Flashing Lights in eyes

[Jasonn123]

Hi everyone,

The feeling of being flashed by the light of a camera and it's after effects, do people remember what it feels like?

I was working today in front of my computer like I usually do, and all of a sudden my vision goes into that "camera flash" state. It felt as if I was flashed by the camera (even though I wasn't). I thought to myself that it was odd but I brushed it off as if it was nothing. However the "flash effect" stayed on my eyes for a good 10-20 mins (I wasn't really keeping track >_<) and after noticing how long it lasted I started to get worried, several minutes after that I felt nauseous and had a slit fever but quickly recovered from it within 2 hours.

Anyone had this feeling before?  I did some research and some people said its an early warning sign of a migraine (Migraines do run in my family, however I have no gotten a migraine since that camera flash effect, which was roughly 7 hours ago now) Another possibility is retinal detachment, however I tend to always exaggerate my self-diagnosis.

Any help would be great and much appreciated, thanks!

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

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[walkietalkie]

If you are highly myopic the sudden flash with the lingering flash effect is an ominous sign of retinal tear or detachment. Watch out for changes in your vision like sudden increase in floaters, blurred or curtained vision, etc, for the next few weeks. Get your eyes checked to be sure. My computer once flashed me and a couple of weeks later my retina was torn.  

[belgaer]

My understanding is that a retinal detachment leaves no doubt as to its severity and robs you of your sight fairly quickly. What you experienced sounds more like what many of us have and are still looking for a name for. I would back away from the computer screen and rest your eyes while trying to remain calm. If it lasts, you might want to see an opthalmologist to be sure you have nothing serious going on. I hope the posts on this site will help allay your fears as well...