Photopsia- Seeing flashes of light across my eye - Please help!

[dhicks0319]

Hi,

About three years ago I experienced my first flash of light in my right eye.  Through some research, I've determined this to be Photopsia.  I was slightly worried at the time, but I couldn't find any information online and I had no further issues for a while...so I forgot about it.  I didnt experience it again until maybe 6 months later, and since then it has occured every few months. Sometimes a couple times per day, a couple times per week, etc...the frequency doesnt seem to have any type of pattern.  

The flash itself suddenly appears on the right side of my right eye (the way in which it appears reminds me of a match being struck/lit) and it moves across my field of vision to the upper-left side of my right eye.  The flash is almost always the same, it is a lima bean/boomerang shape that is bright white (but at the same time seems as though it has some color to it - I can't discern).  The flash only takes about 2-3 seconds to travel across my eye, and it blocks a good portion of my vision.

I also have hard time seeing at night and in low-lit rooms, which I've learned is called Night Blindness.  This is also a very big problem for me, I HATE it. I went to an eye doctor a few years ago regarding the night blindness and he didn't help at all.  

Another thing that may be related is I take Concerta (methylphenidate) daily to treat my AADD. I am a 27 year old male.

If anyone could please shed some light on possible causes, solutions, or just any general information would be much appreciated.

I have an appointment tomorrow with a NEW eye doctor but I'm just worried and stressed about it...I have read that photopsia can be related to diabetes and MS (among other things) which both run in my family. So this is a great concern to me.

Best Regards and many thanks,
Drew

[Anonymouse88]

Don't know about the mouse cursor, but everyone can see stars better in their periphery.  The advice for looking around at the sky or at night is to constantly shift your gaze around a bit.  This is because you have more rods in your periphery, which aren't very color sensitive, but are much more light sensitive.  They also see the blue spectrum best, which is why stargazers use red lights to look at their books--less night blindness after the light.

Glasses might help.  My eyes are pretty good (-.75 in one eye, and -1.00 in the other), but my night vision is waaayyy fuzzier than my day vision, and I can't see very many stars without my glasses or contacts.  And I could still see well enough in daytime to pass eye exams, but glasses still helped a lot.  Maybe your vision is fuzzy enough to hide the cursor when it isn't contrasted against the background.  Hopefully, the eye doctor will have sorted things out by the time you read this, but I wish you the best of luck if he hasn't figured it out yet.

[jemma116]

Why strain to see in a dimly lit room?  Put the lights on.
As we age our eyes do change.

Hopefully the eye doctor didn't find anything too serious with your eyes, but something that can be sorted out.

Let us know how you got on.

Best wishes.

[dhicks0319]

Also, does anyone know why I have trouble, say, located my mouse cursor on the screen, even when shaking it back and forth? My eyes don't seem like they are able to detect motion (especially if the colors are similar).  

This also affects my ability to see stars in the night sky. I can only see a handful of the brighter stars, even when other people around me claim to see hundreds. I can see more of them if i really stare, but my eyes will mostly detect the smaller ones in my periphery... and then when i try to look directly at the star, it basically disappears from sight. This is my least favorite thing about my eyes. I love stars and looking at them.

[dhicks0319]

Thank you all for the responses! I'm leaning towards retinal detachment/general eye issue and have realized that this probably has nothing to do with diabetes or MS. I have never placed a big importance on getting sleep until just recently i have made a concerted effort to get adequate sleep. Plus I use a computer/my iPhone for many hours a day. So not enough sleep + sitting on the computer + always straining to see in the dark and in low lit areas = taking very poor care of my eyes.

I'm about to hop in the shower and go to that doctor's appointment, so I'll be sure to check back in and let you know what he says, if anyone is interested in knowing

[jemma116]

Glad to hear that you have an appointment with a new eye doctor.  It is best to get these things checked out.

Flashing white lights can also be from migraines, using the computer too much and not resting your eyes, detached retinas, as well as floaters which are normal.

Your eye doctor will be able to diagnose if you have any problems that need sorting out and whether you need prescription glasses.

If you are concerned about diabetes, go and get a blood test taken at the doctors or ask for a Glucose Test.  

Best wishes.

[Anonymouse88]

It's possible that you're having migraine aura without the headache.  It could also be related to epilepsy.  I'd suggest seeing a neurologist, who might want to do an EEG.  Your GP can also send you for labs to test your blood sugar, and check for sugar in your urine if you're worried about diabetes.  If you're not having symptoms like frequent urination, massive thirst, increased hunger, and weight loss, I would guess that this has nothing to do with diabetes.  I don't know about the MS, but a neurologist would be the person to see about that too.

[arlandonbloom]

This sounds likea lot like " eye floaters". It is perfectly normal and happens to everyone. It is pieces of gel breaking off inside the eye and floating around, making it look like little specks of light floating around in the eye.