! Good warning. This happened to my husband when he was traveling

and rather than go to a hospital emergency room (they apparently have them in all 50 states), he decided to stay until it was time to fly home, and get treatment here. (And not share his situation with me, of course.)



Several months and many procedures later, I think he is mostly better now.

So to your post I will add: go to an ophthalmologist, or an emergency room, not an airport!

[thecrow]

3. Thank you for posting this. I had that flashing

went to the eye doctor last week. She said the flashing was a "vitreous detachment" which is when your vitreous humour detaches partially and you may see many things. I saw a big brownish red "Z" in my right eye. I mean big, as if it was printed on a sheet of paper held about 18" from my eye.

Also, I saw something that looked like a shotgun blast in the eye.
She said that was from the detachment around a blood vessel. Well, the bleeding resolved itself but the "lightning flashes" still persist. She said to report back (night or day) if it changes in any way, but I should expect it to go away in 4-12 weeks.

My dad had the retinal detachment and after that surgery was the only time I ever saw him cry.

I'm hoping the vitreous detaches (which happens with age to almost everyone) without further complications. I am an artist, so I live by my hands and eyes and especially fear blindness.

[naturallyselected]

19. Vitreous detachment virtually universal after 60

While I agree with the OP - retinal tears are not something to be taken lightly; they will not get better on their own and can result in blindness - posterior vitreous detachment is something almost everyone over 60 will experience, and the floaters and flashes are the symptoms. The condition in itself is harmless, but it can, especially at the start of the process, lead to the more serious retinal issues.

So, what I am saying is, if you experience these symptoms, go to an ophthalmologist, but don't assume the worst. There's something like a 95% chance that there is nothing wrong. My experience is that the 4-12 week timeframe for the symptoms to settle down is very optimistic. I'm 59, and my left eye started the process last summer. My right eye started about three or four months later. Like you, I was given the 12 week number to expect improvement. A year later, my left eye is finally almost better, but my right eye is still flashing like crazy.

Many physical annoyances as we age. I drove 4 hours without stopping yesterday for the first time in years, and getting out of the car was almost impossible, my knees and ankles had stiffened up so much.

[cthulu2016]

41. I agree. One should not assume the worst.

I edited the OP to be clearer. It is not that people should be scared, but that the modern ability to limit the effects of tears non-invasively changes the risk-return profile to the point where the expense/inconvenience of false positives gets smaller relative to the potential benefit.

So though most of us will encounter the symptoms at some point without substantialy occurring, the reward for taking it seriously is high and will only get higher.

[populistdriven]

4. I take bright flashes of light in my vision seriously, especially blue and red nt

[Control-Z]

6. Ha!

Very sensible.

[darkangel218]

28. lol

[PennsylvaniaMatt]

5. Goods advice for people of all ages, really!

I'm 18 and last January, after wearing contacts for a few months and just after getting my new laptop, I noticed after staring at the brighter than normal screen that I was seeing quite a few floaters, especially in my left eye. Fortunately, they have been checked and everything is fine, despite it being very abnormal for people my age.

[RKP5637]

44. I had floaters at that age. That was a very long time ago. For me, it's never

gotten worse. I have yearly checkups with my optometrist and everything continues to be ok.

That's mostly when I see one or two, looking at my laptop screen. Sometimes I hold my head back and they float away, no longer in my laptop field of vision when I look back at the screen.

[Control-Z]

7. When I see flahes of light

I panic and then prepare for killer migraine.

[rhett o rick]

8. I get ocular migraines. I see flashes but lucky so far not to get the headache. nm

[RKP5637]

11. I get that too, the zig-zags. Sort of looks like a saw tooth, but vibrates and looks

much like a prism, starts out with blurred vision, then gets larger, and eventually goes away, over my eye. ... have seen my eye dr. I always take a couple of migraine pills just in case, but so far it's never progressed to a migraine. Phew!

[laundry_queen]

37. I get that too

I *have* gotten the occasional mild headache afterwards (1 Tylenol kills it), but normally I don't have any severe headache or anything like that. I've always described it like an c-shaped animation of a kaleidoscope. Apparently, which ever side the 'c' opens to is the side of your head that you will get the headache. That's proven to be true for me so far.

I'd rather have the pain. Whenever I get the stupid vision disturbances my life stops for a half hour or so. So annoying.

[RKP5637]

43. That, is an excellent description, "c-shaped animation of a kaleidoscope." Next time I get one I'll

see if I feel a headache at all on the opened 'c' side direction. I've had this happen a couple of times in the car, but fortunately I was not driving.

I've never seen any correlation to what causes them. ... some say coffee, others anxiety, etc., but I've seen no correlation. My optometrist has the same, except his always progress to a full blown migraine.

Same here, lasts about a half hour and then all clear.

[laundry_queen]

48. Mine are related to hormones

So fortunately I can control them to an extent with a low and constant dose of birth control pill (the kind with only 1 amount of hormones) and I only go off the pills for 1 week every 6 months. My mom had the same issue and now that she's well past menopause, she doesn't get the auras ever. I'm hoping that's the case for me as well. I also noticed a correlation with my blood sugar levels (I have insulin resistance and can get hypoglycemic symptoms). I've also heard that aspartame can cause them, but it didn't make much of a difference for me. It's frustrating, and I have had it start while driving but was fortunate enough to get home before it obstructed my vision - usually before I see the colors, there's a small pin dot in the centre of my vision that warns me.

[RKP5637]

49. Yeah, same here, it also starts for me with a small pin dot ... for me sort of a small

blurred area ... like looking thru the bottom of a glass, but very very small, then it grows with the wiggling effect. First time it happen to me it really freaked me out, thought I had developed a detached retina or something ...

[thecrow]

67. Aspartame affects me....

I will not drink a diet soda knowingly, even if I'm thirsty.
Splenda is okay, though, but I rarely use it either.

[GreenStormCloud]

63. It is called a scintillating scotoma.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillating_scotoma

[RKP5637]

65. Thanks!

[GreenStormCloud]

62. It is called a scintillating scotoma.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillating_scotoma

[Lugnut]

59. I get the zig-zags.

I can usually stop any progression of a full blown migraine with ibuprofen but I still get the heavy head thing and sensitive eyes.

[RKP5637]

60. Whenever I get a hint of it starting, I take two 'CVS Migraine Relief' tablets and

go sit in a recliner for about 1/2 hr. It also passes without the migraine. I'm not pushing CVS, just that's what I happen to take. Probably without the tablets in my case it would not seemingly progress, but I figure I might as well take them just in case. My mother had migraine headaches and it was horrible for her.

[cthulu2016]

35. Those appear to be in *Both" eyes -- that's how you can tell

it's coming fromthe brain, not the eye.

Flashes from injury will be in one eye, though it can be hard to tell the difference

[thecrow]

66. I also have ocular migraines!

At first, I thought the pattern had changed and the flashing was related to the ocular migraines. It was after a few days and internet research that I called the Doctor.
I have the scintillating scotomas and it can be an "L" or a "C" shape which gradually materializes and then gets bigger ... like if I was looking at a face, I might only be able to see one feature of the face. Extremely annoying. Sometimes there's just nothing there. Very hard to read or type if I'm experiencing this. I've had this all my life, for as long as I can remember.

Years ago, I also got the killer headache afterwards. I treated it with a shot of vodka and a couple pills. They MRIed my brain. They gave me the electro encephalograh test... they gave me all kinds of meds but nothing changed. The headaches were debilitating and could last for a week or so. Terrible program for a young mother of two!
Then they gave me 100 mg tabs of Elavil and had me take it for about 6 months. It made me very groggy all the time. But it worked! I got off it and then within a month had an episode, but when the "C" shape of twirling zig zags got bigger and bigger, it sort of went over my head and the it felt like someone was shining a very bright light behind me..... and... NO PAIN!
It was magical, I said.
The zig zags persist at a rate of maybe 2 episodes /month; sometimes more. I keep a diary nowadays to track them... which can be helpful if you seek medical attention.

However, when I was 50 I had a stroke, and all during the first part of the stroke, I was basically fighting my way through the zig zags. So, if it persists for you. I would suggest getting a Dr. to look at your brain to be sure nothing else is wrong.

Ocular migraines without pain is related to a higher stroke risk! (I am pretty well recovered from it, but still get expressive aphasia if I am very stressed and am dyslexic where I never was before... gotta live with a spell check.) I am very impressed with all of you who have reported having this condition.

Thank you for this thread....
It makes me feel not-so-all-alone.

[Freddie]

10. Me too

Like circles of flashing neon that won't go away no matter how often I blink.
Relpax is great if you catch it before the actual headache starts.
Thankfully I get far fewer migraines now that I'm older (yay menopause!)

[GreenStormCloud]

61. You are likely seeing a Scintillating Scotoma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillating_scotoma

[safeinOhio]

9. I've just had 2 retina surgeries

in the last 10 days.

At work I saw a big floater that looked like a mess of black hairs and then I started to see, what looked like fruit flies out in front of me as I was walking. Went to the eye doctor Monday morning and he said I had a tear in my retina and he operated, right then. Went back in 10 days and he said it tore again. Drove 45 miles to big clinic and had another one.

It was one of those things you can't decide to go to a doctor or not. I went on the net and all of the sites said go to the doctor, now.

[PasadenaTrudy]

12. To go with the hot flashes?

Oh great!

[tblue37]

13. Yes--but another common cause of floaters is dehydration.

I tend to get dehydrated easily, and this has caused me to suffer from floaters occasionally (I do get my eyes checked regularly, though). In each case thus far, my floaters were caused by dehydration, and drinking water made them go away.

Another common effect of dehydration is muscle crams--especially in the calves, ankles, and feet. Many people who suffer such cramps don't realize that might be the reason why.

Especially for those of us (and especially as we age) who don't want to have to run to the bathroom all the time, or who tend to get nauseated if we drink too much liquid at once, dehydration is a constant concern.

I can't drink more than 2 or 3 ounces of water at once without getting nauseated, so I have to be reminding myself all the time to drink a few swallows.

[Delphinus]

21. Oh, I am *so* glad to hear you say

this about getting nauseated after drinking water! That happened to me about five years ago and it truly turned me off from wanting to drink. It's a whole lot better now - don't know why - but I thought it was just me.

[tblue37]

38. Actually, it's pretty common--especially for women.

If I open a can of soda (12 oz.), it takes at least two days to finish it, because I can't handle more than 2 or 3 swallows at a time!

I put the can in the fridge and take a sip from time to time when I feel like it, and it stays carbonated enough for my taste until it's been in there for that day and most of the next day.

I can handle a little more liquid if I use a thin straw, probably because it limits the amount that goes down at one time, but I still can't drink very much at one sitting.

Especially in the summer I find it hard to ingest enough liquid to avoid dehydration--and as I age it gets worse (I turn 63 tomorrow).

[trof]

14. OK. Hold it! It could also be just opthalmic migraine.

I've had this condition for about 20 years.
Yeah, the first time it happened it scared the hell out of me.
I thought I had a brain tumor.

I've consulted ophthalmologists about it.
They don't know what causes it.

I get flashers in my peripheral vision.
Sometimes (rarely) it goes to tunnel vision.
I usually don't get a headache, but sometimes a mild one.
Especially if I cough.

There are many theories as to what brings them on, but no one really knows.
I've been told 'stress, red wine, peanut butter, caffeine'.
I've cut those out with no effect.

I'll go months without one and then get 2 in one week.

[duffyduff]

15. That is more likely the case. I started getting them when I was in my 30s.

Those are those wavy lines that block your vision for up to 20 or 30 minutes.

They sometimes come on me if I somehow look directly into bright light. The term "migraine" is probably a misnomer; I never get headaches with it.

[trof]

16. Yes! Bright sunlight can bring one on for me.

'Opthalmic migraine' is the medical term, although many don't get the headache.
Usually I don't, but when I do it is very mild.

[thecrow]

68. Does the bright sunlight make you sneeze?

All my life I sneeze in bright sunlight.... my brothers do too! And my mother did. She also had ocular migraine.

Driving past trees with the sun low in the sky can create a strobe effect that sets me off.
Also, if I'm eating out I have to have a table that doesn't face the sun. I keep my house as dark as possible.

[trof]

71. No. But it does for Miz t. Weird.

[cthulu2016]

36. opthalmic migraine appears to be in Both eyes

(it's not really in either eye, it's in the brain's visual processing)

A retina damage flash will be only in one eye.

Having had both, they're different looking. I could tell it was in one eye pretty readily

[newfie11]

17. I had that

Even covered my film in the darkroom thinking some idiot opened the door.
When it started raining floaters I went to the ER.
The took me right away. I was lucky as it was a vetrious tear. Had to see a specialist the next day to confirm.
These symptoms are nothing to fool around with.

[oneshooter]

18. I got my eyes examined three months ago.

I use a opthamologist because of the effect my diabetes has on eyesight. He told me that he had bad news, and good news.

The bad news: I have cataracts forming in both eyes that will have to be removed within a year.

The good news: When the new lenses are installed I will no longer need glasses.

Been wearing them since I was 6 years old.

Gonna be a little strange.

[Mnemosyne]

24. Mine said I had maybe a couple of years before needing surgery. I notice the difference steadily.

A friend just had hers done, glasses since 8 or 9. She loves it.

Scary though, don't like my eyes messed with.

[oneshooter]

50. I have already noticed a difference when using peep sights

at long ranges. A slight blurring of the target as seen thru the sight.

[Mnemosyne]

55. Stinks, doesn't it? Until a few years ago, I could thread a needle in near darkness, now cannot

even find the hole in the needle with my glasses on!

Can't be we're getting older, can it?

[oneshooter]

56. I really don't feel any older.

I just am having to restrict my competition shooting to the 200 yard reduced course. Bigger target, closer range!

[AnotherMcIntosh]

29. There is some information that even if a person gets multifocal intraocular lenses‎,

there is a possibility that the person will still need glasses. One poster said it was as high as 50-50.

But if you are one who never needs to get glasses again, good for you.

[immoderate]

20. I just had carotid artery surgery -- indicated by optical symptoms.

My symptoms were a monocular blockage of sight, with translucent transmissions, which I identify as amaurosis fugax. And a zigzag pattern that would develop over my field of vision, called scintillating scotoma. Both have been referred to as optical or ocular migraines, with no headaches. They occurred once a week or so.

These are sometimes signs of blockage of the carotid artery, which can be detected with ultrasound and MRA scans. I had both, and was in surgery the day after, for a carotid endarterectomy -- a reaming out of the artery that delivers blood to the brain.

My surgeon told me I was in line for a major stroke. My artery was almost totally blocked. It's almost four weeks since the surgery, and so far the visuals are gone.

Yes, life is good!

--imm

[Delphinus]

23. So glad

that you got this operation - may life continue to be good!

[Mnemosyne]

31. Sometimes you just luck out! Glad to hear you are doing well, imm! nt

[WinkyDink]

32. YAY!! {{immoderate}}

[RKP5637]

45. Wow, glad to hear you are way better now! n/t

[TxDemChem]

22. I started getting them at 30. Freaked me out.

I went to my optometrist/ophthalmologist and he said my scans looked fine, but a coworkers husband had detachment. Great advice, but I would drop the age minimum, just in case.

[jeffrey_pdx]

25. Corneal ulcers

Its as painful as it sounds.

First symptom a red painful eye, which can be anything

[greatauntoftriplets]

26. You're absolutely correct.

I had surgery last December to fix a detached retina.

[Phlem]

27. Aww sh^t

But thank you, better late than never, this will officially be my 1st optometrist appointment.

-p

[WinkyDink]

33. Opthalmologist would be my recommendation. :-)

[Phlem]

34. See!

Thanks again!

-p

[WinkyDink]

30. I know; happened to my now-blind-in-left-eye mother. AND I was in Amsterdam when I thought I saw

those "lightning flashes." I went straight-away to a hospital ophthalmologist, was deemed okey-doke, and PAID NOTHING.

I think that last point is important.

[brooklynite]

39. FWIW - A torn retina, repaired, won't prevent you from getting LASIK surgery if you're interested...

[ashling]

40. I have had 8 eye surgeries since 2009 (sorry, longish)

In March 2009 I had cataract surgeries in each eye. The Doctor was very meticulous in explaining all of the possible side effect - including blindness or death. It was that or continuing to see 3 of everything, so I did it. I had them a couple of weeks apart so I could get them done while on Spring break. I was in graduate school. So that was my first 2 surgeries.

Things went pretty well at first. In June i was driving when I noticed a flock of crows or grackles - at least I thought that is what they were at first. Then I noticed a couple of real birds and I realized that these were floaters, but they soon settled down. That evening after class my wife and I and another student were talking out by our cars under a street light in the parking lot and I felt what seemed like a bug fly into my left eye. I thought nothing of it as it was a summer evening and there were bugs flying around near the streetlight. The next morning I was in my office when I told my wife that I thought I had some unusual floaters. She asked me if we should go to the doctor. I usually would have said "no, I don't think its anything", but I stood up and at that second, I saw what looked like a jet of ink from an octopus in my right eye. Realizing that I did not have an octopus in my eye, I urgently said "yes." The Doctor's office said to come right away.

The doctor found 3 tears in my retina and sent me to Irving to a retina specialist who got us in right away. The retina guy said there were 5 - the latest one being right on a blood vessel. He did a lot of laser in both eyes -probably 130 laser pulses. By the time I came back the next week, my right eye was so full of blood that he had to use a sonogram to determine that I had a detachment. I had surgery that afternoon. (Surgery #3)

He said that I bled a lot, but that it was succesful. He put on a scleral buckle and the retina settled down in place. Recovery was going well for a few months. Then I noticed a dark area which turned out to be another detachment of the same retina but in a different spot. He had to do a vitreoectomy taking out the vitreous fluid and injecting a medicated silicon oil. (surgery #4) The recovery from that was going well. It takes a while for the oil to dissapate and be replaced with fluid. While that is happening it looks like there is a bubble in the eye. Then they have to go in again and take the oil out. (Surgery #5) As it went down, however, there was some fuzziness in the center. He took some pictures and showed me what looked like a map of mars, but it was my eye and indicated that the optic nerve was not working properly.

I went to yet another specialist. Apparently at some point I had lost blood flow to a part of the optic nerve - technically a stroke - and had lost vision to the center part of that eye. Amazingly enough, the vision to the eye was brighter and clearer than ever - except for that one spot that takes in about 90% of what you are looking at. I could still see . . . I just couldn't see what was there. So I am legally blind in that eye.

A few months later I noticed a dark spot in my right eye, - I was really attuned to these sorts of things by now, so went in to the retina guy again. Sure enough, the retina was detaching. So I went through the scleral buckle surgery again (surgery # 6)

To make a long story less long, things went pretty much as before, including a secong detachment (surgery # 7) and recovery of the oil (Surgery #8).

So I am legally blind in one eye and have to have various pairs of glasses to be able to focus with the other. But at least I can see, and can still drive with my glasses - though with only one eye. I have to shut my left eye so as not to screw up the image I am seeing with my right.

Prior to all of this I had had spine surgery ( a fusion of C5 - C6) because of severe spinal chord compression. I had been falling and the Doctor said that if I fell again that I could be paralyzed. That went as well as could be expected, but after all of this I started having issues again. It seems I had developed a bone spur which required another neck surgery.

Growing old is not for sissies!

[RKP5637]

46. OMG, it makes me cringe just reading about this. Scary stuff. n/t

[WinkyDink]

47. {{ashling}} I must ask: Were your post-cataract surgeries necessitated BY the cataract surgeries? I

will need double-cataract surgery one of these years, I've been told (when my prescriptions no longer suffice).

I've read of many a visual side-effect, but never DEATH as a possibility!

[rl6214]

53. I feel your pain...I have had 5 surgeries in the left eye, now legally blind and

One surgery in the right eye...so far so good.

Best of luck to you.

[ashling]

57. And to you

[REP]

42. Opthalmic mgraines are usually one-sided and cause temporary blindness in that eye

First time I had one, I thought, "I can't be having a stroke - my blood pressure is only 99/40!" The three generations of my family known to have these all share the same visual disturbance: what looks like the the edge of a circular saw blade outlined in moving neon lights as it moves across the field of vision, and as it crosses, the vision is lost in that eye. Scary as fuck the first few times.

My aura for classic migraine is false floaters. It's like my brain is going out of its way to fuck with me.

I'm very nearsighted, so along with the two types of migraine, I'm at higher risk for detached retina, so I have quite a few retinal exams.

[Jamastiene]

51. Do the flashes of light associated with this sometimes come with a headache?

In other words, could it be mistaken for a migraine? I am just curious, because I have migraines and my vision has been going to hell in a hand basket lately too. My aunt has been saying I should see an eye doctor. I'm beginning to think she may be right. Time to start saving up some money.

[GreenStormCloud]

64. You are likely seeing a Scintillating Scotoma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillating_scotoma

[rl6214]

52. K&r...excellent post

I have gone thru this mostly due to being type 1 diabetic for 30 years. I am now legally blind in one eye. If you start seeing hese problems get it checked out immediately.

[RebelOne]

54. I used to have those flashes, but they are gone now.

My sister had them several years ago and was told she had a detached retina. But the flashes went away and she has not had any problems since.

[ridhithomas]

58. floaters or flashes

Get regular eye exams and inform your doctor if you experienced floaters or flashes.

[thecrow]

69. My doctor told me that the floaters

are caused by bits of retinal "debris" where tiny parts of the retina break off and are floating around in the vitreous humour. If I look up at a clear blue sky, I can see these things that look like bacteria and gray fuzzy dots. It's very weird. Why were we not told about this when we were young??! lol ... as if we had a choice !

[a la izquierda]

70. My husband had a weird situation with his eye...

Not this that you've described, but a sudden blurring of the eye. He was diagnosed with central serous retinopathy. It resolved on its own but was totally freaky until we figured out what was happening.