Flashing lights at the outside edge of the eyes

[georgiekearns]

Hi  While traveling in England I began to see a flashing light at the side of my right eye.  It was the same type of light as a doctor shining his light in to your eyes but at the side.  It would also flash and I would think a waiter had just moved a medal tray and the sunlight was hitting my eye at the edge.  It seemed to happen quite a bit especially during something stressful or lifting a heavy object - we were traveling off and on trains.  When I  returned to Canada and went to a Saturday clinic they sent me right to emergency.  The opthamologist does not see any tears or blood in the two checks that he has done but wants me to return for a third visit next month.  The flashing is now in the left eye and is now more so in that eye and appears as a white circle with a little pressure.  I have had a few eye infections over the past year after staying at my brother's home.  I thought I might be allergic to the cats in the home because of the eye irritations over the past year.   It does not seem to be a retinal tear since it is in both eyes and there is nothing to be seen by the doctor.  Could this be related to my thyroid being too low or something else like blood sugar or the cats.    I would like to get some answers rather than just putting up with it.  I will just ignore the problem but like to deal with preventative medicine while it is possible Thanks so much!

[georgiekearns]

Yes they keep asking about headaches but I am pretty much pain free.  There is just a little bit of pressure on the eye lids but no pain and no headaches.  Thanks for the advice!

[georgiekearns]

Yes they keep asking about headaches but I am pretty much pain free.  There is just a little bit of pressure on the eye lids but no pain and no headaches.  Thanks for the advice!

[georgiekearns]

Thank you.

[achillea]

I have migraines, and with some of them I get a sense of a flash or bright reflection off to one side of the room.  It's not there, of course.  Earlier in my life, these light effects always preceded a headache, but as I have gotten older, quite often I do not get the headache anymore--just the light show for a few minutes, and often for days on end when I'm in a 'migrainous phase.'

It would not hurt to have a consultation with a neurologist.

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

No thyroid problem; cat allergy or blood sugar would not cause these types of problems
JCH MD