You can also check your vision at home between visits.

Keeping these appointments is one of the best ways to protect your eyes. Your doctor can dilate your pupils to allow for examination of the back of the eye, and they can check eye pressure to make certain glaucoma is not developing. How Can You Protect Your Eyes?Īnnual eye exams can help your doctor spot changes in your vision before they cause significant problems. But these are all considered specialty procedures, so you will need an eye expert to help you. But these are all considered specialty procedures, so you will need an eye expert to help you.Įvery surgery is a little different, and the care you need might be different than the care someone else needs. Every surgery is a little different, and the care you need might be different than the care someone else needs. Per Australian Family Physician, doctors can perform a vitrectomy to remove the gel inside your eye (which can fix bleeding tissues), to push the retina back into place, and to hold it there as it heals. If you have a migraine, doctors might use medications to soothe the electrical firestorm in your mind.īut if the flashes are caused by retinal detachment or some other retinal issue, you will need eye surgery. If you have a stroke, for example, your doctors will work to remove the blood clot and restore blood flow. The treatment you will need depends on the issue causing your flashes. Severe pain in your eyes, especially after you’ve been hit in the head, should also prompt quick medical care. You should also see a doctor immediately if the flashes are accompanied by numbness or an inability to talk. A dark cloud (sometimes described as a curtain) slides across your field of vision.The flashes get suddenly stronger or brighter, and they will not go away.You see flashes when you’ve never seen them before.The light is accompanied by cloudiness or dark blobs blocking your view.You should see a doctor for flashes, says the American Academy of Ophthalmology, if: But some optical changes indicate that something is wrong with your eyes, and when those symptoms appear, quick care is crucial. Sometimes the flashes you see fade away in a second or two and do not return, and those may not require urgent care. Since strobing vision come from inside the eye, other people will not see the flashes. They often appear as shooting stars, lightning streaks, or spots of light, and it’s common for them to appear in the corners of the eye. The primary symptom of this issue is simply seeing flashing lights that aren’t actually there. If they last for 10 to 20 minutes and are followed by pain, the light is probably sparked by a migraine, says the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Unusual electrical activity in the brain leads to all sorts of shifts in perception, including flashes of light. Some people develop an aura before the pain of a migraine hits. Other stroke symptoms include numbness, weakness, slurred speech, or headache. Bleeding inside the brain can also cause flashes of light. If one of those capillaries breaks, blood can leak into the space behind your retina, and that can lead to retinal detachment and flashes of light. Blood nourishes every cell in your body, and in your eyes, it’s delivered by tiny little vessels that line the eye socket. But in about one person in six, the reduction leads to retinal detachment. This is a common problem, says Harvard Medical School, as about a quarter of people have shrinkage by age 60. Sometimes, it tugs on the retina, and that can lead to flashes and sparks. As you age, that material gets smaller and smaller. A thick, gel-like substance keeps your retina in place. This is a medical emergency, as the longer the tear remains, the more likely it is that you will have permanent vision loss. Your brain interprets the break as a flash of light. The retina needs a steady flow of blood to work right, and when that is interrupted through a tear, your information flow breaks down.

A small slice of tissue in the back of your eye transforms light into images. Strobing vision in your eyes are often caused by both eye-specific issues and general health issues. When you see them in your visual field but others can’t see them, you could be dealing with an eye illness or another health problem. When your eyes are healthy and working well, the only flashes you see come from outside your body.

But there are steps you can take at home to monitor your vision and protect your eyes, so you will be ready if the flashing starts. Some conditions that cause flashing lights can’t be prevented. Once you arrive, you will need a thorough eye exam, and you might need surgery to preserve your vision. If they are new, intense, or very disturbing, they could be a sign of a serious illness your doctor should treat.

Flashing lights meaning