Light flashes

[Ndobbins]

Have any of you had a bright flash of light to the side of your vision? I have had a flash of bright light occur in the outer left side of my left eye intermittently.

If you have had this happen, do you have optic neuritis?

My opthamologist said that my optic nerve looked ok.

Thanks,
Nancy

[Doug1964]

Hi Nancy,

I just looked up the doctor I was sent to by my regular opthamologist.  "Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery" was this second doctor's field of specialty.  Retinal problems with the eye is all he deals with.  I don"t want to poo-poo on what your opthamologist told you, as he/she might be a great eye doctor.

I know this though... flashes and pain are not normal.  I would consider getting a second opinion just to be sure there isn't something wrong.  I do not mean to scare you but sometimes you don't get a second chance with certain eye problems.

I would be very interested in anything you further find out there on your end.

-- Doug

[jumpinjiminy]

Yes. At some point in my flare up of whatever this is over the last three months, I notice my balance had improved. It was night time, I was outside chasing off a raccoon. All of a sudden I noticed my balance had improved in the dark for the first time in two months, so decided to double check and make sure I wasn't imagining it.

So as I'm strolling down the sidewalk in the dark, I turn my head to the left and see lightening around the periphery and then in the center of my vision - both eyes. Turned my head to the right, same thing. Back and forth, back and forth. No, I didn't fall down, but I did have fun creating lightening on a starry night.

The opthalmologist I did see told me it must be checked ASAP. The reason being is that it can be a sign of retinal detachment, which is a medical emergency. She looked over my retinas and said they looked good. Her diagnosis was a benign condition, something about the jelly in the eye can get a little dehydrated as you age and tug on the retina creating visual disturbances like that. She said it would go away. I haven't seen it since.

[Ndobbins]

I have had migraines for several years but none in the past two or three. So, it could be migraine related.

On another note though, I have pain in the same eye & mentioned that to the opthmalogist. He didn't seem concerned.

What is a specialist called that deals with retinal detachments? I thought that the opthamologist was the best for detecting eye disease.

Thanks,
Nancy

[Doug1964]

Hi,

I was just diagnosed about two weeks ago with having acquired MS.  So... I tried to return it to my local Walmart (they'll take anything back 'ya know).  Wrong.  Oh well... at least the thought was amusing and made me chuckle.

When I saw your post it hit the bullseye of exactly the same thing that I have been experiencing for the past twelve months.  Same eye; same side of that eye; same description of the symptoms.

I went to my regular eye doctor and he wanted me to see a specialist.  So off I went to the specialist a couple of days later.  He told me that what I am experiencing is called an ocular migraine.  I told him that I was not having headaches and he said that it is not that type of migraine.

The short of the long of it is that he told me that from the time it started, that the most dangerous period of time is eight to ten weeks.  The danger is that the retinal detachment could occur, but that there was nothing that I could do, or not do, to keep this from occurring.  I went back to see him three months from my first visit and he said that all was fine.  I told him that I was still having the flashes.  He said, "Oh, those will take place probably for the rest of your life, though for some people the flashes will go away years after the onset, but that I was out of woods for having a retinal detachment take place."

So, I would go to specialist and not just the good ol' opthamologist and explain what has been going on.  If it has been occurring for over 10 weeks, then according to the specialist I saw, you would no longer be at risk for any other serious damage taking place (if they are ocular migraines).  Regardless, get it checked out.  My father had flashes that went from annoying to a detached retina.  Let the docs decide what it is.  I will say that I am very interested in finding out if it has something to do with the MS now that I have been diagnosed with it.

I'm really glad to have found this site / forum.  My symptoms are starting to stack up and while I am usually as tough as nails about things in life, I can't seem to help worrying about having this condition.  Thanks for the good community.

[serenity402]

I too get flashes every now and then and have also been toldf I don't have optic nuritis, weird when it happens, also no epilepsy, though I get se
vere vertigo almost all the time, I'm getting fed up with it

[supermum_ms]

Nancy do you have migraines or epilepsy? If its been happening for years and you dont have anything going on with your eyes or optic discs, then could it be from the brain throwing a brief fit. Does anything else happen apart from the flash?

BTW i'd not long written you a reply, something funny happened after i'd stood up to give DH a cuddle and kiss good night, my stars had been around just about all day and I'd been standing for 3 or 4 minutes so it can't have anything to do with blood flow. As soon as i raised my head and closed my eyes for my kiss, i started to swoon, rather strange feeling and i dont recommend it. Instead of a kiss DH got, "ooooooh, sorry, just a minute, hang on, whoops a daisy, nearly over", I could not hold my self up at all, with out sight i can't tell where i am in space so i topple and keep going until my brain stops trying to put me on the ground, good job he was holding me up LOL! He was cracking up, he said "ahhh your so romantic, there's nothing quite like having a women swoon at your feet!" FOFL (falling on the floor laughing) :-)

I suppose there is some benefit in having just the little stars instead of a big flash, I think that would have me on the ground quick smart. I've heard of opthalmologists missing ON before but I dont think if it was something like glacoma or macular degeneration they'd of missed it, sx usually occur after the damage is visible on tests. Still i'd keep an eye on it, oops no pun intended lol, i was having sight issues for years and years before any test picked up there was a problem. Too late now but then again I dont think there is any thing that can be done to prevent it if it is ON.

Cheers.........JJ

[lovemy6monkeys]

I get it when my eye acts up. I honestly see it right in the middle of my vision (like closer to my nose) so I can't tell which eye is doing it. I'm assuming it is my left eye, that is the one that has always given me problems. The optic nerve is a bit thinned, but still within normal limits. I have nystagmus (downbeat), photophobia at times, and my newest symptom is night or lowlight vision. I feel like once the sunsets the room is more dim than it should be. I've also had times when faces seemed shadowed.

I was told it is optic neuritis.
~Jess

[Ndobbins]

I have had this intermittently for years. I saw the opthamologist about a month ago & he said that everything looked fine. So, maybe it's nothing. I just had one Thursday evening & it was a bright flash.

Thanks for your comments.
Nancy

[michelleric]

Hi Nancy,
I would go see an ophthalmologist.  Bright flashing lights can indicate a retinal problem, or lots of other things as well.  I would not fool around with your vision and look into it ASAP.

HI just reread your post above, and see that you did see an ophthalmologist.  Were you having this symptom at the time?

Michelle

[supermum_ms]

Hi Nancy,

I have just been discussing the 'stars' i see with my GP, I dont have any heart symptoms, not out of breath etc just losts of these little stars flashing then they disapear again. I dont have a sudden big bright flash of light, but lots of little ones, like i'm a cartoon charactor thats been hit on the head, no pain. I do have a pale optic disc, nystagmus, diplopia, photophobia and sight loss but not dx with ON, though the odds that the pale optic disc is ON is pretty high i'd say.

I have read about the flashes but i'm realy not sure about it, i'm sure someone will know more.

cheers...........JJ