So lately I’ve noticed all kinds of flashing light- pinpricks, shooting stars, flashbulbs…all the frickin’ time. I went and had a very thourough eye exam, and they said everything looks perfectly fine- indeed, the insides of my eyes are perfect. I have no risk factors for retinal detachment, and there is nothing to worry about.
But how can I not worry when I live in a private light show? It’s driving me nuts. Part of it is that I work all day in fromt of a computer, with nothing to do but notice all the tricks my eyes are playing. I can’t pay attention to things. I’ve tried cutting caffeine and alcohol out of my diet- now I’ve got a horrific caffeine headache to go with the flashes. I’m scared to death I’m going to go blind. And I never know if what I’m seeing is real stimuli or fake. I havn’t been myself for weeks, since this started.
Not a doctor, but this sounds more like a brain problem than an eye problem. I’ve heard of people with forms of epilepsy who see stuff like that without having an all-out seizure. If you can afford it go to a neurologist and get a brain scan. I’d also say to stay off the computer since that might trigger it, but if you have to be on one constantly for work your options might be limited.
The magic of going to schools for your medical care is an automatic second opinion. Two different doctors spent two full hours shining lights in my eyes- I think I’m pretty clear. I’ve been doing a lot of research and this sort of thing is surprisingly common, and usually (but not always) resolves itself in a few weeks. I’ve got strict orders to come back in one month, or if the symptoms change.
I was going to mention the migraine thing too. I sometimes get some weird visual things going on with my migraines, sometimes even without the headache. If you can, I’d suggest going to a neurologist.