# What can cause you to see lightning/flashes that aren't there? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148 "2012-11-26T14:07:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148/21 "2012-11-29T00:52:25Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > 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. For various reasons, including that the doctor broke his arm, my wife put off doing something about her flashes until her retina did detach. You don’t want to do that, I assure you. A couple of years later I started seeing flashes in my right eye. I called up our medical center, and was told I could see the doctor in a few weeks. I said to them “I will see the doctor NOW.” When I reminded him of my wife’s experience he didn’t think I was being crazy. My issue was just things drying up, and I was okay, but don’t risk it. We have very good insurance. By the time she was done it cost about $50K, though she spent only one night in the hospital and that was because the operation was very late. It would have been a lot cheaper if it had been caught earlier. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148/22 "2012-11-29T04:33:51Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > For various reasons, including that the doctor broke his arm, my wife put off doing something about her flashes until her retina did detach. You don’t want to do that, I assure you. > > A couple of years later I started seeing flashes in my right eye. I called up our medical center, and was told I could see the doctor in a few weeks. I said to them “I will see the doctor NOW.” When I reminded him of my wife’s experience he didn’t think I was being crazy. My issue was just things drying up, and I was okay, but don’t risk it. > > We have very good insurance. By the time she was done it cost about $50K, though she spent only one night in the hospital and that was because the operation was very late. It would have been a lot cheaper if it had been caught earlier. Wow, thanks for the wake up call. Calling tomorrow to schedule an appt. How long had your wife been having flashes before her retina detached? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148/23 "2012-11-29T07:16:53Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > Wow, thanks for the wake up call. Calling tomorrow to schedule an appt. How long had your wife been having flashes before her retina detached? ☹ A couple of weeks. It was near Christmas, and the place she got a referral to was very busy and scheduled her for weeks later. When it did detach and we went on an emergency basis we waited for a long time because they were very busy and they had to fit her in. We never minded waiting when we returned, because we figured someone with an emergency might have gotten in ahead of us. You are probably fine - but it isn’t worth gambling on. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148/24 "2012-11-29T08:17:48Z")
Google “ocular migraine.” They’re scary, but benign. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148/25 "2012-12-01T13:26:45Z")
I’m experiencing this myself. Here’s a link: [Ocular Migraine (Retinal Migraine) vs. Migraine Aura](http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/ocular-migraine.htm) ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148/26 "2012-12-01T23:30:51Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > 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. This happened to me in college when I first moved to New York except photo studios are all over the place. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out exactly where the flashes are coming from. I’ll join everyone in saying that the flashes of light sound like it should at least be checked out. Do you have floaters at all? That’s another symptom of vitreous detachment. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148/27 "2012-12-02T00:07:54Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m experiencing this myself. > > Here’s a link: [Ocular Migraine (Retinal Migraine) vs. Migraine Aura](http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/ocular-migraine.htm) \ Is this thing on? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148/28 "2012-12-02T00:38:44Z")
I’ve only seen it in the instant before the onset of a concussion. I’m not volunteering for lab work. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148/29 "2012-12-02T03:03:06Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m experiencing this myself. > > Here’s a link: [Ocular Migraine (Retinal Migraine) vs. Migraine Aura](http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/ocular-migraine.htm) This sounds more like what I have, since I for sure have simultaneous flashes in both eyes, not one. > [@CatherineZeta](#): > > I’ll join everyone in saying that the flashes of light sound like it should at least be checked out. Do you have floaters at all? That’s another symptom of vitreous detachment. I have never had floaters. Just flashes of light even in rooms with no windows where it’s definitely not flashbulbs or lightning. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > \ > > Is this thing on? What? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-cause-you-to-see-lightning-flashes-that-arent-there/642148.md?page=1)