little flashes of light in corner of left eye

[Guest guest]

Hello -- I have had little bright flashes of light, almost like

little streaks, at the outside edge of my field of vision of my left

eye. No pain or headaches, but I've also noticed that my close up

vision (my eyes are myopic, and I have worn glasses to correct this

for 32 years, since I was 10) is getting very bad, very quickly. I

can't do any close up work without removing my glasses to be able to

focus, and this has happened over less than a month. What might it

be, and what questions should I ask the optometrist (have to see her

and then get a referral to an opthamologist) when I see her later

this week?

 

Thanks,

Andrea

[Guest guest]

Hi Andrea,

 

I've experienced something similar called an " optical migraine " .

Apparently, it's when a tiny blood vessel in the eye bursts.

 

This may or may not be what you experienced...

 

Mine began with a flashing " light " on the outside of my eye, which

slowly moved across the eye limiting my vision for about 20 minutes.

This was then followed by a nasty headache.

 

Michelle

 

I have had little bright flashes of light, almost like little streaks,

at the outside edge of my field of vision of my left eye.

[Guest guest]

Hello Andrea,

 

I just had something similar, which I described to my eye doctor and " shooting

stars " out of the corner of my eye, along with some " sun spots " that came out of

nowhere. After he checked me out, he said they are " auras " letting me know that

I am about to get a migraine. Well, I don't consider my headaches migraines,

just annoying dull aches, and I don't always get headaches. The other thing he

thought it could be was a detached retina, because my dad had the same thing and

his symptoms were bright flashes of light out of the corner of his eyes.

Hopefully that is not the case. They may even be just simply " floaters " but it

would probably be a good idea to see your eye doctor to rule anything serious

out. Hope all is well.

 

Denise

 

Andrea Gauland <dreaquince wrote:

Hello -- I have had little bright flashes of light, almost like

little streaks, at the outside edge of my field of vision of my left

eye. No pain or headaches, but I've also noticed that my close up

vision (my eyes are myopic, and I have worn glasses to correct this

for 32 years, since I was 10) is getting very bad, very quickly. I

can't do any close up work without removing my glasses to be able to

focus, and this has happened over less than a month. What might it

be, and what questions should I ask the optometrist (have to see her

and then get a referral to an opthamologist) when I see her later

this week?

 

Thanks,

Andrea

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sick sense of humor? Visit TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on,

when.

 

 

[Guest guest]

My mother just recently had this problem, it turned out she had a partially

detached retina. But, according to this essay at the NYT, it can just be

aging. I forwarded this to her, so I will send it to you as well.

 

In the Blink of an Eye, a Vision of Disaster By LINDA SIMON

Published: September 4, 2007

 

One night, sitting in the dark in my car, I see, out of the corner of my

eye, something flashing. An emergency vehicle has pulled up behind me, I

think, the lights on its roof spinning ominously. It has come to retrieve a

body, to speed someone to the hospital, to gather the injured. I turn my

head, expecting to see a disaster. But nothing is there. Just the flashing.

I know this is not a good sign.

The next morning, in a room flooded with sunlight, there is another

development: shadowy spots tumble and swirl, as if tenacious, persistent

flies were circling my head. Eye floaters are common, of course, and I have

noticed them before, but never like this. Now I am assaulted by shadows that

come and go and come again. They swarm like a plague, like warnings of

darkness.

 

I present myself to the doctor for investigation: myself, which overnight

has become my eye. First it is numbed, then the pupil is dilated, then it is

peered into through a special magnifying lens. I sit in the dark examining

room and think dark thoughts.

 

The flashes flash from time to time, capriciously, or maybe urgently. The

eye doctor looks intently. How are you doing? he asks; You're doing well, he

answers. I do not reply except to comment, Not so well, really.

 

He is quick to reassure: everything seems fine, he says, as he looks and

looks. Here is what he explains: the eye is filled with a clear, jellylike

fluid, the vitreous gel, that begins to shrink as we get older. When the gel

pulls from the retina, we see flashes. If the gel forms little clumps, we

see their shadows as floaters.

 

Everything seems fine, he tells me again, as he gives me directions.

Obediently, I look to the left, to the right, to the floor, to the ceiling,

to clouds rushing in a storm, to a brambly trail that I've never before

taken. He is examining the retina for bleeding, for signs of detachment,

which would be uncommon, he says. Somehow, in an optical illusion, I can see

an image of what he sees: a shimmering web of blood vessels, a map of a

landscape laced with rivulets. It may be a map of the soul; that is how

fragile it looks, how luminous.

 

This happens to everyone, he tells me finally. This trouble, the flashing

and floaters, is normal. It is so normal, in fact, that there is a cheerful

handout describing the process. I can take it home as a reference. The

handout says: To make floaters disappear, just blink.

 

I am suddenly aware of seeing, and, of course, of not seeing. The drying up,

the shrinking, this can be easy, or it can go wrong. The supple jelly within

my eye wants to wrest itself from my retina, and it may do so aggressively.

It may, in fact, tear something fragile. Usually, in the gradual process of

shrinking, no tear occurs. Still, I need to be on the lookout, the doctor

says: in rare cases, a veil may descend, or a veil may rise across my field

of vision. This will be worse than floaters. I can see past them, after all.

I can even get used to them. But a veil is an emergency.

 

Now, I am worried about traveling out of range of the eye doctor, the

special potions for numbing and dilating, the magical lens for

investigation. If there is an emergency, where is the nearest emergency

room? Cities with world-renowned eye clinics: these will be my destinations,

just in case.

 

I would like to take charge, but here is another thing I understand: There

is nothing I can do. No amount of broccoli, no exercises, no vitamin

supplement, no herbal remedy, no wines red or white, not even dark

chocolate, will affect the flashing one way or another. Nothing will

dissolve the floaters. This powerlessness is a fear in itself.

 

Still, the eye doctor is happy to advise. Perhaps there *is *something I

should avoid: I should not jump on a trampoline. The day before the

flashing, anything was possible. Now, although I had never coveted bouncing,

a trampoline becomes my heart's desire.

 

Everything happens to everyone, including death. Along the way, there will

be annoyances — from an eye, an ear, a knee, a hip. Like floaters, they will

cast a shadow. What was clear will be obscured, what was bright, darker. I

can look up, I can look down, I can only look away.

 

I blink, and at the very edge of my range of sight, faintly, almost

imperceptibly, a gossamer veil appears. I blink. It disappears, and I blink

again.

 

Linda Simon teaches English at Skidmore College. Her book " Henry James:

Creating a Master " will be published in the fall.

 

 

 

On 9/5/07, Andrea Gauland <dreaquince wrote:

>

> Hello -- I have had little bright flashes of light, almost like

> little streaks, at the outside edge of my field of vision of my left

> eye. No pain or headaches, but I've also noticed that my close up

> vision (my eyes are myopic, and I have worn glasses to correct this

> for 32 years, since I was 10) is getting very bad, very quickly. I

> can't do any close up work without removing my glasses to be able to

> focus, and this has happened over less than a month. What might it

> be, and what questions should I ask the optometrist (have to see her

> and then get a referral to an opthamologist) when I see her later

> this week?

>

> Thanks,

> Andrea

>

>

 

 

 

Useful Gifts for Cancer Patients!

[Guest guest]

When I had those little streaks of bright light at the outside edge of my field

of vision in one eye, my ophthalmologist said it was a vitreous detachment. (My

vision did not deteriorate; I got it checked out right away.) He said the danger

was that it could lead to retinal detachment, which can cause blindness.

Retinal detachment can be treated with laser therapy to reattach it (at least in

the early stages). He told me to contact him immediately if it got any worse,

and he checked me again in a month.

 

I don't know about alternative treatments for vitreous or retinal detachment.

For vision in general (myopia, for example), check out vision therapy after you

have dealt with the immediate problem. Google vision therapy or Jacob Liberman.

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, September 5, 2007 4:00:33 AM

little flashes of light in corner of left eye

 

Hello -- I have had little bright flashes of light, almost like

little streaks, at the outside edge of my field of vision of my left

eye. No pain or headaches, but I've also noticed that my close up

vision (my eyes are myopic, and I have worn glasses to correct this

for 32 years, since I was 10) is getting very bad, very quickly. I

can't do any close up work without removing my glasses to be able to

focus, and this has happened over less than a month. What might it

be, and what questions should I ask the optometrist (have to see her

and then get a referral to an opthamologist) when I see her later

this week?

 

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

GEt to a doctor immediately.

I'm sorry, I'm not talking the holistic side of it. Those little flashes CAN be

normal with aging as the jelly inside your eye contracts and pulls away from

your retina with age, BUT, ifd it's consistant, it can be a retinal detachment.

I'll let all the Holistic experts here figure out how to prevent the detachment,

but if it is already occuring you need to have it fixed before it reaches your

macular vision and blinds you.

I had this happen in both eyes within 2 weeks of each other and I didn't take

care of it immediately. Yeah I have 10 percent of my vision left in one eye and

the other is totally useless due to the scars.

Good luck and don't play around just because it doesn't hurt.

Good Luck!

Jess

-

Andrea Gauland

Wednesday, September 05, 2007 7:00 AM

little flashes of light in corner of left eye

 

 

Hello -- I have had little bright flashes of light, almost like

little streaks, at the outside edge of my field of vision of my left

eye. No pain or headaches, but I've also noticed that my close up

vision (my eyes are myopic, and I have worn glasses to correct this

for 32 years, since I was 10) is getting very bad, very quickly. I

can't do any close up work without removing my glasses to be able to

focus, and this has happened over less than a month. What might it

be, and what questions should I ask the optometrist (have to see her

and then get a referral to an opthamologist) when I see her later

this week?

 

Thanks,

Andrea

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Andrea,

Your problem could be very minor (relatively), or very serious. You

need to see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible if this is a new

thing with you. Usually, flashes of light, if you don't always see

them, is the jelly like substance (vitreous) in the back of the eye

pulling at the retina when the head is moved quickly, or when you

might bend over, etc. This happens a lot in older folks--and

sometimes younger. If you see lights that don't go away in the dark,

or see shadows in lighted areas, it could potentially be a retinal

tear or detachment, which needs attention ASAP. Insist that your

optometrist sends you to see an ophthalmologist. Good luck. I hope

it's not serious.

John.

 

, Andrea Gauland

<dreaquince wrote:

>

> Hello -- I have had little bright flashes of light, almost like

> little streaks, at the outside edge of my field of vision of my left

> eye. No pain or headaches, but I've also noticed that my close up

> vision (my eyes are myopic, and I have worn glasses to correct this

> for 32 years, since I was 10) is getting very bad, very quickly. I

> can't do any close up work without removing my glasses to be able to

> focus, and this has happened over less than a month. What might it

> be, and what questions should I ask the optometrist (have to see her

> and then get a referral to an opthamologist) when I see her later

> this week?

>

> Thanks,

> Andrea

>

[Guest guest]

I have had these for years. I tell others they seem like little comets

streaking across my field of vision. I see an ophthalmologist every two years

and he and other physicians do not know what is causing it. They think it is

migraine related as I use to get migraines but without the auras. Now I get the

auras but no headache, nausea or vomiting which is preferable to what I use to

experience. It has not affected my vision whatsoever but it is rather strange

sometimes to see these little bright streaks of light going across my field of

vision. I think it has be a nerve thing as it almost reminds me of a little

bolt of lightening.

 

Richard

 

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

 

---Pema Chödrön

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I had the same symptom about 6 years ago. It turned out to be an

inflammation of my retna. I would definately go and see the opthamologist.

Don't panic...it could be minor....but, it could be something more. Which is

why the sooner you get it checked out the better.

 

I am happy to say that I have perfect vision and haven't had a problem

since...

 

Oh, be sure to pay attention to how your eye feels throughout the week

before your appt. Do they ache? Do you see floaters? Are your eyes dry?

Maybe you should journal it daily until your appt...

 

 

 

 

 

On Behalf Of Dee Marie

Wednesday, September 05, 2007 10:12 AM

 

Re: little flashes of light in corner of left

eye

 

 

 

Hello Andrea,

 

I just had something similar, which I described to my eye doctor and

" shooting stars " out of the corner of my eye, along with some " sun spots "

that came out of nowhere. After he checked me out, he said they are " auras "

letting me know that I am about to get a migraine. Well, I don't consider my

headaches migraines, just annoying dull aches, and I don't always get

headaches. The other thing he thought it could be was a detached retina,

because my dad had the same thing and his symptoms were bright flashes of

light out of the corner of his eyes. Hopefully that is not the case. They

may even be just simply " floaters " but it would probably be a good idea to

see your eye doctor to rule anything serious out. Hope all is well.

 

Denise

 

Andrea Gauland <dreaquince (AT) ihug (DOT) <dreaquince%40ihug.co.nz> co.nz>

wrote:

Hello -- I have had little bright flashes of light, almost like

little streaks, at the outside edge of my field of vision of my left

eye. No pain or headaches, but I've also noticed that my close up

vision (my eyes are myopic, and I have worn glasses to correct this

for 32 years, since I was 10) is getting very bad, very quickly. I

can't do any close up work without removing my glasses to be able to

focus, and this has happened over less than a month. What might it

be, and what questions should I ask the optometrist (have to see her

and then get a referral to an opthamologist) when I see her later

this week?

 

Thanks,

Andrea

 

 

Sick sense of humor? Visit TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on,

when.

[Guest guest]

There for a little while, I had what *did* look a lot like a bolt of

lightning, but mine didn't seem to move. Always in the same place,

always the same shape. Finally went to a neurologist who did some

tests like watching how both sides of my body moved, then said we

could do some high-tech test, but suggested it wouldn't show anything,

and that he thought it was a migraine type of thing. Asked if I ate a

lot of chocolate (no more than usual). After a few months, it went

away. One of those little mysteries, I guess.

 

Joy R

 

, " RNR " <rnr4biz wrote:

>

> I have had these for years. I tell others they seem like little

comets streaking across my field of vision. I see an ophthalmologist

every two years and he and other physicians do not know what is

causing it. They think it is migraine related as I use to get

migraines but without the auras. Now I get the auras but no headache,

nausea or vomiting which is preferable to what I use to experience.

It has not affected my vision whatsoever but it is rather strange

sometimes to see these little bright streaks of light going across my

field of vision. I think it has be a nerve thing as it almost reminds

me of a little bolt of lightening.

>

> Richard

>

> Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

>

> ---Pema Chödrön

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Ash - this is exactly what the optometrist recommended.

He even phoned this morning to check to see how I was! 8 )

 

Cheers

Andrea

New Zealand

 

 

On 10/09/2007, at 10:05 AM, Ashley Hughes wrote:

 

> Oh, be sure to pay attention to how your eye feels throughout the week

> before your appt. Do they ache? Do you see floaters? Are your eyes

> dry?

> Maybe you should journal it daily until your appt...

>

> ~Ash