Flashing lights

[sara127]

Hello
I am a 19 year old female currently a freshman in college. About a month ago in August, I was complaining of seeing floaters and flashes.  I went to my eye doctor immediatey.  My eye doctor checked my eyes in a detailed exam.  He even dilated my eyes.  He said my eyes are completly fine.  Its just that many people see floaters and flashes.  However, for the past week or so, I have had bloodshot, pain and stinging in my eyes.  I went to the health center here at school and the nurse said it was allergy conjunctivites.  For the past 2 days, i have noticed a blue flashing light only at night.  It looks like kind of a vein, or a lighting streak.  I am worried if I have detached retina. What do you think? It is probably very slim that a detached retina has formed in the month since I saw my doctor right?  

[dukey]

You are very young for a detached retina in the absence of any other occular condition. However, you should definitely get checked out by an eyeMD ASAP. Are the streaks on the temporal side (towards your ear) and kind of resemble a thin half moon shape? It is possible that the infection and flashes are related but equally possible they are coincidental. Do these flashes occur with head/eye movement or are they spontaneous? These things are important. The fact that you have had these flashes for sometime suggests that a RD is not likely. I am not a doc though, well not a medical one anyway haha!  

[dukey]

Sounds benign to me but, again, get it double checked just to be safe. You might want to look up Moore's Lightning and other entoptic phenomena for more information. Good luck.

[AnnaE]

My retina detached, looking back, in as few as 2 days after I saw the doctor. When this happened, the doctor would not return my call. Two hospitals would not even look at my eye.

But I am not sure that is what is happening with you. However, you need to be sure and have peace of mind, so please get a second opinion.

[AnnaE]

Get a 2nd opinion, just to be safe. from a retinologist.

[AnnaE]

Get a 2nd opinion, just to be safe. from a retinologist.

[sara127]

It happens in the dark at night.  its when i look to the right and then they go away when i move them.  but when i look towards the right again i see the same sort of blue light.  I went to my eye doctor a month ago and my eyes were good.  and i also went to the health center at school and the nurse checked my eyes and saw nothing wrong.

[tia77]

A related discussion, blue flashing light in eye was started.

[berrywoo]

More than likely you're experiencing entoptic phenomena. You've had two thorough eye exams, and in the absence of any predisposing factors for RDs you should be more than fine. Use the search feature on the forum and look up entoptic phenomena or you can google it.

[sara127]

Hello,
I did go to another eye doctor for a 2nd opinion and said my eyes were fine. So now I have 2 good opinions.  But I still see a blue streak at night sometimes.  It could be possibly entopic phenomena. What do you think?  The doctor said that many people complain to what I see at night also.

[AnnaE]

See an MD

[Sandy Feldman, MD, MS]

Dear sara127,

I would recommend that you see an eyeMD to have your eyes checked again.  The symptoms of a retinal detachment include flashing lights that are present even when your eyes are closed, a curtain coming down or a sudden increase in the number of floaters that you see.  

Dr. Feldman

Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., M.S.
ClearView Eye and Laser Medical Center
San Diego, California