movement phosphene

[Bruce24]

I ve read movement phosphene is related to optic neuritis. Is that the true? If you get phosphene from eye movement, moving your head side to side or blinking is that related to optic nerve damage.

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

Agileyes: Read the section on entopic phenomena at wikipedia, its quite good. Arcs with rapid eye movement in the dark is completely normal and are due the the eye muscles "jerking" the eye and stimulating the retina. It occurs in the dark because the dark adapted eye is 1000 times more sensitive than the light adapted eye.

Steve J   There are no optometrists on this forum. This is an Eye MD ophthalmologist forum.

JCH MD

[steve608]

  How about a ring of bright ligh that spontaneiously strobes for approx. 10 -15 seconds in one or the other eye?
  How about one or both eyes spontaneously strobing in a dark red color?
  How about having, what appears as, a bright bundle of litghts appear when my eyes look up or sideways. This then slowly stops appearing if repeated soon after initial movement? Just like if you were looking at a dark spot and burn an image.
  How about having a dark orange to red color flooding your eyes when you cover them (with a blindfold etc.) and open your eyes?  This color appears like you're looking through a fine screen.  Soon, everything gets extrememly bright orange or red and a bright white ring of light boarders the orangish/redish glow.
  How about all of these????

There's more, however, this should do as a strater.

Compared to what I've read regarding Phosphenes, my eyes are a 3 ring circus.

Steve J.

[agileyes]

My Optometrist diagnosed flahses in my right eye as Phosphenes.  I get a flash of light at the bottom of my vision when I look up quickly.  I only see it when I'm in certain lighted conditions, I don't see them in dark rooms.  From previous posts on this list I've read information related to rapid eye movement phosphenes but it seems those are seen in dark situations too.  The Optometrist did all sorts of test like slit lamp and could see no problems.  I do have a nevus in that same eye.  Do you think this is just another form of entoptic phenomena?

Agileyes

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

No phosphenes are generally normal entopic phenomena and are due to pressure or rapid eye movements.  ON is not a common cause at all of these phosphenes

JCHMD