View Full Version : eye issue - ever had this?
I haven't been to an eye doctor in many years and don't have eye care insurance so thought I'd ask if this is something that ought to be checked out. Yesterday, I noticed flashes of light and black streaks in the periperal vision of one eye. It continues today. No pain or blurry vision. I have a recollection of a few days back feeling like there was something in my eye and having to rub real hard to get it out. I am hoping that maybe I just ruptured a small vein. But of course web searches bring up retinal detachment which is kind of scary. Wondering if I should give it a few more days and then call an eye doc or call one now?
Don't put it off but go ahead and make an appointment. Are the black streaks kind of log shaped? Thats how my mom described her retinal detachment. We think it was caused by painting all the ceilings in my house (too much looking up). I get ocular migraines which are wavy flashes of light that grow and fill my whole field of vision but those only last 20 minutes. My 'regular' migraines give me a warning of flashes of light in my peripheral vision but also only last a few minutes. If you are on day 2 of symptoms it would be better to play it safe.
A good optician should have the equipment to take a picture of the back of the eye. When I told mine about the waves or dots I was seeing, she was concerned and we talked about retinal detachment. It turned out I had developed floaters in my eyes. Since they have no treatment and are not really bothering me, we are just monitoring when I get regular exams.
Alot of white flashing could be a sign of retinal detachment.........which is serious.
But........the black stuff and maybe what you are describing as a flash could be "floaters"......which is just debris in the eye which floats in front of the retina. Both DS and I have lots of it and its not harmful........just a pain in the butt. Sometimes, if I'm looking into the light, it shimmers, which might be interpreted as a flash.
But.........its important for you to have your eyes checked, just in case its a retina problem.
I haven't been to an eye doctor in many years and don't have eye care insurance so thought I'd ask if this is something that ought to be checked out. Yesterday, I noticed flashes of light and black streaks in the periperal vision of one eye. It continues today. No pain or blurry vision. I have a recollection of a few days back feeling like there was something in my eye and having to rub real hard to get it out. I am hoping that maybe I just ruptured a small vein. But of course web searches bring up retinal detachment which is kind of scary. Wondering if I should give it a few more days and then call an eye doc or call one now?
Better safe than sorry. Since you haven't seen an eye dr in years, it's probably time for a glaucoma test anyway.
Call an eye doctor (not an optician) - now - be sure to mention the flashes. I had similar symptoms a few years back (although this isn't necessarily what happened to you) - the vitreous (the clear gel in eye) separated from my retina, which is not uncommon as you get older, especially if you're very near sighted like I am. But sometimes when the vitreous pulls away from the retina it can tear it or detach it, which is what the eye doctor will want to check for. Mine didn't get damaged (thankfully), although I have a lot of annoying floaters now :-(.
But the bottom line - if you see flashes like that, go get checked. This is the kind of thing where they will (should) ask about symptoms and determine whether you should go straight to the ER.
Mighty Frugal
2-6-12, 2:10pm
Go get it checked-better safe than sorry.
Also try to avoid 'rubbing really hard' to get something out of your eye. My ophthalmologist screams at me whenever I try to rub my eyes. If you did have something in your eye rubbing it may cause it to tear the cornea which then could get bacteria under it which would cause a serious eye infection (corneal ulcers if bacteria goes beneath or a milder corneal abrasion if you just scratch your cornea)
Next time you feel something in your eye just douse your eye with 'real tears' you get in the small bottles-it should wash it out of your eye. I sadly know this because I have had corneal ulcers many times in my life and I am now so super careful about my eyes (pretty much OCD)
Good luck and let us know!
I'd have it checked out.
I've had a few ocular migraines. The first one was pretty scary. Funny how they last exactly 20 minutes, isn't it? I wonder why.
Go get it checked-better safe than sorry.
Also try to avoid 'rubbing really hard' to get something out of your eye. My ophthalmologist screams at me whenever I try to rub my eyes. If you did have something in your eye rubbing it may cause it to tear the cornea which then could get bacteria under it which would cause a serious eye infection (corneal ulcers if bacteria goes beneath or a milder corneal abrasion if you just scratch your cornea)
Next time you feel something in your eye just douse your eye with 'real tears' you get in the small bottles-it should wash it out of your eye. I sadly know this because I have had corneal ulcers many times in my life and I am now so super careful about my eyes (pretty much OCD)
Good luck and let us know!
When I get something in my eye, I wash it with a homemade sterile saline solution and an eye cup. It works every time.
I had that happen a few years ago -- it was really scary, especially because my mom had JUST had a partial retinal detachment a couple of weeks prior. I actually flew out to HK to see an eye specialist because I wasn't confident about the eye doctors in my location (living in a smaller city in China at that point). In my case it turned out to be what is called a "posterior vitreous detachment" which basically means that a bit of eye goo broke off and became "floaters" roaming randomly around my eyeball. Annoying, but nothing serious. Also in my case, they told me that because I am so incredibly nearsighted, I am more likely to have this kind of thing happen as time goes on, and I am at a much higher risk of retinal problems because the shape of my eyeballs is so elongated it tends to pull the eyeball away from the eye socket (sorry, TMI probably). I would have it checked out, though -- better safe than sorry. In my case because this wasn't a routine eye exam but rather related to a medical condition, my insurance covered it.
lhamo
First ocular migrane I had, I was sure I was going blind. As soon as it subsided I went to the nearest opthalmologist. Exactly 20 minutes. And really once the panic subsided, pleasantly psychadelic. I notice I am more likely to get them if I have a digestive upset like intestinal flu, or if I get dehydrated.
After talking to an older co-worker who had the exact same thing happen, this is most likely posterior vitreous detachment like llamo mentioned. Nevertheless, I made an appt with an eye doc tomorrow just to make sure. It makes me so nervous though when things go awry with either eyes or teeth. I guess after eight years, it is time to get the old eyeballs checked anyway.
Especially since glaucoma doesn't have any symptoms until its done some damage. You'll be glad you went! Let us know how it goes.
We just have too darned much in this society.
If you have a few little dots coming and going then it is just that how tired you are or what kind of lighting you are living in, it is a normal thing then. But if you are suddenly seeing flashes of light, clouds, swirly mists or a curtain over part of your vision, then you should immediately see your eye specialist. The eye specialist will then tell you exactly that what is going on inside of your eye.rrrrr
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