Seeing stars....

Posted By Deb on January 24, 1999 at 03:16:42:







Thank you for answering my question about my daughter's Grave Disease Eye problems.  Now I have a question about myself.  I see "stars" a lot.  I don't know if this is an eye problem or another kind of problem, or whether it is just normal.  Certain things make me see stars all the time....example, bending down, exercise, etc.  Other times I see stars for no reason.  By seeing starts I mean I will see hundreds of flashes of light in front of my eyes.  They go away if I close my eyes.  The flashes can persist for a few minutes at a time, but for no more than 5 minutes at any one time.  Sometimes I just see a few "stars" but more often an episode will bring too many stars to count, The flashes of light seem to flash at random and will disappear as strangely and suddenly as they start.  I don't know if it means anything, but it can be a little unnerving.  There are too many flashes to ignore....even if I try to look through the stars or beyond the stars, I can still see the flashing.  Overall, my vision does not seem to change...there is no blurring.  Doesn't seem to matter whether my glasses are on or off.  Even though exercise can start them, occasionally the stars will flash at rest.  Is this a visual concern?  Is this normal?  Do I need to consult a doctor, and if so what kind?  If it is a problem, what types of disorders could cause such symptoms.  Incidentally, this has not been a sudden onset....for years I have noticed these symptoms, but it used to be just a few isolated starts once in a while...recently there are a lot more episodes, each episode takes longer to resolve, and there are a LOT more flashes!
Thanks, Deb