Flashes

I see brief white flashes of light usually below my line of sight when reading. So far, I have only noticed this in the evenings and only when I am reading a book or magazine having black text on white background (not when reading something on TV or computer).  Typically, it will happen for a few minutes and then stop.  The flashes are small compared to my entire field of view, they look smaller than a pea, but bigger than a head of a straight pin. I am in my mid-forties. It is hard to discern, but I believe that it is coming from my dominant (right) eye. My vision is normal in my left eye and only slightly near-sighted in my right eye (-0.75). Occassionally, I will get pain around the eye (not the eyeball itself, but like above or below the eye/eye socket). What does this sound like to you?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

vitreous traction. You need to see an Eye MD ophthalmologist to be sure you do not have a retinal tear or detachment.  Find one at www.aao.org

JCH MD