Eye Pain, light flashes

I have been having occasional deep eye pain, like someone is pushing my eyeball, for about the last year.  Recently I started getting lightning-like flashes in the same eye.  This eye also gets "lazy" when I am tired, have been reading or watching tv a while - the vision is blurred (near & far sight), and the lid actually droops closed.  Should I be worried about this?

I don't know if this is related, but about 25 years ago I contracted toxoplasmosis which settled on my optic nerve in that eye and left an enlarged blind spot.  My mother had narrow angle glaucoma emergency surgery and now has macular degeneration.  My sister also has glaucoma.  I've tested negative for glaucoma.  I also suffer migraines where I get the zig-zag circle of light in my eyes.

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

A few comments:  I'm not surprised that the eye closes a little while you read a lot since the brain probably has learned to ignore the image in that eye after a while.  The deep pain could be an indication of ongoing inflammation and even glaucoma sometimes.  Also severe dry eye keratopathy  or other corneal problems can cause deep pain as well as things like sinusitis or trigeminal nerve irritations.  I'm not sure how the toxoplasmosis fits in but do know that there can be re-activation of old infections with subacute worsening of vision, floaters and eye inflammation. Finally you have classic migraines and have a strong family history of glaucoma.   You have to get this all checked out - best to start with an excellent ophthalmologist.

MJK MD