I’m a very skeptical person so I’m assuming there is an explanation for this. It started around high school, and I used to say “Did you see that??” to other people, but after enough time of no one knowing what I was talking about, I eventually kept it to myself.
I don’t mean lightning as in bolts, but the way lightning can illuminate a room at night more like, or the flash from a camera. There is no sound, but clear as day I will be going about a normal activity, be blinded by bright light like a camera flash that no one else can see, and then back to normal. I now consider this so normal in fact that i’ve been a member here for years and have never thought to ask about it. :o
Iam not an optometrist, but I see one for regular checkups, and she says this sort of thing can be a sign of something dangerous, like a detached retina. Please see a doctor.
IANAD, but the two causes I am aware of is a detached retina (as already mentioned) or a migraine. Your typical migraine has a headache sometimes accompanied by flashes of light and maybe an aura. It’s possible to get the other two symptoms without getting the headache.
I was under the impression that it could be caused by epilepsy as well, and when I googled that I found that partial seizures can cause flashes of light in your vision. I also found that flashes of light can be caused by growths in your eye, which might be something like ocular melanoma.
Go to your family doctor and get a referral. You want to see an opthamologist, not an optometrist. You might also want to see a neurologist. Just describe your symptoms in detail (and how long they’ve gone on) and your family doctor will refer you to the correct specialist.
I’ve recently started getting “aura” migraines, and I don’t experience any pain during these, but get weird, almost mirage like lights going off in the corners of my field of vision. Makes it very difficult to actually focus on any kind of fine detail. The lights are not super bright, and are certainly not quick- they tend to last for hours. Of course, YMMV.
Not to freak you out, but you’re description sounds like it really could be the start of a detached retina. When it comes to your vision, don’t screw around. Schedule an appointment with an ophthalmologist and describe exactly your symptoms.
The earlier you catch this stuff, the better. Of course it could be something totally harmless and common, but It’s not worth going blind because it seems minor or relatively asymptomatic.
I had an eye exam for contact lenses last month, and have had many since the flashes started happening. Is it possible they wouldn’t notice my retina detaching during these? Is it a different test? Also wouldn’t a detched retina mean only a flash in a single eye and not my whole vision? I’m going to make an appt with a doctor soon though.
A lot of times your optometrist can catch things. I went to see my optometrist because of a spot that appeared in my vision, and didn’t go away.
She was at a loss, and didn’t see anything unusual. Nonetheless, she suggested an opthamologist, who had far more sophisticated equipment and did more extensive tests. She was able to conclude it was the vitreous gel changing into fluid as I aged, and nothing to be alarmed about (it happens to everybody, but doesn’t always manifest visual anomalies).
That said, she was specifically looking for a few things after describing my symptoms. She asked if I saw flashes of lightning, which is a sign of a detached retina. I asked for clarification, because sometimes you just get mild “flashes” or auras just because you have eyes and a brain, and physiological circumstances will do weird, harmless, random things.
She nodded, and stressed that I’d know if I saw them and left it at that.
I was about 30 at the time. I’m 39 now and besides worsening astigmatism, all’s well.
Hope it turns out to be nothing! Chances are you’re fine…
I wonder if this is similar to a related phenomenon I sometimes experience (maybe once a month), but in my ears instead (so auditory); that is, I get this sudden ringing/pinging sound in one ear, usually the right ear, which slowly fades away over a few seconds (I have had this as long as I can remember, and some other people say they get something like it too, as in this thread, so like the OP I’ve never thought of it beings a sign of some disease). Perhaps some nerves misfiring somewhere?
Of course, if you suddenly start getting weird stuff like this, especially if it is increasing in frequency, you should get checked out.
I will get it checked out for sure when I can, but it has been at the same very low frequency for over a decade which is why I’m not all that scared of it being my retina detached.
Plus, the fact that you’ve been seeing them for 10 years, and (I assume) it hasn’t gotten any worse, would seem to suggest it’s something other than a detached retina - wouldn’t that have progressed by now?
Migraines are a real possibility. About 3 years ago, I started seeing the occasional brief trail of light across the vision of one eye. I got sent to an ophthalmologist, who saw nothing of concern but monitors me closely (my eye pressures tend to be a bit on the high side of average) and there’s been no change. She suggested it might be migrainelike as well.
Since mine tend to be intermittent, and have improved slightly, this is as good an answer as any. Fortunately, these have never developed into anything painful (the rare aura->pain migraines I get, the aura is quite different).
I noticed something similar when I was about 15. It only happened in the living room, in the evenings, while I was watching TV. Turned out our new next door neighbor was a photographer with a studio in his living room.