Flashes in Vision/ brain tumor scare

[Ilgent]

Hello all,

I suffer from health anxiety and have been worrying about a brain tumor for the last couple of months.

The fear started when I was in a dark room and I noticed a little tiny flash of light in my vision that only lasted a second then went away with head movement After I googled and found out about retinal detachment I made an apppontment immediately with an opthimologist. The ophthalmologist mentioned that my eyes looked perfectly healthy but that my optic never is a little flat but That is completely normal at
My age. I proceeded to see my regular eye doctor who mentioned the same thing a few weeks later. Since my eyes are healthy, I fear these flashes have to do with my brain. I should note that I rarely see them now because I sleep with the tv on and I only occasionally notice them when I am switching positions while sleeping and I see them in my peripheral sometimes when I move my head up and down quickly. I have never those these flashes during the day, only when I first wake up or at night when I am about to sleep. I also notice it when my eyes go over a pillow when I am chAnging positions. I do not suffer from unusual headaches, dizziness spells. The top of my head does vibrate sometimes and I occasionally get pins and needles, especially in my arm when I sleep but it recovers fast.

I just want to know what all of you think. I know my logic is sometimes overcome by my health anxiety. Thank you for your replies.
I am a 25 year old male

[Fishmanpa]

So based on your post, putting the HA aside, is there anything wrong?

Positive thoughts

[Ilgent]

Hello,

Thank you for your reply. I’m sorry I don’t really understand your question. Physically? All I would say is physically wrong is the light flashes. I do see double vision on my phone screen if my eyes are unfocused or if my gaze is extreme. But other than that, no physical problems that I can think of other than vision. I should mention that the location of my light flashes varies from central vision and peripheral and I believe sometimes it’s a flash in only one eye and sometimes a flash in both of them

[Fishmanpa]

I’m sorry I don’t really understand your question. Physically?

Yes... based on your post, is there anything physically wrong with you?


After I googled and found out about retinal detachment I made an apppontment immediately with an opthimologist. The ophthalmologist mentioned that my eyes looked perfectly healthy but that my optic never is a little flat but That is completely normal at My age. I proceeded to see my regular eye doctor who mentioned the same thing a few weeks later.... I have never those these flashes during the day... I do not suffer from unusual headaches, dizziness spells.
I am a 25 year old male

Positive thoughts

[Ilgent]

I see the light flashes as a physical symptom. I never noticed them before and began noticing them this past March. My worry isn’t my eyes, I completely trust the judgment of the doctors that my eyes are healthy, what is worrying me is if my eyes aren’t the cause of the flashes, whether something bad is going on in my brain. Once again, thank you for your reply.
I appreciate it.

[Fishmanpa]

I completely trust the judgment of the doctors that my eyes are healthy, what is worrying me is if my eyes aren’t the cause of the flashes, whether something bad is going on in my brain.

One more time...

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

From your post...

"I noticed a little tiny flash of light in my vision that only lasted a second then went away with head movement"

"I should note that I rarely see them now"

"I see them in my peripheral sometimes when I move my head up and down quickly."

The last one is most telling. You're doing something that no one ever does under normal circumstances! That's like saying, "when I bend my arm around my back too much I feel pain in my shoulder" :doh:

If two medical professionals who are trained to recognize serious issues are not concerned, what does that tell you?

Positive thoughts

[Ilgent]

I understand your point. I should mention that the head movements that cause the flashes are not unatural, ie getting up out of bed, putting my socks on, ect. While I do agree that the flashes have been coming up less, the reason seems to be because I sleep with the tv on now, not that the symptom necessarily went away.

[Fishmanpa]

I understand your point. I should mention that the head movements that cause the flashes are not unatural, ie getting up out of bed, putting my socks on, ect. While I do agree that the flashes have been coming up less, the reason seems to be because I sleep with the tv on now, not that the symptom necessarily went away.

I've been replying to sufferers for many years. I'm a two time heart attack, bypass, stents and Stage IVa Head and Neck cancer survivor.

What I see is the all too familiar "yes, but" pattern of HA. Being that you're admittingly a HA sufferer and posting on an anxiety website, what does that tell you?

Your replies are desperately trying to validate your irrational thoughts and that tells me you're deep in the rabbit hole. Sometimes, despite my feelings about paid reassurance I would suggest seeing your doctor. In this case I wouldn't. You're hyper focused on a normal bodily anomaly and with the help of Dr. Google, now have something totally irrational to worry about,

Good luck and as always...

Positive thoughts

[Myka01]

Did you ever find out what was causing this problem? I have something very similar

[wubu]

I get these and despite what my GP/optician said, it's deffo down to the way I sleep. I actually get shoulder/neck pain and the flashes are always worst in the morning. I notice them with head movement when I'm having stuff neck and shoulders and it can happen throughout the day.

I thought I slept with a good pillow but I must be in some weird positions at night.