Small shimmering/flash line in right eye when blinking lasting 30 mins

[anonandafraid]

So 3 nights ago I noticed a non-straight line about 1cm in length in my vision in my right eye only when blinking against a white background. It lasted about half an hour and then disappeared.

It appeared just below the centre of my vision, it wasn't an ocular migraine as I've had one of those a couple of months ago.

The scary part is the same shape happened again in the same eye in the same position tonight and now I'm terrified I've got a retinal tear or impending detachment or something is wrong with my brain or nervous system.

Anyone experienced anything similar?

[ServerError]

It sounds like a pretty standard floater. Are you familiar with eye floaters? (Sorry, don't mean to sound patronising).

[anonandafraid]

No need to apologise! Thanks for your response. I'm hoping that's all it is. I get them during the day against white backgrounds etc except they don't look like this one. I (sadly) took stock of all the floaters in each eye and this straight line one wasn't there before and doesn't appear during the day.

It's more like the trail effect of a bright torch and only appears after blinking. And it's new which is causing me panic, do you think it could still be a floater?

[GadGirl]

Defo sounds like floaters, I get them all the time I currently have wiggles at the moment they are more pronounced cause it's sunny and I'm sitting in a room with white everything xx

[NancyW]

I understand how frightening this can be, out of the blue last November I started seeing a flashing white line in the upper corner of my right eye.

After a few days of this I made an appointment with an Opthamologist, specifically, a retna specialist. After a full and intense eye exam, he told me it was a posterior vitreous detachment.

Normal for aging eyes. The flashing/white line I am seeing is the vitreous tugging on the retna trying to pull away. Nothing to be done as this is a normal occurrence.
Could it tear my retna? Yes, but not likely.
How would I know? I would see a shower of floaters. Constant flashing or a black shade coming across my eye.
I hope this helps you.
Are you able to give a call to an Opthamologist retna specialist in your area? It was very worth it for me to go and get properly diagnosed. Our eyes are precious.

[anonandafraid]

Hey folks, just an update of sorts on this.

I visited my optician 3 weeks ago who looked at my retina health, did the puff test for glaucoma etc and all came back healthy. She mentioned to see my GP if it was constant/more frequent.

Here comes a bit of a TMI bit:

I haven't experienced it since then except for last night, the same sort of squiggle, same location (except about half the size) appeared whilst I was straining slightly on the toilet. It took between 2-5 mins to disappear, and it sent me into a panic all over again after being free of this for at least 3 weeks.

I have noticed a bright spot when blinking in my other eye for 10-20 mins one day earlier this week. It came hours after having a bit of a tension headache, maybe a migraine? So it could possibly have been a delayed aura of sorts after that. Just recording it to make sure I noticed when they appear. This latest line didn't appear after or before any headaches though, just straining but it may not have been the cause as the same sort of thing has appeared before without straining.

I really don't want to make more appointments as I've been appointment-free for about a month and I had just started to get over all this stuff.

[anonandafraid]

Hey folks,

Woke up again with it this morning lasting about an hour, same eye but different shape. The best way I can describe it is like a camera after flash you'd see if someone took a photo with the flash on and you'd see the floating shape.

It's more pronounced when blinking and I'm positive it's not a floater. I've had it pretty much every two or every other day in the past week after being free of it for 3 weeks after the optician gave me the all clear. I really don't want to go back or book a GP appointment again.

[fruitandnutlover]

This is just what I experience (have done for several years now).

I will get a small bright 'blob' in my vision which I don't notice so much against a dark background but if I blink at the sky or computer/tv screen I can see it (of course I then get obsessed and constantly blink to see it!!)

I also get the occasional aura migraine but this is different wheres with an aura it appears in both eyes at the same time and is like a zigzaggy line which moves away over time, this appears only in one eye at a time and will gradually fade over time (usually a few mins but has been a hour before).

I've had eye tests and nothing came up. A few years back I became so paranoid over them that I paid privately to see a neurologist. He said if he had to pigeon hole it and give it a name he would have said it was silent migraines?!

I still get them (sometimes a few a week, sometimes not for weeks?!) I'm not sure if my constant state of anxiety makes it worse but am booked in for my annual eye test next week so will ask again!

So glad to find someone else who experiences this.

[anonandafraid]

Thank you SO much for the reply, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one experiencing these (but sad that you're experiencing them too).

You've described my situation exactly - I can't seem to find any info on what we experience without people labelling it as an ocular migraine when I had one of those earlier this year and although the spot/blob/line lasts the same amount of time, it doesn't grow and turn into a blind spot.

Silent migraines seems like an accurate label - I get them and experience no other symptoms along with it at all. I've cut out the coffee today to see if it'll make a difference - I think anxiety definitely plays a role as I didn't get them at all for 3 weeks after the optician said "You're fine", then when I got one randomly it set me off again and it's been every other day now.

Good luck with your eye test next week, let me know how it goes!